sweating the ux details

Sweating U X D E T A I L ST H E

Stephen P. Anderson @stephenanderson #uxlondont

I really, really wanted give a talk all about

craftsmanship

It’s 2012…

“a publishing platform…”

It’s 2012…

you can write and publish online articles

other people can comment on your articles

you can share articles

bookmark articles

It’s 2012…“a publishing platform…”




bookmark articles


?




bookmark articles


! no customization options

! no custom domains

! royalty-free access to all content

?

?you can write and publish online articles



bookmark articles

! no customization options

! no custom domains

! royalty-free access to all content

“a publishing platform…”

It’s 2012……a new place on the Internet where people share ideas

and stories that are longer than 140 characters and not

just for friends. It’s designed for little stories that make

your day better and manifestos that change the world.

It’s used by everyone from professional journalists to

amateur cooks. It’s simple, beautiful, collaborative,

and it helps you find the right audience for whatever

you have to say.”

“

“Everything changed for me over the weekend when I took the time to write a blog post on Medium.”

“As someone who writes a lot of stuff and has used a lot of different writing software, I'm telling you that I was blown away by the quality

of the product as a writing tool.”

“The entire process is a breeze. And once published, the article looks pretty good too in terms of typography and appearance.”

“Intuitive enough to seem psychic.”

“Because it is such a pleasure to work with, Medium has become something of a fetish object for writers.”

“It does not take a user experience designer to publish a professional story.”

“A joy to use!”

“It’s so damn beautiful. Medium has removed all the cruft that gets between the reader and the message…”

“Clean design, great concept, full of potential treasures to be read.”

“The best writing tool on the web.”

But here’s the thing: I feel as if the service looks so good that it invites only the best content that I—or anyone—can write before actually hitting publish.

Let’s put it another way: If I’m going to write a post on Medium, I don’t want to let Medium down. (“It’s not you, it’s me.”)

“Part of the reason I haven’t published to Medium is because I’m slightly intimidated. I know that is illogical and insane on the surface, but I feel intimidated and almost as if I have to rise to a higher standard on Medium.” —Christina Warren, senior tech analyst at Mashable

A different experience!

Right now, the Internet rewards speed and quantity, and we wanted to make a place where quality matters.”

—Ev Williams

“

https://medium.com/designing-medium/7c03a9274f9

Quality in the Interface



https://medium.com/designing-medium/crafting-link-underlines-on-medium-7c03a9274f9

The Problem:




Desired:



https://medium.com/@felixsalmon/the-bitcoin-bubble-and-the-future-of-currency-2b5ef79482cb

Quality Content



• you can write and publish online articles

• other people can comment on your articles

• you can share articles

• bookmark articles

The obvious “what to build”

features & functionality

• Designed more like a magazine.

• Designed a social system to create a built-in audience for new authors

• Launched with published authors (which set really high bar for content)

• Hired former Wired.com editor Evan Hansen as an editor for the site

• Bought he long-form journalism startup Matter

• Created what is arguably the best writing tool on the planet

• Promoted contextual comments

• Focused on typographic UI details that compete w/ centuries of print (vs other web platforms)

• Focused A LOT on quality content

• Offered pre-publishing feedback







The not so obvious “how to build” (& launch)

experience details


















experience details

Product


















experience details

Experiences

Product

Most businesses desire to create (and most individuals enjoy) well-designed,

high-quality experiences

BUT THESE THINGS GET IN THE WAY…

Individual Beliefs Many team members don’t really

understand the cost or value of quality

ProcessesProduct design and development

processes tend to scope out quality

Cultural ValuesDay-to-day business decisions unintentionally create a culture that doesn’t prioritize quality









Why focus on Quality?










What’s dangerous about our processes?











What does it mean to be design led?


Individual Beliefs Many team members

don’t really understand

the value of quality


PrideAnything worth doing,

is worth doing well.

IdealismWhat kind of world do you

want to live in? Trustin expertise of your team


PrideAnything worth doing,

is worth doing well.

IdealismWhat kind of world do you

want to live in? Trustin expertise of your team

These aren’t very convincing to most business stakeholders.


User Trustand perceived reliability

ConversionWhat do people actually do?

Usabilityand lower support costs

AffectHow does someone feel

about using your product?


User Trustand perceived reliability

ConversionWhat do people actually do?

Usabilityand lower support costs

These are all about perceptions.

AffectHow does someone feel

about using your product?

http://www.google.com/design/spec/animation/meaningful-transitions.html#meaningful-transitions-visual-continuity



http://www2.psych.ubc.ca/~rensink/flicker/index.html



“change blindness”To see an object change, it is necessary to attend to it.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1950440/

“Gaze Cueing of Attention”



http://www.neubible.co/




A Bible reading experience that exceeds any other that I’ve tried. Attention to typography and usability greatly outweigh the limited number of translations available at launch. Absolutely worth the price to have God’s word presented in such a thoughtful manner.”

“



http://blog.pickcrew.com/the-science-behind-fonts-and-how-they-make-you-feel/

People exposed to the well-designed layout were found to have higher cognitive focus, more efficient mental processes, and a stronger sense of clarity.”

Do font and layout affect our emotions?

“



What is the effect of typefaces on legal briefs?

http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/Rules/Painting_with_Print.pdf , http://www.typographyforlawyers.com/ and http://www.amsciepub.com/doi/abs/10.2466/pms.106.1.35-42

http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/Rules/Painting_with_Print.pdf

http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/Rules/Painting_with_Print.pdf

http://www.typographyforlawyers.com/

http://www.typographyforlawyers.com/

http://www.amsciepub.com/doi/abs/10.2466/pms.106.1.35-42

http://www.amsciepub.com/doi/abs/10.2466/pms.106.1.35-42

Motion, typography, layout, images…These are functional things.

“we’re going to push off some styling stuff to hit the deadline”

“we’re going to push off some styling stuff to hit the deadline”

NoOO!!

‘functional’ is relative

use cases & unit tests

user perceptions and behaviors

‘functional’ is relative

use cases & unit tests

user perceptions and behaviors

Experiences

Product

Maturityof the space we play in


Quality

Time

Quality

Time

“good enough”

“would be nice”

Quality

Time

“good enough”

“not a priority”

“would be nice”

Quality

Time

“good enough”


“nice to have”

“NOT ACCEPTABLE”

“MUST HAVE”

NoOO!!

Quality

Time

“good enough”


“nice to have”

“NOT ACCEPTABLE”

“MUST HAVE”

NoOO!!What is the maturity of the space we’re competing in?

http://daringfireball.net/2015/02/60_frames_per_second_and_the_web




60 frames per second is not “would be nice.” It’s “must have.”



2014 wasn’t a good year to be average. Since 2007, the average customer experience in the industries that Forrester tracks has gone up across the board, and the number of truly awful experiences has dropped like a rock.

In 2015, the race from good to great CX will speed up.”

—Harley Manning, Forrester “The Race from Good to Great Customer Experience Intensifies”

“

https://www.forrester.com/Harley-Manning

https://www.forrester.com/Harley-Manning

Meaningful

Pleasurable

Convenient

Usable

Reliable

Functional (Useful)

Focused on

Experiences(People, Activities, Context)

Focused on

Tasks(Products, Features)

© 2006 Stephen P. Anderson | poetpainter.com

SUBJECTIVE / QUALITATIVE

OBJECTIVE / QUANTIFIABLE

Has personal significance

Memorable experience worth sharing

Super easy to use, works like I think

Can be used without difficulty

Is available and accurate

Works as programmed

Prioritize Aesthetics (no, not Graphic Design) (visual, behaviors, sounds, psychology)

Design for FLOW (boredom vs anxiety)

Leverage Game Mechanics/Learning Theory (completeness)

Have a Personality

Create conversational and context aware interactions (“Adaptive Interfaces”; narrative IA structures)

Elicit Desire (Limited availability, limited access, curious and seductive experiences)Simplify, organize, and clarify

Display information visually

Reduce features and complexity

Use language for more natural

Add features that support desired ine browsing)

Have a believable story

Co-create value with customers

Connect people in community

Are part of a bigger system

Appeal to emotional, spiritual, and

Create a tolerance for faults at

Are tied to a person’s self-image, highly personal

Creating Pleasurable Interfaces: Getting fom Tasks to Experiencespresented by Stephen P. Anderson | Nov 8, 2006

“It is not enough that we build products that function, that are understandable and usable -we also need to build products that bring joy and excitement, pleasure and fun, and yes, beauty, to people’s lives.”

THIS IS THE “CHASM” THAT IS REALLY, REALLY HARD FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO CROSS

Experiences

Product

Experiences

Product

people, activities & context

tasks & features

outcomes and experiences

output and functionality

perceptions, emotions, attention, memory…

interfaces, interactions, usability, etc.


Context(and tolerance for friction)

HIGH TOLERANCEFOR FRICTION

NO TOLERANCEFOR FRICTION

Enterprise Productivity Appused to solve a work-related functional needs; little to no choice; training often required

Consumer Recreational App

Consumer Productivity App

used for enjoyment when one is not working; requires change in habits

Plus Tools for Remote Collaboration

used to solve a functional need; high degree of choice


To CreateAwesome

Users*

* just read or watch everything you can find from Kathy Sierra!

https://medium.com/@johntmeyer/medium-is-for-nobodies-like-me-f7dfa4c0625a

When I write in Medium I seem to transform into Mark Twain or Ernest Hemingway. I feel like the tap of each keystroke is like the swoosh of a quill pen. I don’t think about the interface or user-experience. I’m not overwhelmed by features or tools. Medium is just a blank canvas and my ideas.”

Example of User Awesome:

“



Example of User Awesome:

I find the clean organization of Ulysses gets out of my way, and when I’m writing—it’s as smooth as silk. In a subtle way, I feel inspired by Ulysses and consequentially, I end up spending more time with my butt in the chair, actually writing because I’m enjoying myself.”

—Micah Moss, Screenwriter and Novelist

“

ProcessesProduct design and development processes tend to scope out quality


The MINEFIELD of dangerous ideas:The MINEFIELD of dangerous ideas:

Not necessarily bad, just highly volatile and easily misunderstood!

The MINEFIELD of dangerous ideas:The MINEFIELD of dangerous ideas:

MVP(Minimum Viable Product)LONG SENTENCE

Scope creepPerfection

P0, P1, P2, P3...

Functional Business Units

Process & Documentation

(reductionist) Scoping +

Estimation

Not necessarily bad, just highly volatile and easily misunderstood!

LONG SENTENCE

LONG SENTENCE


Scope creep

https://medium.com/@rjs/what-happens-to-user-experience-in-a-minimum-viable-product-5917f88079a1?s=9-what-happens-to-user-experience-in-a-minimum-viable-product

Scope




ScopeScope




ScopeScope

Scope




Scope

Quality

ScopeScope




“The set of features you choose to build is one thing. The level you choose to execute at is another.”

—Ryan Singer

Scope

Quality

ScopeScope




Perfection

Me: “good is the enemy of great”

Him: “perfect is the enemy of good”

Him: “touché”

Me: “good is the enemy of great”

Him: “perfect is the enemy of good”

There’s a difference between perfection and excellence.

Him: “touché”

MVP(Minimum Viable Product)


http://uxreactions.com/post/114498637514/minimum-viable-product

Minimum Viable Product

Product

?“A donut w/o glaze

ain’t no donut to me.”

Huh? Minimum Viable Product

ProductYuck!Insufficient Features. Incomplete. Poor quality compromises testing.

?“A donut w/o glaze

ain’t no donut to me.”

EVP — Exceptional Viable Product

MQP — Minimum Quality Product

MDP — Minimum Desirable Product

MVPP — Minimum Viable Product we’re Proud of

Minimum Viable Product has become…

MVE — Minimum Viable Experience

etc.


Our reductionist Approach to

Scoping + Estimation

“The Whole is Other than the Sum of the Parts”

“An Experience is Other than the Sum of the Parts”

!=

The pieces are the same…

…but the final experience here is just WRONG!

Product

Experiences Product

Production. Direction. Balance. Orchestration. Choreography.

The universal constant behind all these process conversations…

Delivery VS Qualityrelease early and often. you can’t release half a product

You never want to dig a deep hole in the wrong spot. You only get one chance to make a first impression.

“good enough” “good is the enemy of great”

“experimentation & learning” “thoughtful planning”

Always be shipping We can’t ship this crap!

“done” “done right”

“nice to have” “must have”everything is a test

You can’t predict what customers will want, you have to test and experiment, release early and often.

“some things you just know” (common sense, intuition, abductive reasoning, experience)

Is this a P0, P1 P2…? “Quality is a bar, not a feature that can be scoped out”

(Both perspectives are true, at different times, under various circumstances)












At our core, we are a companythat values _______________,though we make exceptions for ____________ when it seems right.”

“

Delivery or Quality?













“

Delivery or Quality?

DELIVERY?

QUALITY?

What does it mean to be a design-led company?

Cultural ValuesDay-to-day business decisions unintentionally create a culture that doesn’t value quality

Most businesses want these types of outcomes…

…but are they ready to change how they operate and what they value?

Most businesses want these types of outcomes…

What does it mean to be a design-led company?

THE MILLION-DOLLAR QUESTION:

Design-led !=

pixel perfectionism, necessarily.

Design-led !=

pixel perfectionism, necessarily.

the design team calling the shots.

Design-led = aligning the entire organization around the experiential needs of customers

…and if something isn’t quite right, you don’t ship it.

…and if something isn’t quite right, you don’t ship it.

Experiences

Product

http://www.inc.com/mark-kawano/lessons-from-my-time-at-apple-ship-something-you-re-proud-of.html

Not only does the company set internal deadlines, it also creates deadlines for deadlines that have their own deadlines. Every aspect of the company's production cycle, from conception to ship date, is calculated. But—and this is a big "but"—what makes Apple different is that it is a company that is willing to move those deadlines. If a product in development isn't ready to be released, the deadline is pushed back. If an idea isn't perfect, or isn't considered truly magical and delightful internally, it's held back, revised, and the product given an entirely new launch date.”

“

The Biggest Lesson I Learned as an Apple Designer




“


“

DELIVERY

QUALITY


“

How would your organization complete this statement?

At our core, we are a companythat values _______________ .At our core, we are a companythat values _______________ though we make exceptions for ____________ when it seems right.”

“

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Cultural Values

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Cultural Values

Not “Design-Led”(Aligned around

some other value)

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Cultural Values

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Cultural Values

“Design-Led”Not “Design-Led”(Aligned around

some other value)

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Cultural Values

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Cultural Values

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Cultural Values

Most “Quality” happens because of individuals who care deeply and

have the necessary skills to make a difference


some other value)

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Cultural Values

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Cultural Values

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Cultural Values



“Me too!” companies

“We want to be design-led”


some other value)

Cultural Values

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Cultural Values

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Cultural Values

Individual Beliefs

Processes

Cultural Values



“Me too!” companies

“We want to be design-led”


some other value)

Cultural ValuesWhat does your company value?

“What do you reward?”—Jared Spool

Celebrate doing the right thing, not shipping something everyone on the team isn’t proud of.

Set objective standardsthat create means for any team member to stop the assembly line.

“What do you reward?”

Celebrate doing the right thing, not shipping something everyone on the team isn’t proud of.

Set objective standardsthat create means for any team member to stop the assembly line.

“What do you reward?”Not sure what your organization values?

Look at what you informally celebrate and formally reward.









Why I created this talk:

better conversations(partly) the responsibility of CXO

I want to work in a place that values great, well-designed experiencesI’d like to see more businesses

understand and value great design!

Thank you!

getmentalnotes.com

Design for

Understanding

Stephen P. Anderson@stephenanderson