MinneWebCon 2016 – From Analysis to Synthesis: Tools and Techniques for Discovery Work

Tools and Techniques for Discovery Work

Kerry-Anne Gilowey MinneWebCon · Minneapolis · 26 April 2016

From Analysis to Synthesis

@kerry_anne

Workshop overview

Image credit: www.flickr.com/photos/vegard

So many unknowns. Where do we even begin?

A toolbox, not a methodology.

Basic principles

1. DISCOVERY IS NOT A PHASE.

Uncomfortable with uncertainty? • Listen to Schrödinger’s IA: Learning to Love Ambiguity – tinyurl.com/ambiguity2013

• Slides: tinyurl.com/ambiguity-slides

RESOURCES

2. KNOW YOUR CONSTRAINTS.

3. BE CAREFUL WITH ASSUMPTIONS.

4. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE AND YOUR ORGANISATION.

5. ALWAYS BE TAKING NOTES.

Recording apps • Easy Voice Recorder (Android – free) • Recorder Pro (iOS – $1.99) • Any other suggestions?

RESOURCES

6. DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU’RE TOLD.

Image credit: www.flickr.com/photos/audiolucistore

7. LOOK FOR PATTERNS.

8. BORROW TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES.

What can you learn from…

… systems analysts? … authors? … archaeologists? … talk show hosts?

Getting started

Our new project

Traditional publisher Creating a digital product Need our help with

content planning interaction design project steps a little bit of strategy

Discovery techniques

CHOOSEyour tools carefully

PRIORITISEyour discovery efforts

Workshop sessions

Workshops are great for…

Gathering a lot of info in a

short period of time

Picking up on political issues

Checking that objectives and intentions are

shared Making sure you’re getting

the correct info

Workshop examples

Business/product discovery

Core content strategy

Governance

Voice and messaging

Terminology

Workshop examples

Business/product discovery

Core content strategy

Governance

Voice and messaging

Terminology

Workshop examples

Business/product discovery

Core content strategy

Governance

Voice and messaging

Terminology

Workshop examples

Business/product discovery

Core content strategy

Governance

Voice and messaging

Terminology

Messaging card-sort

Messaging card-sort

1. Sort all the cards into two groups

Messaging card-sort

1. Sort all the cards into two groups2. Note and discard cards in the “WE

ARE NOT” pile

Messaging card-sort

1. Sort all the cards into two groups2. Note and discard cards in the “WE

ARE NOT” pile3. Loosely group the remaining

attributes

Messaging card-sort

1. Sort all the cards into two groups2. Note and discard cards in the “WE

ARE NOT” pile3. Loosely group the remaining

attributes4. Prioritise: choose your top 10

Workshop examples

Business/product discovery

Core content strategy

Governance

Voice and messaging

Terminology

Workshop activities

Task identification and prioritisation Live content audit Persona creation Audience identification Challenges and opportunities Mad Libs

Content Mad Libs

RESOURCES

Get more info at content-workshops.com/toolbox/2015/3/content-mad-libs

Image credit: Sara Wachter-Boettcher

Content analysis

Content analysis

Content inventory

Content audit

Site search logs

Analytics

Content analysis

Content inventory

Content audit

Site search logs

Analytics

Some help from Content Insight • Audit tips: tinyurl.com/audit-tips • Content Audits and Inventories: A Handbook by Paula Ladenburg Land

RESOURCES

Content analysis

Content inventory

Content audit

Site search logs

Analytics

More about using site search logs • Search Analytics For Your Site by Louis Rosenfeld – tinyurl.com/search-analytics

RESOURCES

Content analysis

Content inventory

Content audit

Site search logs

Analytics

Learn all about Google Analytics • Google’s free Analytics Academy – analyticsacademy.withgoogle.com/

RESOURCES

One-on-one interviews

Interviews are great for…

Understanding workflow and

processes

Identifying challenges

Understanding political and

cultural issuesBuilding

relationships and trust

Audience research

Audience research methods

Surveys

Customer interviews

Call centre study

Customer surveys • Survey software – surveymonkey.com • Coursera course on questionnaire design, by the University of Michigan, which started yesterday! – tinyurl.com/questionnaire-course

RESOURCES

Audience research methods

Surveys

Customer interviews

Call centre study

Tips for customer interviews • Slides from my talk at Confab London –tinyurl.com/talk-to-the-people • Come to Collective Conference in Atlanta in June – I’ll be talking on this very topic. Get 10% off with the code KERRYA.

RESOURCES

Audience research methods

Surveys

Customer interviews

Call centre study

Competitor analysis

Competitor analysis

Site and app comparisons

Industry research

Messaging analysis

Competitor analysis

Site and app comparisons

Industry research

Messaging analysis

Competitor analysis

Site and app comparisons

Industry research

Messaging analysis

On to synthesis

Discovery artifacts

TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,

SHARED DEFINITIONS

Discovery artifacts

OWNERSHIP AND

AUTHORSHIP TABLES

TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,

SHARED DEFINITIONS

Discovery artifacts

WORKFLOW DIAGRAMSOWNERSHIP

AND AUTHORSHIP

TABLES

TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,

SHARED DEFINITIONS

Discovery artifacts

ORG CHARTS

WORKFLOW DIAGRAMSOWNERSHIP

AND AUTHORSHIP

TABLES

TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,

SHARED DEFINITIONS

Discovery artifacts

ORG CHARTS

WORKFLOW DIAGRAMSOWNERSHIP

AND AUTHORSHIP

TABLES MATRIX OF CONTENT

TYPES

TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,

SHARED DEFINITIONS

Discovery artifacts

ORG CHARTS

WORKFLOW DIAGRAMS

SIMPLE PERSONAS

OWNERSHIP AND

AUTHORSHIP TABLES MATRIX OF

CONTENT TYPES

TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,

SHARED DEFINITIONS

Discovery artifacts

ORG CHARTS

WORKFLOW DIAGRAMS

SIMPLE PERSONAS

OWNERSHIP AND

AUTHORSHIP TABLES MATRIX OF

CONTENT TYPES

TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,

SHARED DEFINITIONS

CUSTOMER JOURNEYS

Discovery artifacts

ORG CHARTS

WORKFLOW DIAGRAMS

SIMPLE PERSONAS

OWNERSHIP AND

AUTHORSHIP TABLES MATRIX OF

CONTENT TYPES

TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,

SHARED DEFINITIONS

MESSAGING SPREADSHEET

CUSTOMER JOURNEYS

Discovery artifacts

Shared definitions

Workflow diagrams

From documentation.magnolia-cms.com/display/DOCS45/Workflow

Content type matrix

Simple personas

Customer journeys

Image credit: http://engagingplaces.net/2013/10/15/hbr-the-truth-about-the-customer-experience/

Messaging spreadsheet

Image credit: http://engagingplaces.net/2013/10/15/hbr-the-truth-about-the-customer-experience/

Analysing your notes

Analysing your notes

1. Highlight key issues and patterns

Analysing your notes

1. Highlight key issues and patterns2. Group related issues

Analysing your notes

1. Highlight key issues and patterns2. Group related issues3. Make connections explicit

Analysing your notes

1. Highlight key issues and patterns2. Group related issues3. Make connections explicit4. Consider priorities, choose artifacts

ORG CHARTS

WORKFLOW DIAGRAMS

SIMPLE PERSONAS

OWNERSHIP AND

AUTHORSHIP TABLES MATRIX OF

CONTENT TYPES

TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,

SHARED DEFINITIONS

MESSAGING SPREADSHEET

CUSTOMER JOURNEYS

Discovery artifacts

Analysing your notes

1. Highlight key issues and patterns 2. Group related issues 3. Make connections explicit 4. Consider priorities, choose artifacts 5. Write up a roadmap

Roadmap headings

• Stakeholders • Objectives • Current situation • Key challenges • Short-term strategy • Long-term strategy • Open questions

Analysing your notes

1. Highlight key issues and patterns 2. Group related issues 3. Make connections explicit 4. Consider priorities, choose artifacts 5. Write up a roadmap 6. Give your partner feedback

Thanks for taking part!

Kerry-Anne Gilowey kerryanne@augustsun.co.za http://augustsun.co.za

@kerry_anne