May 26, 2008
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May 22, 2008
(3 votes) Loading ...Often during initial kickoff of projects, clients will ask us about the process and steps we take to deliver customer experiences. While there are dozens of methods we use to gather requirements, prioritize investments, explore new technologies, and synchronize experience components, the key centering point we’ve found for the best work is a simple one: alignment.
With alignment comes clarity. But getting to alignment often takes time, even though we look for alignment on three relatively straight-forward dimensions:
- What is the business trying to accomplish?
- What are the needs and insights of the customer?
- How do we deliver on the brand promise within the experience?
By day, Sean Howard works as a Director of Strategy and Innovation at Lift Communications, a brand experience studio in Toronto, Canada. By night, he goes by the name “Craphammer” - a lone blogger vigilante looking to set the marketing world straight. Sean was one of the commenters on our 100th post and we thought we’d extend an invitation to guest post here on Experience Matters. To our delight, Sean agreed to do so and in the process will be adding a couple of posts to our melting pot of voices. But enough about us, let’s hear what Sean, AKA “The Craphammer,” has to say:
There are many stages in a development (and research) process where I believe prototypes are highly effective and powerful parts of our arsenal. However, more than one person has brought up the costs associated with building prototypes and that this cost can preclude their use.
I wondered about this. Are prototypes really that expensive? Or rather, do they have to be?
This is part two of a two-part series where I present a number of ways to implement powerful prototyping methods on-the-cheap.
Re-enactments
We don’t always have to shoot video, build wireframes, snap photos or even design storyboards. Sometimes we can just act out. Dorothy Leonard and Walter Swap devote some time to the power of role playing in their book “When Sparks Fly.”
They speak about how Interval Research had to equip a group of twenty-something researchers to be able to design interfaces for the elderly. They speak of a specific case where the team determined that visiting nursing homes and speaking to those most affected wasn’t enough.
By day, Sean Howard works as a Director of Strategy and Innovation at Lift Communications, a brand experience studio in Toronto, Canada. By night, he goes by the name “Craphammer” - a lone blogger vigilante looking to set the marketing world straight. Sean was one of the commenters on our 100th post and we thought we’d extend an invitation to guest post here on Experience Matters. To our delight, Sean agreed to do so and in the process will be adding a couple of posts to our melting pot of voices. But enough about us, let’s hear what Sean, AKA “The Craphammer,” has to say:
I recently wrote an article discussing prototyping as an important part of research for identifying latent needs. I’ve taken a rather wide view and defined “prototype” as “a preliminary model of something.”
There are many stages in a development (and research) process where I believe prototypes are highly effective and powerful parts of our arsenal. However, more than one person has brought up the costs associated with building prototypes and that this cost can preclude their use.
I wonder about this. Are prototypes really that expensive? Or rather, do they have to be?
This is part one of an article where I present a number of ways to implement powerful prototyping methods on-the-cheap.
Quick Hits
Sites of the Week
What’s DBC? DBC stands for Design by Committee. Did you just shudder?
At Critical Mass, we use a form of design facilitation called Rapid Design Labs (RDLs) as a collaborative method to work with our clients. They help drive out requirements and ideas for solutions and they are great for building trust among the collaborators. I’ll be writing more posts about design facilitation and our RDL method here in coming weeks.
I was about to start a Rapid Design Lab last week when one of the participants complained that he “didn’t believe in Design by Committee”. On the face of it, it seemed like a legitimate concern. After all, everyone knows that DBC is bad, isn’t it? In typical hindsight, here’s what I should have said. Simply, DBC is inevitable on any project with more than two people. DBC is simply human nature. We need a method to embrace it.
And how do we embrace this porcupine? Very carefully ….
Rick Poynor, in his recent I.D. magazine essay “Down with Innovation”, attempts to defend the honor and singular talents of his creative brethren but instead manages only to set up a series of sadly defensive straw men. Like the luddites of the past who railed against encroaching technology, Poynor operates primarily from a place of misunderstanding and fear. Design strategists seek not to replace designers and their work but rather to help both practitioner and practice stretch, grow and–yes, it’s true–evolve in a rapidly changing, customer-driven world. (more…)
So, how do you identify a Canadian in a bar room brawl? He’s the guy who apologizes when you punch him in the face.
In other news, Canadians are now blaming themselves for the state of the environment. According to a survey of 10,000 people conducted by Harris/Decima Research, 76% of people believe the environment will be a dominant issue for years to come and that 74% say that “the current focus is not going far enough”. 82% believe that individuals and industry share the responsibility for protecting the environment equally.
Should it come as a surprise? Maybe. Despite our national obsession with self-blame, similar surveys from the last “Green Wave” in the late 80’s apparently said Canadians thought it was the responsibility of industry to address environmental issues.
So we may be entering a time when individual consumers will start scrutinizing their consumption more closely (again). And before you ask me what this has to do with digital (again) …
… herein lays the opportunity.
Cross posted on Advertising Age
Several weeks ago, approximately 90 people got together in New York City to socialize, network and discuss the future of marketing communications. By the time the weekend was over, many would have established strong bonds that will likely last years. Some will do business together. Others will have made investments that will pay over time. All of them left feeling a sense of “belonging.” And most of them had never met in person prior to the weekend. Sound familiar?
We’re All “Internet Dating” Now
Well, not so much in the romantic sense, but if you’ve ever known someone who has tried dating over the internet they will describe a phenomenon where you spend a considerable amount of time getting to know another person virtually. Even though you’ve never met them before, you feel intimately connected to them through your interactions and communications online. Then one day you actually meet them in person. The “F2FD-Day” (Face to Face Date Day). And you have a million thoughts racing through your mind. Will they be as you envisioned them? Will the relationship be as rewarding as it was online? Will it be better? Or will you be disappointed?
Apr 16, 2008
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Amazing how refreshing a change of scenery is, isn’t it? I spent a good part of last week in Mexico City on business, and the warmth of the people, the refreshing business culture and the great food made it a memorable journey. It’s been a long time since I traveled outside of the United States and Canada and the trip brought back pleasant memories of traveling in the North Pacific, China and Southeast Asia too many years ago. It was also a firm, but friendly reminder of the assumptions that we can make about customers and research.
