From Fluxible 2015, Janice de Jong, Julia Thompson, and Susan Simon Daniels share a workshop on how to create a plan for weaving research into your product’s destiny and spinning out a meaningful user experience. Learn about trends forecasting, exploratory research and usability testing your customers' experience.

1. THE THREE FATES
Janice de Jong, Julia Thompson,
Susie Simon-Daniels
September 26, 2015

2. OVERVIEW
Welcome
Workshop [20 min]
Model [40 min]
Practice [20 min]
Conclusion

3. WELCOME

4. WORKSHOP
Plan next year’s Fluxible
conference

5. 1. Identify Plus Delta:
two points of feedback
[2-3 min]
2. Share the feedback [5-7 min]
3. Find the themes [5-7 min]

6. 1. Identify Plus Delta:
two points of feedback
[2-3 min]
2. Share the feedback [5-7 min]
3. Find the themes [5-7 min]

7. 1. Identify Plus Delta:
two points of feedback
[2-3 min]
2. Share the feedback [5-7 min]
3. Find the themes [5-7 min]

8. MODEL
The Three Fates of Research

9. CLOTHO
Janice de Jong
Trend Forecasting
Drop Spindle from Beelighted

10. WHAT I DO
• Connect weak signals
• Highlight trends and counter trends
• Develop future scenarios
Nike at Milan Design Week 2013

11. HOW I DO IT: People
• Media scans
• Trade shows and conferences
• Expert interviews
• Secondary references

12. HOW I DO IT: Patterns
• Clustering common traits
• Analysing key drivers
• Building frameworks and
implications

13. HOW I DO IT: Partners
• Conducting cross-functional
workshops
• Triangulating with other research
• Envisioning ideas for the future

14. BEST PRACTICES
• Ask why
• Use reputable sources
• Consider the counter trends
• Rule of three
“Aspirational” by Matthew Frost

15. BEST PRACTICES
• Build on others’ knowledge, but…
• …add your own spin
• Find the “so what”
“Connected Worlds” exhibit at New
York Hall of Science

16. WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
• Bringing a broader point of view
• Creating future-facing strategies
• Helping designers make informed
decisions
• Finding new areas to research

17. LACHESIS
Julia Thompson
Exploratory Research
www.craftsy.com

18. WHAT I DO
• Ignite innovation and
ground decision making
• Bring user feedback to companies
• Conduct primary research

19. HOW I DO IT: People
• In the field, in person, in depth
• Evaluate ideas, find opportunities
• Pain points, workarounds, hacks

20. HOW I DO IT: Patterns
• The overlaps, the stand-outs
• Triangulate with other research
• Move your data around

21. HOW I DO IT: Partners
• External agencies
• Internal teams
• Research partners

22. BEST PRACTICES
• Be a good listener
• Let them lead you on
• Stimuli provokes dialogue

23. BEST PRACTICES
• Be a good listener
• Let them lead you on
• Stimuli provokes dialogue

24. BEST PRACTICES
• Be a good listener
• Let them lead you on
• Stimuli provokes dialogue

25. BEST PRACTICES
• Go to their context
• Search out actual behaviour
• Figure out the right idea

26. BEST PRACTICES
• Go to their context
• Search out actual behaviour
• Figure out the right idea

27. BEST PRACTICES
• Go to their context
• Search out actual behaviour
• Figure out the right idea

28. WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
• Eliminate the opinion war
• Get an outside perspective
• Solve real user needs
www.kkstudio.gr

29. ATROPOS
Susie Simon-Daniels
Usability Research

30. WHAT I DO
Put the design in the hands of a real
person.

31. WHAT I DO
Measure how well a person:
• Learns to use a thing
• Uses that thing to achieve a goal
• Is satisfied with the process

32. HOW I DO IT: People
• Usability tests
• Surveys

33. HOW I DO IT: Patterns
• Benchmarks
• Card sorting
• Eye tracking
• Heuristic evaluations
• Log analysis

34. HOW I DO IT: Partners
• Cross-functional teams
• Get stakeholders in the room,
watching, listening
• Triangulate with trends and
exploration

35. BEST PRACTICES
• People are people
• Test early, test often
• Take lots of notes
• Two is better than one

36. BEST PRACTICES
• People are people
• Test early, test often
• Take lots of notes
• Two is better than one

37. BEST PRACTICES
• People are people
• Test early, test often
• Take lots of notes
• Two is better than one

38. BEST PRACTICES
• People are people
• Test early, test often
• Take lots of notes
• Two is better than one

39. BEST PRACTICES
• There’s no place like home
• Don’t assume. Ask.
• First impressions count but… ράνṯων
ἰαṯρὸς ṯῷν ἀναγκαίων κακῷν χρόνος ἐσṯίν

40. BEST PRACTICES
• There’s no place like home
• Don’t assume. Ask.
• First impressions count but… ράνṯων
ἰαṯρὸς ṯῷν ἀναγκαίων κακῷν χρόνος ἐσṯίν

41. BEST PRACTICES
• There’s no place like home
• Don’t assume. Ask.
• First impressions count but… ράνṯων
ἰαṯρὸς ṯῷν ἀναγκαίων κακῷν χρόνος ἐσṯίν

42. WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
• You can improve the design of your
product by putting it in the hands of
real customers.
• A thoughtfully designed experience is
a competitive advantage.

43. PRACTICE
Create a Research Plan

45. QUESTIONS?

46. Janice de Jong
Trend forecasting.
Understanding today to make a
better tomorrow.
Colour and textile enthusiast.
Wannabe yogi.
janicedejong@gmail.com
ca.linkedin.com/in/janicedejong
Julia Thompson
Exploratory research.
On a personal mission to find good
design thinking in the mundane.
Sports enthusiast.
An extravert with social anxiety.
julia.m.thompson@gmail.com
ca.linkedin.com/in/juliamthompson
Susan Simon Daniels
Usability research.
Searching for truths universally
acknowledged.
Random quoter of poetry.
Member of Red Sox nation.
ssimon@rogers.com
ca.linkedin.com/in/ssimondaniels