IROAI » methods

In defense of “making it up as you go along”

IROAI — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:07:14 +0000

“I confess – I’m for it. And I’ll go even further – I think “making it up as you go along” is one of the greatest, and most important processes of any age.

No great explorer set out with a detailed set of explorer guidelines. They adjusted and discovered.

No great inventor set out with a detailed set of inventor guidelines. They experimented and adapted.

No great leader set out with a detailed set of leadership guidelines. Leaders point the way and rally followers when their faith fails.

“Making it up as you go along” means that you recognize a good foothold on your way up a mountain and know how to take advantage of it (in other words, you understand your craft). But you don’t need (literally) a step-by-step instruction book (because you understand your craft). In software development terms, the “step-by-step” equivalent is a requirements specification. Kind of like paint-by-numbers for would-be Rembrandts who don’t yet know that method is incapable of producing genuine art.” (Eric Reiss)

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Where business analysis and user experience intersect

IROAI — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:53:12 +0000

The BA must understand the core business needs and express them in clear, concise language (most commonly as formal business requirements). The UX professional must understand the business problem, as well as how customers see it, and then they can begin the real work of making complex products usable and aesthetically pleasing (even fun!), with interfaces that can be used globally and that are accessible by diverse audiences.

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Storyboards, Scenarios, Design Personas

IROAI — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:49:48 +0000

Storyboards use little detail to communicate an idea. Developing a persona moving through a scenario helps the design team bridge the contexts of development and use. Patterns of behavior in the context of social settings gain a stake alongside functional requirements and demographic abstraction. And on a simpler level the storyboard is ideal for instructions and illustrating simple interaction.

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Curs de Arhitectura Informatiei

IROAI — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:33:28 +0000

Dan Klyn preda arhitectura informatiei la University of Michigan School of Information. Clientii sai includ: Incorrect Music, Lumber Liquidators, Time-Life, ShopAtHomeTV, American Girl, TJ Maxx, Artistry Cosmetics, Rose Brand, British Virgin Islands Tourism Board, Costa Del Mar, Tobacco-Free Florida, SIGGRAPH, Ross School of Business, NOOMA and world-famous folk music venue The Ark.

Link to slides (English)

New book: A Practical Guide to Information Architecture

IROAI — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:08:36 +0000

“If you’re a website designer, intranet manager or someone without much Information Architecture experience, this book answers all those questions you were afraid to ask.

Drawing on her many years experience of practising and teaching Information Architecture, Donna Spencer guides you through some simple steps to better IA and leaves you feeling empowered and able to run your own IA projects. Whether it’s organising content, providing clear descriptions or ways for people to get to them, this book is armed with practical advice and examples.” Five Simple Steps | Free Sample (PDF)

The Ten Commandments of User Experience

IROAI — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:27:05 +0000

The Ten Commandments Of User Experience

View more presentations from Nick Finck.

Laban Movement Analysis for User Experience Design

IROAI — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:14:17 +0000

Laban Movement Analysis provides a language for notating and documenting physical movement—mostly for dance choreography, but in acting as well. Its purpose is to document specific movements in dance. There are three aspects of Laban Movement Analysis that my experience and research tell me have some interesting implications for UX design:

Effort Actions—which categorize the ways people perform actions and their intentions, based on weight, time, space, and flow
Body—which connects the structure and physical characteristics of the body in motion and how they interact
Shape—which describes the ways in which the body changes shape during movement, in relationship to the environment in which motion takes place

Traci Lapore for UX Matters (via BogieZero)

The UX Team Kit

IROAI — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 12:08:39 +0000

A Kit For Building User Experience Teams in R&D Organizations

View more presentations from Paul Sherman.

The UX Canon

IROAI — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:34:52 +0000

The UX Canon according to Will Evans (with help from Dave Malouf)

Live at Interaction10

IROAI — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:41:51 +0000

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

(from Johnny Holland)