Wrangling Complexity through Cat-herding
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The second class of a 15 week course taught at Parsons, the New School for Design. Topics include: Understanding Complexity and the effects of not understanding complexity when solving problems. 3 tools for complexity wrangling are outlined, including an in class workshop format for "frame-storming" and homework.
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Wrangling Complexity through Cat-herding
- 1. Class 2: Wrangling Complexity through Cat herding Instructor: Abby Covert
- 2. Last Class we... 2
- 3. Last Class we... • Defined Information Architecture and the intents on information architects 2
- 4. Last Class we... • Defined Information Architecture and the intents on information architects • Discussed the differences and intersections of interaction design, graphic design, user research and content strategy 2
- 5. Last Class we... • Defined Information Architecture and the intents on information architects • Discussed the differences and intersections of interaction design, graphic design, user research and content strategy • Got our first assignment, which is due today 2
- 6. I am an information architect I intend to because I believe make the unclear clear everything is complex put the what architecture frames before the how problems, design solves them facilitate understanding understanding is organize meaning, always good but it is create clarity and equally important to establish truth not understand support goals, makers clarity is a and users prerequisite of truth by: Abby Covert & Dan Klyn 3
- 7. I am an information architect I intend to because I believe make the unclear clear everything is complex put the what architecture frames before the how problems, design solves them facilitate understanding understanding is organize meaning, always good but it is create clarity and equally important to establish truth not understand support goals, makers clarity is a and users prerequisite of truth by: Abby Covert & Dan Klyn 3
- 8. Complexity part of something that is complicated or hard to understand 4
- 9. Users Layers of Complexity Markting Makers Design Information Architecture Strategic Goals Stakeholders & Their Bosses 5
- 10. Users • Comfort with context • Access/Interest/Trust • Reading & Grade level Layers of • Aesthetics & Taste Complexity Markting Makers Design Information Architecture Strategic Goals Stakeholders & Their Bosses 5
- 11. Users • Comfort with context • Access/Interest/Trust • Reading & Grade level Layers of • Aesthetics & Taste Complexity • Budget • Distraction • Reach • Loyalty • Competition • Channel Limits Markting Makers Design Information Architecture Strategic Goals Stakeholders & Their Bosses 5
- 12. Users • Comfort with context • Access/Interest/Trust • Reading & Grade level Layers of • Aesthetics & Taste Complexity • Budget • Distraction • Reach • Loyalty • Competition • Channel Limits Markting • Scope • Scalability Makers • Talent • Quality Assurance • Tools • maintainability • Integration Design Information Architecture Strategic Goals Stakeholders & Their Bosses 5
- 13. Users • Comfort with context • Access/Interest/Trust • Reading & Grade level Layers of • Aesthetics & Taste Complexity • Budget • Distraction • Reach • Loyalty • Competition • Channel Limits Markting • Scope • Scalability Makers • Talent • Quality Assurance • Tools • maintainability • Integration • Tone • Production Budget • Brand • direction Design • Context Information Architecture Strategic Goals Stakeholders & Their Bosses 5
- 14. Users • Comfort with context • Access/Interest/Trust • Reading & Grade level Layers of • Aesthetics & Taste Complexity • Budget • Distraction • Reach • Loyalty • Competition • Channel Limits Markting • Scope • Scalability Makers • Talent • Quality Assurance • Tools • maintainability • Integration • Tone • Production Budget • Brand • direction Design • Context • Flow • Structure Information • Clarity • Tasks Architecture • Models Strategic Goals Stakeholders & Their Bosses 5
- 15. Users • Comfort with context • Access/Interest/Trust • Reading & Grade level Layers of • Aesthetics & Taste Complexity • Budget • Distraction • Reach • Loyalty • Competition • Channel Limits Markting • Scope • Scalability Makers • Talent • Quality Assurance • Tools • maintainability • Integration • Tone • Production Budget • Brand • direction Design • Context • Flow • Structure Information • Clarity • Tasks Architecture • Models • Goals • Research • Competition Strategic Goals Stakeholders & Their Bosses 5
- 16. Users • Comfort with context • Access/Interest/Trust • Reading & Grade level Layers of • Aesthetics & Taste Complexity • Budget • Distraction • Reach • Loyalty • Competition • Channel Limits Markting • Scope • Scalability Makers • Talent • Quality Assurance • Tools • maintainability • Integration • Tone • Production Budget • Brand • direction Design • Context • Flow • Structure Information • Clarity • Tasks Architecture • Models • Goals • Research • Competition Strategic Goals • REturn on Investment • Growth towards goals Stakeholders & Their Bosses • Reputation • The bottom Line 5
- 17. ?#?$%! What happens when complexity is not dealt with properly? 6
- 18. When complexity is ignored... 7
- 19. When complexity is ignored... User satisfaction 7
- 20. When complexity is ignored... User Stakeholder satisfaction Satisfaction 7
- 21. When complexity is ignored... User Stakeholder MAKER satisfaction Satisfaction Satisfaction 7
- 22. When complexity is ignored... User Stakeholder MAKER satisfaction Satisfaction Satisfaction Sometimes all 3 at once... 7
- 23. Herding Cats Models for exploring complexity in groups 8
- 24. 3 Methods we will learn about today 9
- 25. 3 Methods we will learn about today • Frame-storming 9
- 26. 3 Methods we will learn about today • Frame-storming • Shared vocabulary 9
- 27. 3 Methods we will learn about today • Frame-storming • Shared vocabulary • Performance Continuums 9
- 28. Frame storming: Brainstorming with a framework meant to explore complexity 10
- 29. Example Frameworks 11
- 30. 12
- 31. How people hear about your offering(s) 12
- 32. How people hear about your offering(s) How people explore your offering(s) 12
- 33. How people hear about your offering(s) How people explore your offering(s) How people opt into your offering(s) 12
- 34. How people hear about your offering(s) How people explore your offering(s) What could detract How people from this person opt into your proceeding at this offering(s) point? 12
- 35. How people hear about your offering(s) How people explore your offering(s) What could detract How people Who else could from this person opt into your entice this person proceeding at this offering(s) at this point? point? 12
- 36. How people hear about your offering(s) How people explore your offering(s) What could detract How people Who else could from this person opt into your entice this person proceeding at this offering(s) at this point? point? How people use your offering the first time 12
- 37. How people hear about your offering(s) How people explore your offering(s) What could detract How people Who else could from this person opt into your entice this person proceeding at this offering(s) at this point? point? How people use your offering the first time How people use your offering over time 12
- 38. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Context Context Context Context
- 39. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Context What happens Context Context Context
- 40. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Context What happens What Context happens Context Context
- 41. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Context What What happens happens What Context happens Context Context
- 42. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Context What What happens happens What Context happens Context What Context happens
- 43. Context Context Context Context Person person person person
- 44. Context Context Context Context Person What happens person person person
- 45. Context Context Context Context Person What happens What person happens person person
- 46. Context Context Context Context Person What What happens happens What person happens person person
- 47. Context Context Context Context Person What What happens happens What person happens person What person happens
- 48. Rules of Frame storming 15
- 49. Rules of Frame storming • Start the activity with a framing matrix 15
- 50. Rules of Frame storming • Start the activity with a framing matrix • Work through it with a group 15
- 51. Rules of Frame storming • Start the activity with a framing matrix • Work through it with a group – Admit what is fact 15
- 52. Rules of Frame storming • Start the activity with a framing matrix • Work through it with a group – Admit what is fact – Document Assumptions 15
- 53. Rules of Frame storming • Start the activity with a framing matrix • Work through it with a group – Admit what is fact – Document Assumptions – Identify Opportunities 15
- 54. Rules of Frame storming • Start the activity with a framing matrix • Work through it with a group – Admit what is fact – Document Assumptions – Identify Opportunities – Highlight Open Questions 15
- 55. Rules of Frame storming • Start the activity with a framing matrix • Work through it with a group – Admit what is fact – Document Assumptions – Identify Opportunities – Highlight Open Questions • One thought per post-it, one color for each area above (Example: Red = Open Questions vs. Green = Facts) 15
- 56. Spoiler Alert! 16
- 57. Shared Vocabulary: Creating a language for the effort you are undertaking 17
- 58. Rules of Shared Vocabulary 18
- 59. Rules of Shared Vocabulary – Create a document everyone can access with the terms as they are collected 18
- 60. Rules of Shared Vocabulary – Create a document everyone can access with the terms as they are collected – Record not just the term but the place the definition came from 18
- 61. Rules of Shared Vocabulary – Create a document everyone can access with the terms as they are collected – Record not just the term but the place the definition came from – Expand all acronyms 18
- 62. Rules of Shared Vocabulary – Create a document everyone can access with the terms as they are collected – Record not just the term but the place the definition came from – Expand all acronyms – Indicate terms that are “internal only” 18
- 63. Rules of Shared Vocabulary – Create a document everyone can access with the terms as they are collected – Record not just the term but the place the definition came from – Expand all acronyms – Indicate terms that are “internal only” – Document relationships between terms 18
- 64. Shared Vocabulary Example Account Group Example: Ann’s Department Store Example: Northeast Division Account Store Example: Waltham Location Area Example: Women’s Zone Example: Active Wear Fixture Example: Running SKU Example: Item # product Example: Item # + Size + Color 19
- 65. Performance Continuums spectrums that can be used to discuss and align on direction 20
- 66. What is a Continuum? This Today Goal THAT 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 21
- 67. Examples of Continuums ² Challenge the old with the new ² Define success differently ² Manage priority and scope 22
- 68. Example 23
- 69. Rules of Continuums 24
- 70. Rules of Continuums – Create the scales together, but rate where you are at and the goal individually 24
- 71. Rules of Continuums – Create the scales together, but rate where you are at and the goal individually – Avoid negative scales and judgmental language 24
- 72. Rules of Continuums – Create the scales together, but rate where you are at and the goal individually – Avoid negative scales and judgmental language – Try to be timeless, not trendy 24
- 73. Rules of Continuums – Create the scales together, but rate where you are at and the goal individually – Avoid negative scales and judgmental language – Try to be timeless, not trendy – Document the goals you agree to and set up regular measurement against them 24
- 74. Workshop Time 25
- 75. Home work Share your student experience at Parsons – 3-5 things you think really suck – 3-5 things you think are working well Write each on a post it – 3 min to share with the class and map your post it against the others shared thus far Turn in your write-ups via email by Tuesday 9/11 at noon 26
- 76. Workshop Instructions 27
- 77. Workshop Instructions – 5 Min: Meet in your group to decide which problem you will be solving this semester 27
- 78. Workshop Instructions – 5 Min: Meet in your group to decide which problem you will be solving this semester – 10 Min: Discuss the problem and choose the right framework to use for your first assignment 27
- 79. Workshop Instructions – 5 Min: Meet in your group to decide which problem you will be solving this semester – 10 Min: Discuss the problem and choose the right framework to use for your first assignment – 45 Min: Using your framework brainstorm through opportunities, questions and facts of the problem space. 27
- 80. Workshop Instructions – 5 Min: Meet in your group to decide which problem you will be solving this semester – 10 Min: Discuss the problem and choose the right framework to use for your first assignment – 45 Min: Using your framework brainstorm through opportunities, questions and facts of the problem space. • Identify 3 colors of post its to use for the 3 things you are brainstorming 27
- 81. Workshop Instructions – 5 Min: Meet in your group to decide which problem you will be solving this semester – 10 Min: Discuss the problem and choose the right framework to use for your first assignment – 45 Min: Using your framework brainstorm through opportunities, questions and facts of the problem space. • Identify 3 colors of post its to use for the 3 things you are brainstorming • Start with 5 minutes of silence and writing individually, then go around and share and map each persons post its 27
- 82. GROUP Homework for 9/24 Finish documenting what you know on your framework and prepare to present it broadly to class in 5 minutes 28
- 83. Questions? CovertA@newschool.edu @ Abby_The_IA www.Abbytheia.com