software design class (session 2): manning the lookout- creating actionable observations with...

8/9/2019 Software Design Class (Session 2): Manning the Lookout- Creating Actionable Observations with Personas

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SOFTWARE DESIGN: SESSION 2

MANNING THE LOOKOUT-CREATING ACTIONABLE

OBSERVATIONSAlex Cowan


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THE VENTURE DESIGN PROCESS

SCALE?

PIVOT?

PRODUCT &

PROMOTION

USER STORIES

& PROTOTYPES

CUSTOMER

DISCOVERY &

EXPERIMENTS

VALUE

PROPOSITIONS &

ASSUMPTIONS

SHOW

ME

?

WHAT

IF?

Is the problemrelevant? Is theproposition bettervs alternatives?

Do we understand

this person? Whatmakes them tick?

Did theimplementationdeliver onthe story?

Was the implementedstory relevant to theproposition?

How did the customer/user react?

WHO?PERSONAS

WHAT?

PROBLEM

SCENARIOS &

ALTERNATIVES


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THE VENTURE DESIGN PROCESS- PERSONAS

Do we understand

this person? Whatmakes them tick?

WHO?PERSONAS

WHAT?

PROBLEM

SCENARIOS &

ALTERNATIVES


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PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO


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Women

Age 28-45

Has kids

Socialize with other moms

Online with Facebook

86% said theyd like to be moreorganized

70% said theyd use an applicationthat organizes them

PERSONA: BAD


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Bullet points are almost never

vivid or detailed

Stock photo- not real

This is a huge population-

not exact

These responses are fake actionable-

survey responses like this areunreliable

PERSONA: BAD

Women

Age 28-45

Has kids

Socialize with other moms

Online with Facebook

86% said theyd like to be moreorganized

70% said theyd use an applicationthat organizes them


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Mary is a mom by choice. She had a successful career in

accounting, but welcomed the opportunity to be a stay at home

mom. She loves it. But its not like having kids purged her

creative, social instincts. She wants to connect, she wants to

learn, she wants to interact. Being a mom is a job and she wants

to do it well. That means corresponding with other moms on

child education and keeping track of what works. She posts to

Facebook at least twice a week and responds to other moms

items more often than that.She has a few blogs and publications she reads regularly

Mary the Mom

PERSONA: BETTER


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the use of a first name helps w/

vividness (a little)

these full sentences look like a good

start towards something vivid and

detailed

this is a real photo of a relevant

person taken with an iPhone in the

real world

PERSONA: BETTER

Mary is a mom by choice. She had a successful career in

accounting, but welcomed the opportunity to be a stay at home

mom. She loves it. But its not like having kids purged her

creative, social instincts. She wants to connect, she wants to

learn, she wants to interact. Being a mom is a job and she wants

to do it well. That means corresponding with other moms on

child education and keeping track of what works. She posts to

Facebook at least twice a week and responds to other moms

items more often than that.She has a few blogs and publications she reads regularly

Mary the Mom


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Day in the LifeWe look at a few photos for a given persona (not a full picture, just snippets)

You make some guesses about them

There are no right answers BUTThere is a right process: observe and infer

OBJECTIVE:Get a feel for whats real; start to create something vivid

A LITTLE GAME FOR BETTER PERSONA DISCOVERY


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Sally theSingle Mom

OUR CAST


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WAKE UP!


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WAKE UP!


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GEARING UP FOR THE DAY


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AT WORK


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AFTER WORK


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PRE-BED


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BED


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GEAR


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IF I HAD 3 EXTRA HOURS


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Whats her favorite kind of music?

Where did she buy her last pair of shoes?

What movie did she last see?

What did she drink with dinner last night?If she had a dog, what kind?

Whats her favorite magazine?

bit.ly/daynthelife

ABOUT SALLY THE SINGLE MOM

ALEX COWAN

alexandercowan.com

@cowanSF


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THE ART OF CUSTOMER DISCOVERY


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The Twin Anti-Poles of Design Failure

Doing precisely whatthe user asks

Assuming you know whatsbest and ignoring the user

!"#$%

THE USE OF PROBLEM SCENARIOS


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EXAMPLE- ENABLE QUIZ & HELEN THE HR MANAGER


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PERSONAS- THINKS?ThinksThe cognitive part. Often: tension between how theyd ideally like things to be and how they are now.[Persona] thinks [things should be different in a certain way]. This is important because [why?].

Sees

Feels

Does


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PERSONAS- THINKS?ThinksThe cognitive part. Often: tension between how theyd ideally like things to be and how they are now.[Persona] thinks [things should be different in a certain way]. This is important because [why?].

Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires.

Sees

Feels

Does

Draft Thinks for one of your personas


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PERSONAS- SEES?ThinksThe cognitive part. Often: tension between how theyd ideally like things to be and how they are now.[Persona] thinks [things should be different in a certain way]. This is important because [why?].

Sees The interactions that shape their Thinking- media, peers, education, training, casual observation.[In certain situation], [person] sees [key observation of importance]. [Repeat, etc.]

Helen is at the tail end of every bad hire and sees the damage it does to the employee and company, alike.

Feels

Does

Draft Sees for one of your personas


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PERSONAS- FEELS?ThinksThe cognitive part. Often: tension between how theyd ideally like things to be and how they are now.[Persona] thinks [things should be different in a certain way]. This is important because [why?].

SeesThe interactions that shape their Thinking- media, peers, education, training, casual observation.[In certain situation], [person] sees [key observation of importance]. [Repeat, etc.]

Feels The emotional driver. What emotions around the relevant activity? What trigger emotions? Results?When [some event], persona feels [emotion]. Its [cause] that make them feel this way.Helen feels like crap whenever they have to let someone go. She hates it. The employee hates it. The managerhates it. Its incredibly destructive and de-motivating for everyone involved.

Does

Draft Feels for one of your personas


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PERSONAS- DOES?ThinksThe cognitive part. Often: tension between how theyd ideally like things to be and how they are now.[Persona] thinks [things should be different in a certain way]. This is important because [why?].

SeesThe interactions that shape their Thinking- media, peers, education, training, casual observation.[In certain situation], [person] sees [key observation of importance]. [Repeat, etc.]

FeelsThe emotional driver. What emotions around the relevant activity? What trigger emotions? Results?When [some event], persona feels [emotion]. Its [cause] that make them feel this way.

Does The actuals. What triggers? How often? For how long? How much money?[Persona] [does activity] [x] times per [period]. Persona spends [$z] on [area] per [period].

Helen is responsible for recruiting 6-12 new positions per year, screening 25-50 candidates for each position.

Draft Does for one of your personas


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PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS


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XPROBLEM SCENARIO


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XWhat job(s) are you doing for thecustomer?

What existing need or behavior

are you fulfilling?

PROBLEM SCENARIO


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X

?

PROBLEM SCENARIO

ALTERNATIVE(S)


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X

?If they currently usespreadsheets, watch them use it

and get a copy of it.

If they currently put notes on the family

fridge, ask about it, photograph it.

PROBLEM SCENARIO

ALTERNATIVE(S)


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PROBLEM SCENARIOS (JOBS TO BE DONE)

X

The HR manager wants to send notes on candidates to the

functional manager.

(Too Detailed, A Feature vs. a Product/Venture)

Hiring technical talent.

(Too Broad, Abstract)

Screening technical talent.

(Probably About Right)


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X

?

PROBLEM SCENARIO

ALTERNATIVE(S)


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ALTERNATIVE(S)?

PROBLEM SCENARIOX

Problem Scenario: Helen needs to screen a lot of

engineering candidates for open positions, sendingonly qualified candidates to the hiring manager.

Many of the skill requirements are outside her

background.

Alternative: She calls references to get a generalsense of their performance on the job.

Brainstorm ProblemScenario+Alternative Pairs.


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TESTING YOUR PERSONA HYPOTHESISQuestion Form Examples Questions (Enable Quiz)

Tell me about [yourself in the role of the persona]? - Tell me about being an HR manager?

- What do you most, least like about the job?

- What are the hardest, easiest parts of the job?

- Ive heard [x]- does that apply to you?

Tell me about [your area of interest]? - Do you do screen new candidates? If not, who?

- Can you tell me about the last time? What was the trigger?

- Who else was involved? What was it like?

Tell me your thoughts about [area]? - How should it ideally be done?

- How is it actually done? Why?

What do you see in [area]?Where do you learn whats new? What others do?

Who do you think is doing it right?

How did you make your last decision?

How do you feel about [area]?

Tell me about the last time?

What motivates you? What parts of it are most rewarding? Why?

What would it be like in your perfect world?

What do you do in [area]?How many new openings/quarter?

How many interviews/position? Draft discovery questions


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TESTING YOUR PROBLEM HYPOTHESISQuestion Form Examples Questions (Enable Quiz)

What are the top [5] hardest things about [area of

interest]?- What are the top 5 most difficult things about making good tech hires?

Why?

How do you currently [operate in area of interest- if you

dont have that yet]?ORHeres what I got on [x]- is that

right?

- How do you currently screen for technical skill sets?

- Who does what?

- How does that work?Whats [difficult, annoying] about [area of interest]? - Whats difficult about screening technical candidates?

How do you validate they have the right skill set?

- How are the actual outcomes? Examples?

What are the top 5 things you want to do better this year

in [general area of interest]?

- What are the top 5 things you want to do better in technical recruiting and

hiring?

Draft discovery questions


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ASSIGNMENT 1

1. Do/Individual: Draft Project Personas (20-40 min.)

2. Problem Scenarios, and Alternatives (1020 min).

3. Do/Individual: Draft Customer/User Discovery Questions (20-40 min.)

Reminder: Start setting up customer interviews

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