I’ve worked for a lot of idiot managers in my career. And then, one day, after I had become a manager, it dawned on me: Now I’m the idiot! You see, most of my career has been an exercise in “trial by fire.” This process worked well when I was a designer and was trying to master the art of the task flow, site map, wireframe, prototype, persona, and so on. In leadership positions, the option to go back to the drawing board or to iterate hasn’t always been readily available—nor as painless to my pride and potentially my pocketbook.
Many of these lessons haven’t been easy for me to learn. It’s been tough to simultaneously remove obstacles without becoming one, or learning how to say “no” (and the flavors of yes and no!) when I’ve also wanted people to be satisfied with me and the work I’m doing. However, these lessons have all helped me become better at managing to some degree, while instilling a strong sense of empathy for those people who either report to me, or bless their souls, manage me in one way or another.
If you’re interested in learning from some of the hard lessons I’ve learned, or in just laughing at my folly, there will be plenty of material to provide you with either opportunity.
Design Culture Basics - Creating Your Team Charter - Interaction South Americ...Russ U
Getting a design team "on the same page" is the oft-stated goal of managers who care about how team unity affects the quality of the work. However, miscommunication is a given, and eventually every manager uncovers a series of disconnects between what was said and what was understood.
Consider, then, the benefits of creating a Team Charter: a kind of persona for your team that will help every member identify and agree upon a shared identity, purpose, and vision for the future.
Through a series of team activities, learn how to uncover the perceptions your team already has of themselves as a unit, as well as their thoughts about how they are perceived by others in the organization and craft a team charter of your own. With this key information, you can shape the team’s purpose and craft a plan to generate the proper perception of your team by others in a living document that keeps everyone on the same page.
The 3 Cs of Design: Charters, Critique, and CultureRuss U
I’ve worked for a lot of idiot managers in my career. And then, one day, after I had become a design manager myself, it finally dawned on me: Now I’m the idiot! I had a lot of ideas about what a good manager is, how one acts, and the exact positioning of where the spotlight should land on the hero, which was absolutely supposed to be me. Thanks, ego.
Heroically speaking, I failed on many, many levels. I didn’t understand how to understand a team, and help turn their perceptions and expectations into something shared and agreed upon. I didn’t understand how to foster critique; I only knew that I was in charge of design and that I had the final say. Most of my career has been an exercise in “trial by fire” and this process worked well when I was a designer and was trying to master the art of the task flow, site map, wireframe, prototype, personas, and so on. In leadership positions, the option to go back to the drawing board or to iterate hasn't always been readily available--nor as painless to my pride and potentially my pocketbook.
The passing of time, the second and third chances that I’ve been given, and the sound advice that I didn’t want to listen to in the past have opened me up to a much different perspective. Oh, I’ve still got plenty to learn, and I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned about charters, critique, and culture of design organizations.
3 Cs of Design: Charters, Critique, & CultureRuss U
I’ve worked for a lot of idiot managers in my career. And then, one day, after I had become a design manager myself, it finally dawned on me: Now I’m the idiot! I had a lot of ideas about what a good manager is, how one acts, and the exact positioning of where the spotlight should land on the hero, which was absolutely supposed to be me. Thanks, ego.
Heroically speaking, I failed on many, many levels. I didn’t understand how to understand a team, and help turn their perceptions and expectations into something shared and agreed upon. I didn’t understand how to foster critique; I only knew that I was in charge of design and that I had the final say. Most of my career has been an exercise in “trial by fire” and this process worked well when I was a designer and was trying to master the art of the task flow, site map, wireframe, prototype, personas, and so on. In leadership positions, the option to go back to the drawing board or to iterate hasn't always been readily available--nor as painless to my pride and potentially my pocketbook.
The passing of time, the second and third chances that I’ve been given, and the sound advice that I didn’t want to listen to in the past have opened me up to a much different perspective. Oh, I’ve still got plenty to learn, and I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned about charters, critique, and culture of design organizations.
The 3 Cs of Design - Charters, Critique, and Culture - Interaction South Amer...Russ U
I’ve worked for a lot of idiot managers in my career. And then, one day, after I had become a design manager myself, it finally dawned on me: Now I’m the idiot! I had a lot of ideas about what a good manager is, how one acts, and the exact positioning of where the spotlight should land on the hero, which was absolutely supposed to be me. Thanks, ego.
Heroically speaking, I failed on many, many levels. I didn’t understand how to understand a team, and help turn their perceptions and expectations into something shared and agreed upon. I didn’t understand how to foster critique; I only knew that I was in charge of design and that I had the final say. Most of my career has been an exercise in “trial by fire” and this process worked well when I was a designer and was trying to master the art of the task flow, site map, wireframe, prototype, personas, and so on. In leadership positions, the option to go back to the drawing board or to iterate hasn't always been readily available--nor as painless to my pride and potentially my pocketbook.
The passing of time, the second and third chances that I’ve been given, and the sound advice that I didn’t want to listen to in the past have opened me up to a much different perspective. Oh, I’ve still got plenty to learn, and I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned about charters, critique, and culture of design organizations.
Meta Meta Meta
You have attended workshops, you have seen them masterfully commanded by other people, and you really want to get a handle on doing this workshop thing yourself. This workshop is the workshop that will help you create and facilitate a workshop of your very own, in whatever workshop fashion you decide upon.
Mushroom Mushroom
Russ Unger will help you identify the path unlocking the workshop achievement in whatever platform you choose. You will learn how to plan your agenda, structure your workshop, and identify the tools that are needed to help you along the way. Preparation is only a small portion of The Workshop Workshop; you will also gain from the wisdom of the CrankyTalk Workshops to help you feel more comfortable with your material–and yourself–in front of a group of people who are relying upon you to be their guide.
Snake
There will be activities where you will experience the true nature of “trial by fire” or “getting your feet wet” (whichever metaphor you prefer). That is correct: You will be leading your very own workshop within The Workshop Workshop, and presenting your findings and results back to the rest of the workshop attendees.
Bring your most comfortable pair of shoes, your favorite writing utensil, and all the gumption you can muster.
You have attended workshops, you have seen them masterfully commanded by other people, and you really want to get a handle on doing this workshop thing yourself. This workshop is the workshop that will help you create and facilitate a workshop of your very own, in whatever workshop fashion you decide upon.
We will help you identify the path unlocking the workshop achievement in whatever platform you choose. You will learn how to plan your agenda, structure your workshop, and identify the tools that are needed to help you along the way. Preparation is only a small portion of The Workshop Workshop; you will also gain from the wisdom of the CrankyTalk Workshops to help you feel more comfortable with your material–and yourself–in front of a group of people who are relying upon you to be their guide.
There will be activities where you will experience the true nature of “trial by fire” or “getting your feet wet” (whichever metaphor you prefer). That is correct: You will be leading your very own workshop within The Workshop Workshop, and presenting your findings and results back to the rest of the workshop attendees.
Bring your most comfortable pair of shoes, your favorite writing utensil, and all the gumption you can muster.
Live with 6-8-5: Rapid Sketching for Better Design - Big Design ConferenceRuss U
The 6-8-5 Method can be used in a number of ways to help with ideation and brainstorming, but also for fine tuning your designs and ideas. This session will focus on generating ideas in the form of rapid sketches around a set of requirements, then validating and fine-tuning them through structured pitching and critiquing. You don't need to be an artist or a designer, and you won’t need a laptop—just bring your favorite pencil and get ready to sketch!
“Batteries Included” - Advantages of an End-to-end JavaScript StackC4Media
Video and slides synchronized, mp3 and slide download available at http://bit.ly/17erVwV.
Juergen Fesslmeier discusses the advantages of using a complete JavaScript stack in order to create business web applications demoing creating such an app with Wakanda. Filmed at qconsf.com.
Juergen Fesslmeier is a Web, Mobile and Open-Source developer, Entrepreneur, and a Product Manager at wakanda.org. Juergen enjoys talking about JavaScript, the Mobile Web, Server-Side JS, NoSQL, and Wakanda. He participates in Web standards mailing lists, makes technical recommendations about anything relating to JavaScript, HTML, and works to promote JavaScript as a professional language.
Design Culture Basics - Creating Your Team Charter - Interaction South Americ...Russ U
Getting a design team "on the same page" is the oft-stated goal of managers who care about how team unity affects the quality of the work. However, miscommunication is a given, and eventually every manager uncovers a series of disconnects between what was said and what was understood.
Consider, then, the benefits of creating a Team Charter: a kind of persona for your team that will help every member identify and agree upon a shared identity, purpose, and vision for the future.
Through a series of team activities, learn how to uncover the perceptions your team already has of themselves as a unit, as well as their thoughts about how they are perceived by others in the organization and craft a team charter of your own. With this key information, you can shape the team’s purpose and craft a plan to generate the proper perception of your team by others in a living document that keeps everyone on the same page.
The 3 Cs of Design: Charters, Critique, and CultureRuss U
I’ve worked for a lot of idiot managers in my career. And then, one day, after I had become a design manager myself, it finally dawned on me: Now I’m the idiot! I had a lot of ideas about what a good manager is, how one acts, and the exact positioning of where the spotlight should land on the hero, which was absolutely supposed to be me. Thanks, ego.
Heroically speaking, I failed on many, many levels. I didn’t understand how to understand a team, and help turn their perceptions and expectations into something shared and agreed upon. I didn’t understand how to foster critique; I only knew that I was in charge of design and that I had the final say. Most of my career has been an exercise in “trial by fire” and this process worked well when I was a designer and was trying to master the art of the task flow, site map, wireframe, prototype, personas, and so on. In leadership positions, the option to go back to the drawing board or to iterate hasn't always been readily available--nor as painless to my pride and potentially my pocketbook.
The passing of time, the second and third chances that I’ve been given, and the sound advice that I didn’t want to listen to in the past have opened me up to a much different perspective. Oh, I’ve still got plenty to learn, and I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned about charters, critique, and culture of design organizations.
3 Cs of Design: Charters, Critique, & CultureRuss U
I’ve worked for a lot of idiot managers in my career. And then, one day, after I had become a design manager myself, it finally dawned on me: Now I’m the idiot! I had a lot of ideas about what a good manager is, how one acts, and the exact positioning of where the spotlight should land on the hero, which was absolutely supposed to be me. Thanks, ego.
Heroically speaking, I failed on many, many levels. I didn’t understand how to understand a team, and help turn their perceptions and expectations into something shared and agreed upon. I didn’t understand how to foster critique; I only knew that I was in charge of design and that I had the final say. Most of my career has been an exercise in “trial by fire” and this process worked well when I was a designer and was trying to master the art of the task flow, site map, wireframe, prototype, personas, and so on. In leadership positions, the option to go back to the drawing board or to iterate hasn't always been readily available--nor as painless to my pride and potentially my pocketbook.
The passing of time, the second and third chances that I’ve been given, and the sound advice that I didn’t want to listen to in the past have opened me up to a much different perspective. Oh, I’ve still got plenty to learn, and I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned about charters, critique, and culture of design organizations.
The 3 Cs of Design - Charters, Critique, and Culture - Interaction South Amer...Russ U
I’ve worked for a lot of idiot managers in my career. And then, one day, after I had become a design manager myself, it finally dawned on me: Now I’m the idiot! I had a lot of ideas about what a good manager is, how one acts, and the exact positioning of where the spotlight should land on the hero, which was absolutely supposed to be me. Thanks, ego.
Heroically speaking, I failed on many, many levels. I didn’t understand how to understand a team, and help turn their perceptions and expectations into something shared and agreed upon. I didn’t understand how to foster critique; I only knew that I was in charge of design and that I had the final say. Most of my career has been an exercise in “trial by fire” and this process worked well when I was a designer and was trying to master the art of the task flow, site map, wireframe, prototype, personas, and so on. In leadership positions, the option to go back to the drawing board or to iterate hasn't always been readily available--nor as painless to my pride and potentially my pocketbook.
The passing of time, the second and third chances that I’ve been given, and the sound advice that I didn’t want to listen to in the past have opened me up to a much different perspective. Oh, I’ve still got plenty to learn, and I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned about charters, critique, and culture of design organizations.
Meta Meta Meta
You have attended workshops, you have seen them masterfully commanded by other people, and you really want to get a handle on doing this workshop thing yourself. This workshop is the workshop that will help you create and facilitate a workshop of your very own, in whatever workshop fashion you decide upon.
Mushroom Mushroom
Russ Unger will help you identify the path unlocking the workshop achievement in whatever platform you choose. You will learn how to plan your agenda, structure your workshop, and identify the tools that are needed to help you along the way. Preparation is only a small portion of The Workshop Workshop; you will also gain from the wisdom of the CrankyTalk Workshops to help you feel more comfortable with your material–and yourself–in front of a group of people who are relying upon you to be their guide.
Snake
There will be activities where you will experience the true nature of “trial by fire” or “getting your feet wet” (whichever metaphor you prefer). That is correct: You will be leading your very own workshop within The Workshop Workshop, and presenting your findings and results back to the rest of the workshop attendees.
Bring your most comfortable pair of shoes, your favorite writing utensil, and all the gumption you can muster.
You have attended workshops, you have seen them masterfully commanded by other people, and you really want to get a handle on doing this workshop thing yourself. This workshop is the workshop that will help you create and facilitate a workshop of your very own, in whatever workshop fashion you decide upon.
We will help you identify the path unlocking the workshop achievement in whatever platform you choose. You will learn how to plan your agenda, structure your workshop, and identify the tools that are needed to help you along the way. Preparation is only a small portion of The Workshop Workshop; you will also gain from the wisdom of the CrankyTalk Workshops to help you feel more comfortable with your material–and yourself–in front of a group of people who are relying upon you to be their guide.
There will be activities where you will experience the true nature of “trial by fire” or “getting your feet wet” (whichever metaphor you prefer). That is correct: You will be leading your very own workshop within The Workshop Workshop, and presenting your findings and results back to the rest of the workshop attendees.
Bring your most comfortable pair of shoes, your favorite writing utensil, and all the gumption you can muster.
Live with 6-8-5: Rapid Sketching for Better Design - Big Design ConferenceRuss U
The 6-8-5 Method can be used in a number of ways to help with ideation and brainstorming, but also for fine tuning your designs and ideas. This session will focus on generating ideas in the form of rapid sketches around a set of requirements, then validating and fine-tuning them through structured pitching and critiquing. You don't need to be an artist or a designer, and you won’t need a laptop—just bring your favorite pencil and get ready to sketch!
“Batteries Included” - Advantages of an End-to-end JavaScript StackC4Media
Video and slides synchronized, mp3 and slide download available at http://bit.ly/17erVwV.
Juergen Fesslmeier discusses the advantages of using a complete JavaScript stack in order to create business web applications demoing creating such an app with Wakanda. Filmed at qconsf.com.
Juergen Fesslmeier is a Web, Mobile and Open-Source developer, Entrepreneur, and a Product Manager at wakanda.org. Juergen enjoys talking about JavaScript, the Mobile Web, Server-Side JS, NoSQL, and Wakanda. He participates in Web standards mailing lists, makes technical recommendations about anything relating to JavaScript, HTML, and works to promote JavaScript as a professional language.
(The Top 2-3) Things I've Learned (& Am Still Learning) From Leading (UX Desi...Russ U
I've worked for a lot of idiot managers in my career. And then, one day, after I had become a manager, it dawned on me: Now I'm the idiot! Most of my career has been an exercise in “trial by fire” and this process worked well when I was a designer and was trying to master the art of the site map, wireframe, personas, and so on. In leadership, the option to start over or iterate hasn't always been readily available--nor as painless to my pride and my pocketbook.
Many of these lessons haven’t been easy for me to learn. It’s been tough to simultaneously remove obstacles without becoming one, or learning how to say “no” (and the flavors of yes and no!) when I've also wanted people to be satisfied with me and the work I'm doing. However, these lessons have all helped me become better at managing to some degree, while instilling a strong sense of empathy for those people who either report to me, or bless their souls, manage me in one way or another.
Things I've Learned (& Am Still Learning) from Leading (UX Designers)Russ U
I've worked for a lot of idiot managers in my career. And then, one day, after I had become a manager, it dawned on me: Now I'm the idiot! Most of my career has been an exercise in “trial by fire” and this process worked well when I was a designer and was trying to master the art of the site map, wireframe, personas, and so on. In leadership, the option to start over or iterate hasn't always been readily available--nor as painless to my pride and my pocketbook.
Many of these lessons haven’t been easy for me to learn. It’s been tough to simultaneously remove obstacles without becoming one, or learning how to say “no” (and the flavors of yes and no!) when I've also wanted people to be satisfied with me and the work I'm doing. However, these lessons have all helped me become better at managing to some degree, while instilling a strong sense of empathy for those people who either report to me, or bless their souls, manage me in one way or another.
3 Cs of Design - Charters, Critique, and Culture - Amuse ConferenceRuss U
I’ve worked for a lot of idiot managers in my career. And then, one day, after I had become a design manager myself, it finally dawned on me: Now I’m the idiot! I had a lot of ideas about what a good manager is, how one acts, and the exact positioning of where the spotlight should land on the hero, which was absolutely supposed to be me. Thanks, ego.
Heroically speaking, I failed on many, many levels. I didn’t understand how to understand a team, and help turn their perceptions and expectations into something shared and agreed upon. I didn’t understand how to foster critique; I only knew that I was in charge of design and that I had the final say. Most of my career has been an exercise in “trial by fire” and this process worked well when I was a designer and was trying to master the art of the task flow, site map, wireframe, prototype, personas, and so on. In leadership positions, the option to go back to the drawing board or to iterate hasn't always been readily available--nor as painless to my pride and potentially my pocketbook.
The passing of time, the second and third chances that I’ve been given, and the sound advice that I didn’t want to listen to in the past have opened me up to a much different perspective. Oh, I’ve still got plenty to learn, and I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned about charters, critique, and culture of design organizations.
Jesse Lewes (People for Research) and Emma Howell (cxpartners) talk about writing recruitment briefs. These slides go through how to pull a brief together, how to decide and describe the participants you need, and how and when to involve your recruiter.
For even more great information on Presenting at Conferences:
Conference Proposals That Don't Suck (A List Apart): http://alistapart.com/article/conference-proposals-that-dont-suck
Great Talks Start with Great Proposals (IA Summit Webinar): https://vimeo.com/75783835
Speaker Camp helps you get ready to present at conferences. Spend your Saturday with us and get prepared to get on stage and show your smarts!
You don’t need to picture people in their underwear to get up on stage and share what you know. You do, however, need to have a compelling idea along with a well-written abstract and a well-structured, well-prepared presentation in order to give the talk you–and your audience–deserve.
Speaker Camp Atlanta Workshop - June 28, 2014Russ U
You’ve Got A Lot To Say.
People Deserve to Hear It.
You don’t need to picture people in their underwear to get up on stage and share what you know. You do, however, need to have a compelling idea along with a well-written abstract and a well-structured, well-prepared presentation in order to give the talk you–and your audience–deserve.
Show up with 5 minutes of a presentation and learn from seasoned professionals who have seen their fair share of stages. We’ll provide you with a safe, welcoming environment and help you by providing valuable and actionable feedback that will help you level-up your presentation game.
We can help with that. Come learn with us!
How would we define Scrum? How could we convince people to do Scrum? I believe that agreements are more powerful than rules. I also believe that Scrum implements patterns that most of us have experienced in our own most successful projects. Let's test that belief and see how we can apply that to facilitating Scrum adoption. During this interactive workshop, we:
• Share and reflect on the experiences from our own best projects
• Look for patterns in those projects
• Compare Scrum with our own best experiences
• Explore an agreement-based adoption strategy
The workshop also includes some additional food for thought: What if we considered the Scrum Flow as a series of opportunities to ask ourselves powerful questions?
Then, Now, Next: Evolution of the Design Business – Bucharest Tech Week 2018Josh Silverman
In this talk for Bucharest Tech Week, I look at three distinct eras of the practice of design, talked about how teams have organized or (re)configured in each era, and unpack the benefits and opportunities within each.
Even small organizations can create and execute meaningful strategic plans. Creating a well-defined strategy is hard work and not for everyone, as it requires us to begin to say "no" to stuff we usually say "yes" to. You are hereby invited by facilitator Ed Kless, to open a dialogue about how best to go about creating a strategy for your small business organization.
This is a basic presentation for motivating and informing people about the power of a post and for improving the quality of social media in an organization. It is designed for Samahita Retreat.
Here is the portfolio of Stuart Silverstein, User Experience consultant: Strategy, Research, Design and Process. eGood, PowerBar, Fandango, Smithsonian, Garmont USA, Kitson
What if Scrum had no rules? How would we define it? What if there were no Scrum? How would we create
it? Scrum is based on successful patterns for product development. During this workshop, we will
reflect and share the experiences from our own best projects, and look for patterns in those projects.
SEJ Summit 2015: Engaging Content Marketing for 'Boring' Industries by Mindy ...Search Engine Journal
Presenter: Mindy Weinstein, Director of Training at Bruce Clay Inc.
Event: SEJ Summit 2015 "3Takeaways" Hosted by Searchmetrics- Santa Monica
When your product or service is yawn-inducing, or is not generally a topic of polite company, what's a marketer to do? Mindy will take us through case studies of creating compelling content for challenging verticals.
SEJ Summit 2015 is a new, boutique marketing conference series for Big Brand marketers. It's happening in Santa Monica, Dallas, Chicago, London, Silicon Valley, New York, Miami.
It's *free* for invited attendees (a tip on how to get an invite is below).
Our day of learning and networking features speakers from Disney, Copyblogger, Taco Bell, AirBnB and Copyblogger to name a few.
Breakfast, lunch and a hosted networking reception are all included. SEJ Summit is hosted by Search Engine Journal and Searchmetrics.
There will be no pitches, no product demos, no sponsored content.
Note that anyone can request an invitation. Due to the room capacity, we can't guarantee everyone will receive one.
*Protip: Big brand marketers will get priority.
Request your invite here: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/sejsummit2015/
Finding detailed specifications for implementing user research methods is easy - but matching specific methods to your particular needs can be a challenge. We’ll outline an underlying framework for research approaches so you’ll understand why each method works as well as when to use i
User Research: Big R meets little R (a Richmond Design Lightning Talk)Ashley Cook
These slides were presented as a lightning talk during the August 2018 Richmond Design Meetup. This piece was distilled from a blog post that I authored in April 2018. It can be found at https://makinguxbetter.com/2018/04/25/a-coming-together-big-r-little-r/
Hiring & Onboarding in Turbulent Times FTW - Interaction23.pdfRuss U
Hiring and onboarding new employees to your team is all too often treated as an afterthought, or best case, as an at-the-moment-thought. Employees deserve a well-thought-out experience that includes them from the very beginning–from the creation of the position description—to that time after they’ve become integrated into our teams and organizations.
We can trace some of these imperfect scenarios all the way back to the creation of our performance profiles or position descriptions, and how they were created. When we understand the entire journey from candidate to employee, we see the value of treating onboarding as an ending of a particular process instead of a solitary event in time.
SXSW 2022 - Hiring & Getting Hired in Turbulent Times WorkshopRuss U
Hiring and onboarding new employees to your team is all too often treated as an afterthought, or best case, as an at-the-moment-thought. As candidates, the process can appear opaque, random, and daunting as you try to prepare for any number of questions, including those that spring up completely out of the blue.
It currently seems nearly impossible to hire AND impossible to even know how to get hired. We’ll explore activities to help you gain insights to improve your hiring processes and successes while also showing candidates what happens on the other side — so you can be better prepared to hire that new candidate, or be the one who lands the perfect gig.
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(The Top 2-3) Things I've Learned (& Am Still Learning) From Leading (UX Desi...Russ U
I've worked for a lot of idiot managers in my career. And then, one day, after I had become a manager, it dawned on me: Now I'm the idiot! Most of my career has been an exercise in “trial by fire” and this process worked well when I was a designer and was trying to master the art of the site map, wireframe, personas, and so on. In leadership, the option to start over or iterate hasn't always been readily available--nor as painless to my pride and my pocketbook.
Many of these lessons haven’t been easy for me to learn. It’s been tough to simultaneously remove obstacles without becoming one, or learning how to say “no” (and the flavors of yes and no!) when I've also wanted people to be satisfied with me and the work I'm doing. However, these lessons have all helped me become better at managing to some degree, while instilling a strong sense of empathy for those people who either report to me, or bless their souls, manage me in one way or another.
Things I've Learned (& Am Still Learning) from Leading (UX Designers)Russ U
I've worked for a lot of idiot managers in my career. And then, one day, after I had become a manager, it dawned on me: Now I'm the idiot! Most of my career has been an exercise in “trial by fire” and this process worked well when I was a designer and was trying to master the art of the site map, wireframe, personas, and so on. In leadership, the option to start over or iterate hasn't always been readily available--nor as painless to my pride and my pocketbook.
Many of these lessons haven’t been easy for me to learn. It’s been tough to simultaneously remove obstacles without becoming one, or learning how to say “no” (and the flavors of yes and no!) when I've also wanted people to be satisfied with me and the work I'm doing. However, these lessons have all helped me become better at managing to some degree, while instilling a strong sense of empathy for those people who either report to me, or bless their souls, manage me in one way or another.
3 Cs of Design - Charters, Critique, and Culture - Amuse ConferenceRuss U
I’ve worked for a lot of idiot managers in my career. And then, one day, after I had become a design manager myself, it finally dawned on me: Now I’m the idiot! I had a lot of ideas about what a good manager is, how one acts, and the exact positioning of where the spotlight should land on the hero, which was absolutely supposed to be me. Thanks, ego.
Heroically speaking, I failed on many, many levels. I didn’t understand how to understand a team, and help turn their perceptions and expectations into something shared and agreed upon. I didn’t understand how to foster critique; I only knew that I was in charge of design and that I had the final say. Most of my career has been an exercise in “trial by fire” and this process worked well when I was a designer and was trying to master the art of the task flow, site map, wireframe, prototype, personas, and so on. In leadership positions, the option to go back to the drawing board or to iterate hasn't always been readily available--nor as painless to my pride and potentially my pocketbook.
The passing of time, the second and third chances that I’ve been given, and the sound advice that I didn’t want to listen to in the past have opened me up to a much different perspective. Oh, I’ve still got plenty to learn, and I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned about charters, critique, and culture of design organizations.
Jesse Lewes (People for Research) and Emma Howell (cxpartners) talk about writing recruitment briefs. These slides go through how to pull a brief together, how to decide and describe the participants you need, and how and when to involve your recruiter.
For even more great information on Presenting at Conferences:
Conference Proposals That Don't Suck (A List Apart): http://alistapart.com/article/conference-proposals-that-dont-suck
Great Talks Start with Great Proposals (IA Summit Webinar): https://vimeo.com/75783835
Speaker Camp helps you get ready to present at conferences. Spend your Saturday with us and get prepared to get on stage and show your smarts!
You don’t need to picture people in their underwear to get up on stage and share what you know. You do, however, need to have a compelling idea along with a well-written abstract and a well-structured, well-prepared presentation in order to give the talk you–and your audience–deserve.
Speaker Camp Atlanta Workshop - June 28, 2014Russ U
You’ve Got A Lot To Say.
People Deserve to Hear It.
You don’t need to picture people in their underwear to get up on stage and share what you know. You do, however, need to have a compelling idea along with a well-written abstract and a well-structured, well-prepared presentation in order to give the talk you–and your audience–deserve.
Show up with 5 minutes of a presentation and learn from seasoned professionals who have seen their fair share of stages. We’ll provide you with a safe, welcoming environment and help you by providing valuable and actionable feedback that will help you level-up your presentation game.
We can help with that. Come learn with us!
How would we define Scrum? How could we convince people to do Scrum? I believe that agreements are more powerful than rules. I also believe that Scrum implements patterns that most of us have experienced in our own most successful projects. Let's test that belief and see how we can apply that to facilitating Scrum adoption. During this interactive workshop, we:
• Share and reflect on the experiences from our own best projects
• Look for patterns in those projects
• Compare Scrum with our own best experiences
• Explore an agreement-based adoption strategy
The workshop also includes some additional food for thought: What if we considered the Scrum Flow as a series of opportunities to ask ourselves powerful questions?
Then, Now, Next: Evolution of the Design Business – Bucharest Tech Week 2018Josh Silverman
In this talk for Bucharest Tech Week, I look at three distinct eras of the practice of design, talked about how teams have organized or (re)configured in each era, and unpack the benefits and opportunities within each.
Even small organizations can create and execute meaningful strategic plans. Creating a well-defined strategy is hard work and not for everyone, as it requires us to begin to say "no" to stuff we usually say "yes" to. You are hereby invited by facilitator Ed Kless, to open a dialogue about how best to go about creating a strategy for your small business organization.
This is a basic presentation for motivating and informing people about the power of a post and for improving the quality of social media in an organization. It is designed for Samahita Retreat.
Here is the portfolio of Stuart Silverstein, User Experience consultant: Strategy, Research, Design and Process. eGood, PowerBar, Fandango, Smithsonian, Garmont USA, Kitson
What if Scrum had no rules? How would we define it? What if there were no Scrum? How would we create
it? Scrum is based on successful patterns for product development. During this workshop, we will
reflect and share the experiences from our own best projects, and look for patterns in those projects.
SEJ Summit 2015: Engaging Content Marketing for 'Boring' Industries by Mindy ...Search Engine Journal
Presenter: Mindy Weinstein, Director of Training at Bruce Clay Inc.
Event: SEJ Summit 2015 "3Takeaways" Hosted by Searchmetrics- Santa Monica
When your product or service is yawn-inducing, or is not generally a topic of polite company, what's a marketer to do? Mindy will take us through case studies of creating compelling content for challenging verticals.
SEJ Summit 2015 is a new, boutique marketing conference series for Big Brand marketers. It's happening in Santa Monica, Dallas, Chicago, London, Silicon Valley, New York, Miami.
It's *free* for invited attendees (a tip on how to get an invite is below).
Our day of learning and networking features speakers from Disney, Copyblogger, Taco Bell, AirBnB and Copyblogger to name a few.
Breakfast, lunch and a hosted networking reception are all included. SEJ Summit is hosted by Search Engine Journal and Searchmetrics.
There will be no pitches, no product demos, no sponsored content.
Note that anyone can request an invitation. Due to the room capacity, we can't guarantee everyone will receive one.
*Protip: Big brand marketers will get priority.
Request your invite here: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/sejsummit2015/
Finding detailed specifications for implementing user research methods is easy - but matching specific methods to your particular needs can be a challenge. We’ll outline an underlying framework for research approaches so you’ll understand why each method works as well as when to use i
User Research: Big R meets little R (a Richmond Design Lightning Talk)Ashley Cook
These slides were presented as a lightning talk during the August 2018 Richmond Design Meetup. This piece was distilled from a blog post that I authored in April 2018. It can be found at https://makinguxbetter.com/2018/04/25/a-coming-together-big-r-little-r/
Similar to UX Lisbon - Things I've Learned (and Am Still Learning) from Leading (UX Designers) (20)
Hiring & Onboarding in Turbulent Times FTW - Interaction23.pdfRuss U
Hiring and onboarding new employees to your team is all too often treated as an afterthought, or best case, as an at-the-moment-thought. Employees deserve a well-thought-out experience that includes them from the very beginning–from the creation of the position description—to that time after they’ve become integrated into our teams and organizations.
We can trace some of these imperfect scenarios all the way back to the creation of our performance profiles or position descriptions, and how they were created. When we understand the entire journey from candidate to employee, we see the value of treating onboarding as an ending of a particular process instead of a solitary event in time.
SXSW 2022 - Hiring & Getting Hired in Turbulent Times WorkshopRuss U
Hiring and onboarding new employees to your team is all too often treated as an afterthought, or best case, as an at-the-moment-thought. As candidates, the process can appear opaque, random, and daunting as you try to prepare for any number of questions, including those that spring up completely out of the blue.
It currently seems nearly impossible to hire AND impossible to even know how to get hired. We’ll explore activities to help you gain insights to improve your hiring processes and successes while also showing candidates what happens on the other side — so you can be better prepared to hire that new candidate, or be the one who lands the perfect gig.
Guerrilla Design & Research Methods - Amuse ConferenceRuss U
This hands-on session will cover a number of low cost, yet powerful research methods to help you make better data-driven design decisions. You’ll work through a mini-project using these several techniques that will help you understand your user, begin to understand high-level requirements, start low-fidelity prototyping, and testing with users.
TOPICS COVERED:
A number of inexpensive, quick, but highly effective research and design methods when time and/or budget are limited
Valuable 'how-tos' to execute the research
What to do with the guerrilla research and design you do—how to proceed
QUESTIONS ANSWERED:
How do I get my boss or client to buy into doing research for my project?
What is guerrilla research and how is it different than traditional research?
What are some guerrilla research methods and what kind of results can I expect?
How do I pick the right method(s)?
What are the downsides/shortcomings of guerrilla research methods compared to other research methods?
We’ve all worked at places where there’s never enough time to make sure that things are operationally done the “right way”—bills need to get paid, client or product/project work needs to get done and takes priority, and hey, everyone deserves to have a life, too. There is light at the end of this tunnel! Several companies, including Atari, Ford, Microsoft and Google, have pulled off some great things by taking advantage of skunkworks teams and projects. I’ve been fortunate enough to see some successes with those teams and projects, as well, and will share them so you can see how to apply the approach(es) to your own practice.
Way back in the 1940s, Kelly Johnson and his team of mighty skunks used their Skunkworks process to design—and build—a prototype jet fighter in 143 days. Kelly established 14 Rules and Practices for Skunkworks projects in order to help articulate the most effective way for his team to be successful in the projects that they worked on. Not only can we learn from Kelly’s rules and adapt them to our current methods of working, we can also create our own skunkworks teams and projects to ensure that the Cobbler’s kids—the operational areas of our design practices—get some shoes put on their feet. And the results might just smell pretty good, if you’re patient enough.
The Career Workshop will help attendees prepare for a job search. Attendees will share experiences and challenges that they have encountered, and will be provided with insights and guidance to help them navigate the often-challenging job-seeker landscape.
The workshop is divided into information-sharing sessions and activity-based sessions that help attendees get a combination of classroom-style learning mixed with hands-on interaction. In addition to discussions of cover letters, resumes, and portfolios, we will brainstorm approaches to common interview questions, including the behavioral-based questions that are being used by many companies today. We will also learn how to research and negotiate salaries for full-time and contract employees.
We’ve all worked at places where there’s never enough time to make sure that things are operationally done the “right way”—bills need to get paid, billable work needs to get done and takes priority, and hey, everyone deserves to have a life, too. Companies like Atari, Ford, Microsoft and Google, have accomplished great things by utilizing skunk works approaches. I’ve been fortunate enough to see some successes with skunk works, as well, and will share them so you can see how to apply the approach(es) to your own practice.
Way back in the 1940s, Kelly Johnson and his team of mighty skunks used their Skunk Works process to design—and build—a prototype jet fighter in 143 days. Kelly established 14 Rules and Practices for Skunk Works projects in order to help articulate the most effective way for his team to be successful in the projects that they worked on. We can also use skunk works to ensure that the Cobbler’s kids—operational areas of design—get shoes put on their feet.
When you can make just about anything, how do you know which option is the best one for modeling your ideas when it’s time to get started? Fifty years before ‘prototyping’ became a familiar concept, Jim Henson was mastering its foundational elements—using his muppets, of course. Henson also faced the same challenge that contemporary User Experience professionals know well: the paradox of prototyping choice; in tools and in process. Henson had notebooks full of ideas in various stages of development, and when he was ready to see which of his ideas were worth refining, he turned to sketching, storyboarding, patterns, iteration, and live testing to deterring his next steps.
Jim Henson was a UXer at his core. He cared about an authentic experience for his audience, and ensured that his team produced great work without spending any more time than was necessary to validate ideas. This early UXer can teach us a lot about how to apply those principles to the work we do today, with or without the help of Muppets.
Jim Henson started working as a puppeteer in 1954, a fair 40-50 years before many of us even considered User Experience as a career. He did, however, take it upon himself to apply many of the core principles that UX Designers are falling love with today (or are at least using as part of our everyday lives). Hang out for a quick dive into the life of Jim Henson, with a view into his work from the perspective of how it pertains to what it is we’re doing today, that promises to even leave Waldorf and Statler happy.
And yes, there will be muppets.
From Muppets to Mastery – Core UX Principles from Mr. Jim HensonRuss U
Jim Henson started working as a puppeteer in 1954, a fair 40-50 years before many of us even considered User Experience as a career. He did, however, take it upon himself to apply many of the core principles that UX Designers are falling love with today (or are at least using as part of our everyday lives). Hang out for a quick dive into the life of Jim Henson, with a view into his work from the perspective of how it pertains to what it is we’re doing today, that promises to even leave Waldorf and Statler happy.
And yes, there will be muppets.
WebVisions Chicago - From Muppets to Mastery: Core UX Principles from Mr. Jim...Russ U
Jim Henson started working as a puppeteer in 1954, a fair 40-50 years before many of us even considered User Experience as a career. He did, however, take it upon himself to apply many of the core principals that UX Designers are falling love with today (or are at least using as part of our everyday lives).
Hang out for a quick dive into the life of Jim Henson, with a view into his work from the perspective of how it pertains to what it is we’re doing today, that promises to even leave Waldorf and Statler happy. And yes, there will be muppets.
Great Talks Start with Great Proposals: An IA Summit Virtual WebinarRuss U
The IA Summit and User Interface Engineering (UIE) are teaming up to present a free webinar about creating great presentation proposals.
Learn how to organize proposals in the way the most successful conference creators like to see. Our experts will discuss how to generate presentation ideas, choose a topic, and write a compelling abstract. They’ll also have tips specific to submitting a session proposal for the 2014 IA Summit.
First-hand insight from experienced speakers
UIE’s Adam Churchill will be our webinar host. He’ll be joined by two people with deep experience in both public speaking and organizing events:
Samantha Starmer
Samantha Starmer is Vice President of Customer Experience for Razorfish’s national Commerce and Content practice. Prior to Razorfish, Samantha was Director of Customer Experience at REI, a leading national outdoor retail co-op.
Samantha has led both workshops and presentations at the IA Summit, including full-day workshops on design for cross-channel experiences in 2011 and 2012. She is the coauthor of the forthcoming “Speaker Camp.”
Russ Unger
Russ is the Experience Design Director for GE Capital Americas. He’s also the coauthor of “A Project Guide to UX Design”, “Designing the Conversation”, and the upcoming “Speaker Camp”.
Russ’s name has been on a great many IA Summit programs, including the popular career workshop he has led for the last several years.
Presented by User Interface Engineering
User Interface Engineering is a leading research, training, and consulting firm specializing in web site and product usability. With in-depth research findings based on user observation, UIE empowers development teams to create usable web sites that increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. UIE was founded 25 years ago by Jared M. Spool and has developed into the largest organization of its kind in the world.
Meta Meta Meta
You have attended workshops, you have seen them masterfully commanded by other people, and you really want to get a handle on doing this workshop thing yourself. This workshop is the workshop that will help you create and facilitate a workshop of your very own, in whatever workshop fashion you decide upon.
Mushroom Mushroom
Brad Nunnally, and Russ Unger, co-authors of the book ”Designing the Conversation” will help you identify the path unlocking the workshop achievement in whatever platform you choose. You will learn how to plan your agenda, structure your workshop, and identify the tools that are needed to help you along the way. Preparation is only a small portion of The Workshop Workshop; you will also gain from the wisdom of the CrankyTalk Workshops to help you feel more comfortable with your material–and yourself–in front of a group of people who are relying upon you to be their guide.
Snake
There will be activities where you will experience the true nature of ”trial by fire” or “getting your feet wet” (whichever metaphor you prefer). That is correct: You will be leading your very own workshop within The Workshop Workshop, and presenting your findings and results back to the rest of the workshop attendees.
Bring your most comfortable pair of shoes, your favorite writing utensil, and all the gumption you can muster. This will be a jam-packed day!
From Muppets to Mastery - Core UX Principles from Mr. Jim Henson - UX Mad 2013Russ U
Jim Henson started working as a puppeteer in 1954, a fair 40-50 years before many of us even considered User Experience as a career. He did, however, take it upon himself to apply many of the core principals that UX Designers are falling love with today (or are at least using as part of our everyday lives). Hang out for a quick dive into the life of Jim Henson, with a view into his work from the perspective of how it pertains to what it is we’re doing today, that promises to even leave Waldorf and Statler happy. And yes, there will be muppets.
You’ve Got A Lot To Say. People Deserve to Hear It.
You don’t need to picture people in their underwear to get up on stage and share what you know. You do, however, need to have a compelling idea along with a well-written abstract and a well-structured, well-prepared presentation in order to give the talk you–and your audience–deserve.
That’s not all–show up with 5 minutes of a presentation and learn from seasoned professionals who have seen their fair share of stages. We’ll provide you with a safe, welcoming environment and help you by providing valuable and actionable feedback that will help you level-up your presentation game.
Start here, and evolve your own patterns and techniques that work best for you.
How To Research with a Team That's New to Research (WebVisions Portland)Russ U
For design teams that lack experience, user research can be fairly intimidating, if not a big, scary thing to tackle. How can you get a team out of the office and out into the field with your customers when time and resources are constrained?
Learn how to build a foundation that allows inexperienced researchers to listen to--and learn from--your customers by taking advantage of existing skillsets, applying some simple techniques, and using basic UX knowledge. You can empower an inexperienced team to gain the confidence needed to conduct valuable research, as well as build on a core foundation for performing research. And you can do this right now.
Meta Meta Meta
You have attended workshops, you have seen them masterfully commanded by other people, and you really want to get a handle on doing this workshop thing yourself. This workshop is the workshop that will help you create and facilitate a workshop of your very own, in whatever workshop fashion you decide upon.
Mushroom Mushroom
Brad Nunnally, and Russ Unger, co-authors of the forthcoming book "Designing the Conversation" will help you identify the path unlocking the workshop achievement in whatever platform you choose. You will learn how to plan your agenda, structure your workshop, and identify the tools that are needed to help you along the way. Preparation is only a small portion of The Workshop Workshop; you will also gain from the wisdom of the CrankyTalk Workshops to help you feel more comfortable with your material–and yourself–in front of a group of people who are relying upon you to be their guide.
Snake
There will be activities where you will experience the true nature of "trial by fire" or "getting your feet wet" (whichever metaphor you prefer). That is correct: You will be leading your very own workshop within The Workshop Workshop, and presenting your findings and results back to the rest of the workshop attendees.
Bring your most comfortable pair of shoes, your favorite writing utensil, and all the gumption you can muster. This will be a jam-packed day!
Jim Henson started working as a puppeteer in 1954, a fair 40-50 years before many of us even considered User Experience as a career. He did, however, take it upon himself to apply many of the core principals that UX Designers are falling love with today (or are at least using as part of our everyday lives). Hang out for a quick dive into the life of Jim Henson, with a view into his work from the perspective of how it pertains to what it is we’re doing today, that promises to even leave Waldorf and Statler happy.
And yes, there will be muppets.
Oprah Winfrey: A Leader in Media, Philanthropy, and Empowerment | CIO Women M...CIOWomenMagazine
This person is none other than Oprah Winfrey, a highly influential figure whose impact extends beyond television. This article will delve into the remarkable life and lasting legacy of Oprah. Her story serves as a reminder of the importance of perseverance, compassion, and firm determination.
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities to radically reinvent the way we do business. This study explores how CEOs and top decision makers around the world are responding to the transformative potential of AI.
The case study discusses the potential of drone delivery and the challenges that need to be addressed before it becomes widespread.
Key takeaways:
Drone delivery is in its early stages: Amazon's trial in the UK demonstrates the potential for faster deliveries, but it's still limited by regulations and technology.
Regulations are a major hurdle: Safety concerns around drone collisions with airplanes and people have led to restrictions on flight height and location.
Other challenges exist: Who will use drone delivery the most? Is it cost-effective compared to traditional delivery trucks?
Discussion questions:
Managerial challenges: Integrating drones requires planning for new infrastructure, training staff, and navigating regulations. There are also marketing and recruitment considerations specific to this technology.
External forces vary by country: Regulations, consumer acceptance, and infrastructure all differ between countries.
Demographics matter: Younger generations might be more receptive to drone delivery, while older populations might have concerns.
Stakeholders for Amazon: Customers, regulators, aviation authorities, and competitors are all stakeholders. Regulators likely hold the greatest influence as they determine the feasibility of drone delivery.
Senior Project and Engineering Leader Jim Smith.pdfJim Smith
I am a Project and Engineering Leader with extensive experience as a Business Operations Leader, Technical Project Manager, Engineering Manager and Operations Experience for Domestic and International companies such as Electrolux, Carrier, and Deutz. I have developed new products using Stage Gate development/MS Project/JIRA, for the pro-duction of Medical Equipment, Large Commercial Refrigeration Systems, Appliances, HVAC, and Diesel engines.
My experience includes:
Managed customized engineered refrigeration system projects with high voltage power panels from quote to ship, coordinating actions between electrical engineering, mechanical design and application engineering, purchasing, production, test, quality assurance and field installation. Managed projects $25k to $1M per project; 4-8 per month. (Hussmann refrigeration)
Successfully developed the $15-20M yearly corporate capital strategy for manufacturing, with the Executive Team and key stakeholders. Created project scope and specifications, business case, ROI, managed project plans with key personnel for nine consumer product manufacturing and distribution sites; to support the company’s strategic sales plan.
Over 15 years of experience managing and developing cost improvement projects with key Stakeholders, site Manufacturing Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Maintenance, and facility support personnel to optimize pro-duction operations, safety, EHS, and new product development. (BioLab, Deutz, Caire)
Experience working as a Technical Manager developing new products with chemical engineers and packaging engineers to enhance and reduce the cost of retail products. I have led the activities of multiple engineering groups with diverse backgrounds.
Great experience managing the product development of products which utilize complex electrical controls, high voltage power panels, product testing, and commissioning.
Created project scope, business case, ROI for multiple capital projects to support electrotechnical assembly and CPG goods. Identified project cost, risk, success criteria, and performed equipment qualifications. (Carrier, Electrolux, Biolab, Price, Hussmann)
Created detailed projects plans using MS Project, Gant charts in excel, and updated new product development in Jira for stakeholders and project team members including critical path.
Great knowledge of ISO9001, NFPA, OSHA regulations.
User level knowledge of MRP/SAP, MS Project, Powerpoint, Visio, Mastercontrol, JIRA, Power BI and Tableau.
I appreciate your consideration, and look forward to discussing this role with you, and how I can lead your company’s growth and profitability. I can be contacted via LinkedIn via phone or E Mail.
Jim Smith
678-993-7195
jimsmith30024@gmail.com
The Team Member and Guest Experience - Lead and Take Care of your restaurant team. They are the people closest to and delivering Hospitality to your paying Guests!
Make the call, and we can assist you.
408-784-7371
Foodservice Consulting + Design
5. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Source: Justice League War
6. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Therearenogrown-ups.We suspect thiswhen weare
younger,butcanconfirmitonlyonce wearetheoneswriting
booksandattendingparent-teacher conferences.
Everyoneiswingingit,some just do it moreconfidently.
“
Pamela Druckerman
Source: NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/01/opinion/sunday/what-you-learn-in-your-40s.html
7. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Therearenomanagers.Wesuspect this whenwe are
younger,butcanconfirmitonlyonce wearetheoneswriting
reviews,SOWs,slide decksandattendingleadershipretreats.
Everyoneiswingingit,some just do it moreconfidently.Everyoneiswingingit,some just do it moreconfidently.
Source: NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/01/opinion/sunday/what-you-learn-in-your-40s.html
“
Pamela Druckerman
9. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
What is a Team Charter?
Aunifyingplanthat a team agrees toas its rulesof
engagement andgoalsandobjectives.
“
11. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Team Purpose
• Whatdoesthisteamdo?
• Whatarewegoodat?
• Whatshouldwebeknownfor?
The UX team works with our customers to create useful
and usable designs that meets the needs of our users
and serves the business goals and objectives. We
understand our users--their needs, behaviors and
motivations and provide insight into how they use the
products that we design.
OUR UX TEAM
12. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Team Commitment to Each Other
• HowDoWeWanttoWork
Together?
• WhatAreOurExpectationsof
EachOther?
The UX team works with our customers to create useful
and usable designs that meets the needs of our users
and serves the business goals and objectives. We
understand our users--their needs, behaviors and
motivations and provide insight into how they use the
products that we design.
We work with each other to share our knowledge and
grow and strengthen the team in all aspects of UX, and
beyond. We acknowledge and respect our peers, their
opinions, and the value of their work and will be critical
of work product, but not the person doing the work.
OUR UX TEAM
13. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Focus Areas
• WhataretheTypesof Work
We Do?
• User Research
• Interaction Design
• Information Architecture
• Information Design
• Prototyping
• Usability Testing
WHAT WE DO
14. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Areas of Growth / Improvement
• Where DoWeNeedMore
Experience?
• Whatis theRationaleforthe
Need?
• HowWillWeKnowWhen
We’veAchievedtheGrowth?
Experience Mapping
GROWTH AREA RATIONALE ACHIEVED BY
•Gets everyone involved in
identifying touchpoints
•Visually describes what the
user’s journey looks like
•Tell stories and craft
narratives from the user’s
point of view
•Orient teams around a
shared understanding of the
journey
•Expand on scenarios,
personas, and mental models
•Engaging in 1-3 Experience
Mapping activities this year
•Proving value through the
activities by stakeholder
approvals
15. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Perception of the Team by Others
• HowDoWeWantOthersto
ViewOurTeam?
• HowDoWeBuildthis
Perception?
• HowDoWeKnowWe’re
There?
Experts About Our
Users
PERCEPTION HOW TO CREATE ACHIEVED BY
•Increase research activities
•Identify opportunities to build
usability testing awareness
and activities
•Including clients in the user-
related activities to show
them our process and
expose them to users more
frequently
•Increase the amount of client
collaboration that includes
user discussions
•Common theme/voice for UX
team
•Colleagues request our
expertise in speaking to
customers
•Colleagues and customers
recommend the UX Team’s
expertise to our colleagues
and customers
16. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Signatures
• WeAllAgreetoAllofThis!
AGREED UPON BY
20. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
New to Critique? Start Here.
Aaron Irizarry & Adam Connor
DiscussingDesign.com
Source: SlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/adamconnor/discussing-design-the-art-of-critique
21. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
The Problem
Me
HowdoImakecritiqueapartof our
culture,asaformalizedprocess?
22. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Eachoneteachone.
“
Kim Goodwin
many
23. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital AmericasRuss Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Critique
Buddies
WTF are
?
24. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
The Setup
L
BBB
L
BBB
M
• Select“Critique Leads”
• ManagerassignsCritiqueLeads
• SelectTeamsof 3-4Buddies
• Manager&LeadsAssign
25. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
How It Works
• Weekly30minutemeetingswithCritiqueLeads & Buddies
• Ad hoc meetingsasneededandas available
• Can’t miss2weeks in a row
• Critiquecanworkboth ways
• Weekly30minuteCritiqueLeads& Manager
• Reviewthecritiques
• Critique&tweaktheprocess
B B B L
B B B L
B B B L
26. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Buddy Meetings
• Startsveryinformally
• Getto knoweachother
• Reviewof what’sbeing worked on,etc.
• Driven bytheCritiqueLead
27. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Buddy Meetings
• Shifts to (slightly)formal
• Agendas,morestructured
pitch/ presentation
• LedbytheCritiqueBuddy
28. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Leader Meetings
• Reports onprogressof theteam
• Creates &updates“CritiqueManual /
Guide” forteam
• ModifiestheCritiqueBuddyprogram
based uponlearning
• Selects nextCritiqueLeads(Quarterly)
32. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
We Don’t Need Another Hero
33. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
S l o w D o w n .
34. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Big,GrandReveals areforAmateurs.
And advertising agencies.“
Mitigate Design Surprises
35. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Lighten Up
36. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Work Hard.
Play Hard.
Bull Crap.
Source: http://gsh.tumblr.com/post/60206622542/everyone-plays-harder-i-dont-want-to-play
37. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital AmericasSource: https://signalvnoise.com/posts/3124-give-it-five-minutes
Give It 5 Minutes
38. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
5 Years
When youfindyourself stressed,ask yourself onequestion:
Willthismatterfiveyears fromnow?
If yes,thendo something aboutthe situation.
If no,then letit go.
“
Catherine Pulsifer
40. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
• Team Charter
• Facilitation
• Collaboration
• Critique
• TimeisWorthYourTime
My 5 Key Take Aways
Non-Technical
Skills!
41. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Source: Justice League War
42. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Everyone Else
Aleaderisbestwhen people barely knowshe
exists,whenher workisdone,her aim fulfilled,they
willsay:
Wedid itourselves.
“
Lao Tzu
43. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
• Team Charter
• Facilitation
• Collaboration
• Critique
• TimeisWorthYourTime
My 5 Key Take Aways
Non-Technical
Skills!
• Bonus #1:LeadershipisMoreAboutYourTeamthanAboutYou
• Bonus #2:Keeponwingingit.Confidently.
44. Russ Unger | @russu | GE Capital Americas
Thank You!