out of the silos and into the farm
DESCRIPTION
Whether you’re a one-man team, or a member of a large team, collaboration can be difficult. We all know silos aren’t the answer, so how do you work together without stepping on toes or forcing the whole team to wait at each step of the process? In this talk, we’ll take a look at methodologies that ease the design process, and learn how a group can truly function as a team.TRANSCRIPT
Marli MesibovJune 19, 2014
Out of the Silos and Into the Farm
Boston-based content strategist
Marli Mesibov@marsinthestars
UX specialist
What does collaboration do for us?
@marsinthestars
Successful projects are run by effective, collaborative teams.
art
classes
mathletes
choir
speech and debate
studying
track and field
Getting through school
UX
development
marketing
SEO
visual design
UIinteraction design
Driving the customer experience
Your design doesn’t fit my content.
Your content doesn’t fit my design!
Development didn’t consider us at all!!
It must be his fault.
Let’s go get him!
The customer experience conveyor belt
Rese
arch
Fun
ction
ality
Con
ten
t
Visu
al d
esig
n
Develo
pm
en
t
@marsinthestars
A conveyor belt process results in a fragmented UX.
The triangle of success
collaboration
agile UX
Agile
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Waterfall methodology
Agile methodology
functionality content design
development
Iterations: 1 2 3 4 5
Individuals and interactions over processes and toolsWorking software over comprehensive documentationCustomer collaboration over contract negotiationResponding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more
-The Agile Manifesto
The 12 Agile Principles
1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.
The 12 Agile Principles
3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months with a preference to the shorter timescale.
4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
The 12 Agile Principles
5. Build projects around motivated individuals; give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
The 12 Agile Principles
7. Working software is the primary measure of progress.
8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
The 12 Agile Principles
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
10. Simplicity – the art of maximizing the amount of work not done – is essential.
The 12 Agile Principles
11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
Collaboration
Collaboration in 3 easy steps
1. Keep your eye on the prize2. Set expectations3. Magic words: “I don’t know”
Keep your eye on the prize
“Different people like to work in different ways. To get the most out of your team, you have to respect and value that diversity.”
– Deborah Holstein, Marketing Profs
Set expectations
Plan for success:
Set a plan in advanceTouch base oftenWrite down what is said
“Being busy does not always mean real work.” – Thomas Edison
Magic words: “I don’t know”
I Don’t Know
What makes someone a valuable team member?
ExperienceKnowledgeCreativitySubject-area expertise
UX
“The best UX design seems to be coming from designers implementing a ‘release early, release often’ mind set… It favors responsiveness and nimbleness… and for most enterprises [is] incredibly difficult to do.”
- Jon Lax
@marsinthestars
44% of B2B marketers are implementing content strategies.
We will build intuitive user experiences.We will develop usable guidelines and strategies.We will adapt to agile methodology.We will increase cross-team collaboration.
-my content strategy manifesto
The 5 Content Strategy Principles
1. Conduct research before the first sprint begins.
2. Create a minimum viable content strategy. Prioritize the most effective and valuable elements.
The 5 Content Strategy Principles
3. Prepare for spontaneity.
4. Take advantage of iterations to try new things.
5. Try out pair programming.
“When you decided to become a designer, you accepted the role of gatekeeper with it. You are responsible for what you put into the world, and for its effects upon that world.”
- Michael Montiero