The field of user experience emerged to compensate for poor product management. When we recognize that "the experience is the product," it becomes clear that these two fields are closely aligned.

1. Peter Merholz
peterme@peterme.com
@peterme

2. A Brief History Lesson

3. A new photographic apparatus

4. A new photographic apparatus
A NEW PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS.
This apparatus consists of a box containing a camera, A, and a
frame, C, containing the desired number of plates, each held in a
small frame of black Bristol board. The camera contains a mirror,
M, which pivots upon an axis and is maneuvered by the extreme
bottom, B. This mirror stops at an angle of 45°, and sends the
image coming from the objective to the horizontal plate, D, at the
upper part of the camera. The image thus reflected is righted upon
this plate.
As the objective is of short focus, every object situated beyond a
distance of three yards from the apparatus is in focus. In
exceptional cases, where the operator might be nearer the object to
be photographed, the focusing would be done by means of the rack
of the objective. The latter can also slide up and down, so that the
apparatus need not be inclined when buildings or high trees are
being photographed. The door, E, performs the role of a shade.
When the apparatus has been fixed upon its tripod and properly
directed, all the operator has to do is to close the door, P, and raise
the mirror, M, by turning the button, B, and then expose the plate.
The sensitized plates are introduced into the apparatus through
the door, I, and are always brought automatically to the focus of
the objective through the pressure of the springs, R. The shutter of
the frame, B, opens through a hook, H, with in the pocket, N. After
exposure, each plate is lifted by means of the extractor, K, into the
pocket, whence it is taken by hand and introduced through a slit, S,
behind the springs, R, and the other plates that the frame contains.
All these operations are performed in the interior of the pocket, N,
through the impermeable, triple fabric of which no light can enter.
An automatic marker shows the number of plates exposed. When
the operations are finished, the objective is put back in the interior
of the camera, the doors, P and E, are closed, and the pocket is
rolled up. The apparatus is thus hermetically closed, and,
containing all the accessories, forms one of the most practical of
systems for the itinerant photographer.
“one of the most practical of systems for
the itinerant photographer.”

5. You press the button,
we do the rest.

7. 1 2 3

8. The experience is the product

9. Technology Features Experience
This pattern continues to repeat itself…

10. Technology Features Experience

11. Technology
Features
Experience

12. Thanks, Martin
Tech
Business
UX
Product Management in theory Product Management in reality

13. Tech / Business
Analytical
Reductive
Rigorous
Bottom-up
Evaluative
Quantitative
UX / Design
Emotional
Additive
Intuitive
Top-down
Generative
Qualitative

15. Tech
Business
UX
Product Management in reality
“User experience”
as a field exists
because of
insufficient product
management

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Tim Gasperak <tim@adaptivepath.com> | Peter Merholz <peterme@adaptivepath.com>
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18. We had questions that needed answers
before we could design….
Who are our users, really? How do they behave? In what
context? What else are they doing?
How will we know when we’re successful?
Are all the stakeholders aligned?
What’s our personality? What do we stand for?
What’s achievable at launch? Where are we ultimately headed?

19. User research and personas
San Francisco, CA
Connected Life Research
Understand existing personal media
behaviors in the United States.
New York, NY
Columbus, OH
ACTIVITIES
Weeklong diary
Perfect day collage
Day-in-the-life diagram
90 minute interview
LOCATIONS AND PARTICIPANTS
5%
10%
10%
75%
AT A GLANCE
Age: 34
Income: $ 150,000 per year (combined)
Life stage: Married, professional, two children (ages 3 and 7)
HEATHER’S STORY
Heather doesn’t need to set her alarm anymore. As soon as their youngest child, Simon,
wakes up, that’s when her day begins. “Luckily though, we kind of have her trained. We just stick
Simon on the couch and pop in Shrek. She’s fine until our oldest, Chris, wakes up. That’s when all
hell breaks loose! Chris knows how to work the remote, so she’ll change it to her favorite show.
Luckily this morning my husband, Mark, stepped in and said “Chris, if I have to watch Yo Gabba
Gabba one more time, there will be no cartoons for a week!”
Heather feels a little guilty about leaving the kids in front of the TV while she and Mark get
ready for work. So when she gets home from work, she and Mark make a point of spending
some “quality” time with them. “Simon loves to draw, so we’ll usually do that or I’ll read a book
with her while Mark and Chris play games on the Wii.”
Once the kids are in bed, she and Mark just collapse on the couch, watch TV, and talk. “It may
not look special, but it’s one of my most favorite times of the day because it’s our time to just
be together.”
Commute: 30 minutes by car
Environment: Suburban, own a 1,600 sq. ft. house
“We put the kids to bed and it’s time to relax and watch
our shows before we do it all again tomorrow.”
Heather
MOTIVATORS
• Bonding with children and spouse.
• Connected with close friends and relatives.
• Balancing work, social, and family life.
NEEDS
• Ability to share family experiences with close friends and relatives.
• To consume media without taking attention away from children.
• Quality time with kids - we are able to interact with the kids in
a way that builds skills and makes us feel closer.
• Quality time with spouse – we are able to watch “our shows”
without the distraction of kids and work.
• To find content that is suitable and agreeable to all family members.
BEHAVIORS
Take photos and occasional video of family events. Share photos
with close friends and relatives via email or private Flickr account.
Purchase media devices such as, TV, MP3, video games for older kids.
Use parental control features for internet and DVR (with older
kids, concerns about access to adult content).
Hide or place devices out of reach (with younger kids, concerns
about damaging device).
Allow kids to watch movies, play video games, or listen to music
with headphones on (so parents can listen to the radio).
Download apps for kids to play on her iPhone.
Read magazines and blogs with content related to parenting.
Where media is consumed
Home
Car
Travel
Work
How media is acquired
Streaming
Borrow
or library
Purchase
Least skilled Most skilledModerate
Technical ability
Low HighModerate
$ Money spent on media
devices & services
Willingness to share photos,
videos & status updates online
Low HighModerate
shares with friends & family,
not public
Known item
search
Browse categories
Friends
& family
Articles
& ads
How media is discovered
20%
70%
10%
TV Books /
Magazines
GamesInternet Music
40%
40%
10%
10%
DEVICE
MOOD
SERVICES
Informed,
Productive
Productive,
Connected
MORNING AFTER WORK BEFORE BED WEEKENDWORK
Connected,
Informed
AM COMMUTE PM COMMUTE
Productive,
Relaxed
Bonded,
Connected
Bonded, Relaxed Bonded, Connected,
Relaxed
Time spent using media
(hours per week)
35%
15% 20%
30%
DEVICE
MOOD
SERVICES
AT A GLANCE
Age: 29
Income: $ 65,000 per year
Life stage: Single, professional, lives alone
JASON’S STORY
Before he gets on the subway to go to work, Jason grabs a copy of the free local paper, “I like
The SF Examiner for keeping up on local politics, but for everything else, I go online be-
cause if you’re reading something in the paper it’s at least a day old.” Jason prefers sites
like CNN.com, NYTimes.com, and BBC.com.
At work, Jason is focused on making his sales calls. But if his favorite team, the Mets, are
playing he’ll discreetly check the score on his Blackberry. “Luckily my work hasn’t blocked
ESPN.com, so during lunch I can check the score.” Growing up, playing sports was Jason’s
favorite way to connect with friends, but now that his schedule is busier, he finds the same
friendly competition with his fantasy football and baseball leagues.
Jason doesn’t like to think of himself as a “techie”, but he likes being able to figure things
out. “Last weekend all six of us went camping and that was the weekend that the Mets were
playing the Giants. We all wanted to watch the game, so I downloaded an app to my buddy’s
Google phone and linked it to my Slingbox at home. We missed the first inning, but it was
amazing to watch the game in the middle of nowhere!”
Commute: 25 minutes, walk + subway
Environment: Urban, 900 sq. ft. apartment
Informed Focused, Informed,
Productive
“There’s so much going on in the world, why
would I waste my time with reality TV?”
Jason
MOTIVATORS
• To be knowledgeable about current events, both locally and
internationally.
• To be intellectually stimulated. Feels most fulfilled when
learning about new subjects.
• Respected by his close friends, family, and co-workers for his
variety and depth of knowledge.
NEEDS
• Access to content anytime, anyplace (especially sports)
• Variety of information sources (especially news)
• Up-to-date information (news and sports)
• Educational content
BEHAVIORS
Checks news and sports throughout the day on his smartphone
and laptop.
Only watches sports live. Watches ESPN for sports highlights.
Prefers educational content (Discovery channel, History channel)
Uses laptop to research things related to what’s on TV.
Reads in-depth news articles. Prefers online sources for most
up-to-date content and multiple perspectives on a topic.
Connects with close friends via text and email to share opinions
on sports and news.
Attends live sporting events with friends.
Where media is consumed
Home
Work
Live events
Train
How media is acquired
Pirating
Streaming
Borrow
or library
Purchase
TV Books /
Magazines
Games
Time spent using media
(hours per week)
Least skilled Most skilledModerate
Technical ability
Low HModerate
newer devices, fewer
premium services
$ Money spent on media
devices & services
Willingness to share photos,
videos & status updates online
Internet Music Low HModerate
Known it
search
Browse
catego
Friends
& family
Articles
& ads
How media is discovered
10%
20%
20%
50%
10%
10%
15%
65%
Informed, Killing time,
Productive
Informed, Educated,
Relaxed
Informed, Educated,
Relaxed
Informed, Educated,
Relaxed
Informed, Educated
Relaxed
MORNING AFTER WORK BEFORE BED WEEKENDWORKAM COMMUTE PM COMMUTE

20. Customer journeys and service maps

21. Financial models
Desired
Behavior
Behavior
Metric
Value
Metric
Financial
Outcome× =
Widen
relationship
Open a
new
account
Actual financialservices clientexample
$ per mo
$13.5 mil
per month
Value of
opening an
account
$45,000
per acct
Number of
accounts
opened /
mo
301
per month
Business
Opportunity

22. Co-creation across functions
Design can be an
activity that an
organization
embraces, that
everyone can be
involved in.
hardware
engineer
design
strategist
softwareengineer
industrial
designer
naming
consultant

23. Co-creation across functions

24. Facilitation

25. IdeationIdeation

26. Do more with less
Authentically digital
Pride in craftsmanship
Be fast and fluid
Win as one
Experience strategy and vision

27. Product/service evolution roadmap

28. Product/service evolution roadmap

29. Flesh out
solution Refine
User test Build
Initial
Insight
Plan Ship
Analyze
Here’s
what it
needs to
do.
I have an
idea!
Wait... How
do we know
if we’re
successful?
So then I went in-house, and saw…

30. Prototype
solutions
Flesh out
solution Refine
Sketch
options
Test
prototypes
User test Build
Initial
Insight
Plan Ship
Analyze
Savvier folks did a little more…
Let’s try
some stuff
out first!
…but I was wondering, where’s the thinking?
Real user understanding? Strategic alignment?

32. Prototype
solutions
Flesh out
solution Refine
Sketch
options
Test
prototypes
User test Build
Initial
Insight
Plan Ship
Analyze

33. Definition Execution
Definition
/ Requirem
ents
Iterative design
Im
plem
entation
Strategy and plan,
aka “Build the right thing.”
Working through tradeoffs to deliver optimal solution,
aka “Build the thing right.”
Ideation/Generation
Understand
the market
Product
Strategy
Prototype
Customer
empathy Ideation
Experience
strategy
Prototype
solutions
Flesh out
solution Refine
Sketch
options
Test
prototypes
User test Build
design makes strategy concrete design supports delightful, engaging experiences
Plan Ship
Analyze
By Peter Merholz, http://peterme.com. If you use it, please attribute it. Thanks.
Initial
Insight

35. Definition Execution
Definition
/ Requirem
ents
Iterative design
Im
plem
entation
Strategy and plan,
aka “Build the right thing.”
Working through tradeoffs to deliver optimal solution,
aka “Build the thing right.”
Ideation/Generation
Understand
the market
Product
Strategy
Prototype
Customer
empathy Ideation
Experience
strategy
Prototype
solutions
Flesh out
solution Refine
Sketch
options
Test
prototypes
User test Build
design makes strategy concrete design supports delightful, engaging experiences
Plan Ship
Analyze
By Peter Merholz, http://peterme.com. If you use it, please attribute it. Thanks.
Initial
Insight
This isn’t a diagram of good design practice,
this is a diagram of good product management practice.

36. data
logic
user experience

37. MAGIC
user experience

38. data
logic
user experience

39. data
logic
user experience comes from the outside-in
user experience

40. And what happens when
you look from the outside
in?

41. You press the
button…

42. You press the
button…
… and we do
the rest

43. Products and features are simply a manifestation
of a service relationship
Finance Co.
AdvisorPhoneStatement WebPrint

44. Finance Co.
AdvisorPhoneStatement WebPrint
Products and features are simply a manifestation
of a service relationship

45. Everything is, or is becoming, a service

46. And how do you deliver a coherent service experience?
Growth Seller Tools
Search/
Browse
Product Page
Shopping Cart
and Checkout
Reviews

47. Keep teams focused on user experiences
Buyer
Design
Team
Seller
Design
Team
Growth
Seller Tools
Search/
Browse
Product Page
Shopping Cart
and Checkout
Reviews
S S
D D
TL
S S
D D
TL
Buyer
Experience
Seller
Experience

48. Make
an
Appointment
Buyer
Design
Team
Seller
Design
Team
S S
D D
TL
S S
D D
TL
Growth
Seller Tools
Search/
Browse
Product Page
Shopping Cart
and Checkout
Reviews
Buyer
Experience
Seller
Experience
D
Keep teams focused on customer types

49. Ken Norton
Noah Weiss
From Ken Norton’s “Don't Ship The Org Chart” Parts 1 and 2
Organize your product managers around
customers, not code repositories.
Connect PM areas of ownership to users and their
product experiences. Maybe you have a buyer PM
and a seller PM instead of back-end and front-end
PMs.
“
”
Just like it’s ideal to organize your PM
team around customers and use cases,
the same goes for engineering.
Otherwise, you risk having a PM responsible for a
use case having to work with half a dozen
engineering teams to ship a feature: server, web,
iOS, Android, infra, etc.
“
”

50. Tech
Business
UX

51. Tech
Business
UX
Design
UX Product
The experience is the product

52. Peter Merholz
e: peterme@peterme.com
t: @peterme
The experience is the product
Org Design for Design Orgs
Forthcoming book
Out in August, we hope!