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“What do you do?” has become the standard opening line for getting to know someone. But if you were asked, “Why do you do what you do?” how would you answer? We are too narrowly focused on developing solutions for problems that we don’t understand, don’t care about, or worst of all, don’t actually exist. Life is too short to waste our time expertly creating something that matters to no one. Learn to find your “why.” Discover interviewing techniques to build greater empathy with your users, synthesizing techniques to uncover their underlying inefficiencies and frustrations, and tips to continually draw inspiration and long-term product vision from their lives.
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❦@whitneyhess
http://[email protected]
Whitney Hess
What’s Your Problem?
Putting PurposeBack into Your
Projects
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/genesis/multimedia/gen_team_15278.html
http://www.thoughtfarmer.com/clients/intranet-case-studies/continuum/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/londonlooks/5563391691/
http://thisweekfordinner.com/2009/07/18/time-to-swif-swif-with-the-swiffer-wet-jet/
http://thisweekfordinner.com/2009/07/18/time-to-swif-swif-with-the-swiffer-wet-jet/
http://thisweekfordinner.com/2009/07/18/time-to-swif-swif-with-the-swiffer-wet-jet/
Design is the problem
(not just the solution)
Define the problem before trying to solve it
Ask questions to root out the truth
Be obsessed with the problem, not the solution
Principles of Problem Solving
Process
People
Purpose
ProcessDefine the problem
before trying to solve it
“If I had one hour to save the world, I would spend 55 minutes defining the problem and 5 minutes finding the solution.”
Albert Einstein
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/25945866/Carbon-Footprint-Calculation-Detail
Problem Setting > Solving
What is a Problem?
Gap between current and desiredstate
Problem owner wants to do something
about it
&
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ljmcallister/1012818172/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/boiselighting/3604789822/
http://mommyblogstoronto.typepad.com/bloghers_act_canada/2007/09/unwrapped.html
Who is your target audience?
PeopleAsk questions
to root out the truth
մեe problem is out there,not at your desk.
User Research
✦ Interviews✦ Observations✦ Surveys✦ Card sorts✦ Diary studies✦ Etc.
UserResearch
MarketResearch
vs.
What people like What people do
User Research
✦ Interviews✦ Observations✦ Surveys✦ Card sorts✦ Diary studies✦ Etc.
To determine the user’s real problem:
1. Find representative users2. Ask questions3. Listen closely4. Write it all down5. Paraphrase to confirm
understanding
User Interviews
Tell me a bit about yourself. Where do you live? Where are you from? What do you do?
What kind of home do you live in? What do you use for transportation? Special diet?
Lifestyle Questions
User Interviews
How did you become eco-conscious?How long has it been?
How do you conserve? Since when?
What are the obstacles in your life that prevent you from conserving more?
What is the value of being eco-conscious?
Context Questions
User Interviews
Where do you get your information on environmental issues/conserving?
What eco-conscious or environmental sites/blogs/publications do you read?
What environmental organizations do you belong to? Why those? How did you hear about them?
Influence Questions
User Interviews
With whom do you share environmental info that you find? How?
Tell me about a recent conversation you’ve had with a friend or family member about the environment or “going green”
What do you think is preventing your friends or family from doing more?
Social Questions
User Interviews
What do you know about carbon offsets? Have you purchased them?
Have you calculated your carbon footprint? Where? How?
Familiarity Questions
User Interviews
What other websites do you frequent?
What social networking sites do you use? Why these?
How oen? How many friends/followers?
What do you do most oen on each site? What was the last thing you did on <site>?
Web Use Questions
User Interviews
What kind of computer do you own? When did you buy it? Who else uses it?
How do you connect to the Internet?
What kind of mobile phone do you have? When did you buy it? What do you use it for?
What other devices do you own?
Tech Use Questions
Personas
http://www.mymothermode.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/diapers.jpg
Impractical advice
http://cdn.babble.com/famecrawler/files/2011/05/playdate.jpg
Guilt trips
One-handed browsing
մեe Real Problem
✦ Impractical advice✦ Guilt trips✦ One-handed browsing
But I can’t talk with users...
http://garryregier.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/chained-to-desk-computer-grey.jpg
Empathy Map
Created by Dave Gray of XPLANE – Gamestorming pg. 65
Empathy MapEmpathy Map
http://www.cccc.org/blogs/john/2012/02/10/empathy-maps-a-way-to-understand-your-donors-and-beneficiaries/
5 Whys
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Problem
Created by Sakichi Toyoda – Gamestorming pg. 141-143
5 Whys
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Teacher Managementusage is low
5 Whys
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Teacher Managementusage is low
մեey aren’t logging in
5 Whys
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Teacher Managementusage is low
մեey aren’t logging in
մեey can’t remember their credentials
5 Whys
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Teacher Managementusage is low
մեey aren’t logging in
մեey can’t remember their credentials
մեey aren’t using it enough
5 Whys
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Teacher Managementusage is low
մեey aren’t logging in
մեey can’t remember their credentials
մեey aren’t using it enough
It’s intimidating and unclear
5 Whys
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Teacher Managementusage is low
մեey aren’t logging in
մեey can’t remember their credentials
մեey aren’t using it enough
It’s intimidating and unclear
System terminology doesn’t match theirs
Fishbone Diagram
http://pri-network.org/training/fishbone.html
Effect
CauseCause
CauseCause
Fishbone Diagram
http://pri-network.org/training/fishbone.html
Effect
CauseCause
CauseCause
CauseCause
Cause CauseCause
Cause
Fishbone Diagram
http://pri-network.org/training/fishbone.html
Low % manual
adjustments
Low % manual
adjustments
Fishbone Diagram
http://pri-network.org/training/fishbone.html
Teachers aren’t logging in
Teach
ers are
n’t making
manual adjustm
ent
Low % manual
adjustments
Fishbone Diagram
http://pri-network.org/training/fishbone.html
Teachers aren’t logging in
Can’t remember credentials
Teach
ers are
n’t making
manual adjustm
ent
Low % manual
adjustments
Fishbone Diagram
http://pri-network.org/training/fishbone.html
Teachers aren’t logging in
Don’t have time
Can’t remember credentials
Teach
ers are
n’t making
manual adjustm
ent
Low % manual
adjustments
Fishbone Diagram
http://pri-network.org/training/fishbone.html
Teachers aren’t logging in
Don’t have time
Don’t know they should be
Don’t know how
Teachers aren’t logging in
Can’t remember credentials
Teach
ers are
n’t making
manual adjustm
ent
Low % manual
adjustments
Fishbone Diagram
http://pri-network.org/training/fishbone.html
Don’t have time
Don’t know they should be
Don’t know how
Haven’t used it for a while
Takes toolong
Limited lab
time
Didn’t read m
anual
Teachers aren’t logging in
Can’t remember credentials
Teach
ers are
n’t making
manual adjustm
ent
Low % manual
adjustments
Fishbone Diagram
http://pri-network.org/training/fishbone.html
Don’t have time
Don’t know they should be
Don’t know how
Haven’t used it for a while
Takes toolong
Limited lab
time
Didn’t rece
ive tr
aining
Too hard to
figure out
Can’t remember
training
Didn’t read m
anual
Teachers aren’t logging in
Can’t remember credentials
Teach
ers are
n’t making
manual adjustm
ent
Low % manual
adjustments
Fishbone Diagram
http://pri-network.org/training/fishbone.html
Don’t have time
Don’t know they should be
Don’t know how
Haven’t used it for a while
Takes toolong
Limited lab
time
Didn’t rece
ive tr
aining
Too hard to
figure out
Can’t remember
training
Setting is buried
Didn’t read m
anual
Teachers aren’t logging in
Can’t remember credentials
Teach
ers are
n’t making
manual adjustm
ent
Low % manual
adjustments
Fishbone Diagram
http://pri-network.org/training/fishbone.html
Don’t have time
Don’t know they should be
Don’t know how
Haven’t used it for a while
Takes toolong
Limited lab
time
Didn’t rece
ive tr
aining
Too hard to
figure out
Can’t remember
training
Setting is buried
PurposeBe obsessed
with the problem, not the solution
Question assumptions
Be more ambitious
http://www.slideshare.net/bokardo/metricsdriven-design-4317168
Cra a Problem Statement
✦ Concise✦ Specific✦ Measurable
Who needs what because why .
Problem Statement Format
Casual environmentalists need
creative ways to conserve without the guilt trip because
they have constraints on adapting their lifestyle.
Teachers in non-sales
regions need an in-depth onboarding process
because they aren’t using critical settings.
5Ws Technique
✦ Who?✦ What?✦ Where?✦ When?✦ Why?
So Skills:
✦ Listening✦ Empathy✦ Connection✦ Facilitation✦ Persuasion✦ Patience
“How can I help you be more successful?”
մեe persistenceof the problem
is purpose
Define the problem before trying to solve it
Ask questions to root out the truth
Be obsessed with the problem, not the solution
Principles of Problem Solving
Process
People
Purpose
Life is too shortto waste it solving
the wrong problems
մեank you.Whitney Hess
@whitneyhesshttp://whitneyhess.com
Further ReadingBuilding Shared Understanding of Wicked Problems
http://www.cognexus.org/Rotman-interview_SharedUnderstanding.pdf
You Are Solving մեe Wrong Problemhttp://www.azarask.in/blog/post/the-wrong-problem/
A New Make Mantra: A Statement of Design Intenthttp://www.markboulton.co.uk/journal/comments/a-new-make-mantra-a-statement-of-design-intent
17 Types of Interviewing Questionshttp://www.portigal.com/blog/seventeen-types-of-interviewing-questions/
My Best Advice to Conducting User Interviewshttp://whitneyhess.com/blog/2010/07/07/my-best-advice-for-conducting-user-interviews/
