The fourth class of a 15 week course in Information Architecture taught at Parsons, the New School for Design. Topics include: Understanding the terms stake, stakeholder, make, maker and how these role intersect in terms of needs. Development of directional and specific measurable goals.

1. Class 4:
Understanding
Stakeholders &
MAkers
Instructor: Abby Covert

2. Last Class we...
2

3. Last Class we...
• Shared our findings from exploring our
problem space’s complexity
2

4. Last Class we...
• Shared our findings from exploring our
problem space’s complexity
• Learned about understanding people and
their needs as users
2

5. Last Class we...
• Shared our findings from exploring our
problem space’s complexity
• Learned about understanding people and
their needs as users
• Admitted our assumptions
2

6. Last Class we...
• Shared our findings from exploring our
problem space’s complexity
• Learned about understanding people and
their needs as users
• Admitted our assumptions
• Mapped our potential users and prioritized
them to do further research
2

7. Last Class we...
• Shared our findings from exploring our
problem space’s complexity
• Learned about understanding people and
their needs as users
• Admitted our assumptions
• Mapped our potential users and prioritized
them to do further research
• Assigned some homework, due today!
2

8. Homework Share
3

9. Homework Share
• Each team will have the next 15 minutes to share
with each other the results of their homework
assignment
3

10. Homework Share
• Each team will have the next 15 minutes to share
with each other the results of their homework
assignment
• Make a list as a group of all the things you would like
to do as research.
3

11. Homework Share
• Each team will have the next 15 minutes to share
with each other the results of their homework
assignment
• Make a list as a group of all the things you would like
to do as research.
• Place a * next to the ones you could do in the next
week if I asked you to
3

12. Homework Share
• Each team will have the next 15 minutes to share
with each other the results of their homework
assignment
• Make a list as a group of all the things you would like
to do as research.
• Place a * next to the ones you could do in the next
week if I asked you to
• Place a ** next to those that would take more time
than a week but you feel you could do with what you
have
3

13. I am an
information
architect
I intend to because I believe
make the unclear clear everything is complex
put the what architecture frames
before the how problems, design solves
them
facilitate understanding understanding is
organize meaning, always good but it is
create clarity and equally important to
establish truth not understand
support goals, makers clarity is a
and users prerequisite of truth
by: Abby Covert & Dan Klyn
4

14. I am an
information
architect
I intend to because I believe
make the unclear clear everything is complex
put the what architecture frames
before the how problems, design solves
them
facilitate understanding understanding is
organize meaning, always good but it is
create clarity and equally important to
establish truth not understand
support goals, makers clarity is a
and users prerequisite of truth
by: Abby Covert & Dan Klyn
4

15. What does
it mean to
have Stake?
5

16. Stake: an interest or
share in an undertaking
or enterprise
Stakeholder: one who is
involved in or affected by
a course of action
6

17. Who makes
the Stake?
7

18. Make:
1. to cause to happen to or be
experienced by someone
2. to cause to exist, occur, or
appear
Maker: a person, company or
machine who makes something
8

19. What do you need
to make stake?
9

20. MAkers Need:
- to understand goals
- To have a clear sense of scope
- To know what is next
Stakeholders Need:
- To set measurable goals
- to understand the implications of scope
- To plan for the future
10

21. Scope: The extent of the
area or subject matter
that something deals with
or to which it is relevant.
11

22. Why is scope
important?
12

23. $$$$$ @ post Launch
d
in
$$$$ M @ Development
ur
Yo
e
$$$ g @ Design
n
a
Ch
to
$$ t @ Concepting
Cos
$ @ Idea
Progress
Made
nasty truth #1
The more progress made, the more
expensive changing your mind becomes
13

24. $$$$$
d
in
M
$$$$
ur
Yo
e
g
$$$ n
a
Ch
to
$$ ct
pa
Im
$
Time and effort spent
nasty truth #2
Great makers care about their work
not just money is at stake
14

25. d
High in
m
e
g
n
a
ch
to
g
in
d
ee
n
of
d
oo
ih
el
ik
L
Low
NONE # of assumptions ALL
operated on
nasty truth #3
The more you operate on assumption, the
more likely you are to change your mind
15

26. Assumptions that are common
16

27. Assumptions that are common
• Complexity Involved: “This is simple...”
16

28. Assumptions that are common
• Complexity Involved: “This is simple...”
• User Needs: “What they need is...”
16

29. Assumptions that are common
• Complexity Involved: “This is simple...”
• User Needs: “What they need is...”
• Resources: “So-n-so knows how to do that...”
16

30. Assumptions that are common
• Complexity Involved: “This is simple...”
• User Needs: “What they need is...”
• Resources: “So-n-so knows how to do that...”
• Money: “Yea, a week should be enough...”
16

31. What eliminates
assumptions so
progress can be
productive?
17

32. Clarity
The quality of
coherence and
intelligibility
&
Consensus
group Solidarity
in sentiment
and belief
18

33. Our focus for the next few
weeks will be
Clarity and Consensus
19

34. Our focus for the next few
weeks will be
Clarity and Consensus
• 10/1: Stakeholder alignment thru directional goals
19

35. Our focus for the next few
weeks will be
Clarity and Consensus
• 10/1: Stakeholder alignment thru directional goals
• 10/8: Measurable Goals & Requirements
19

36. Our focus for the next few
weeks will be
Clarity and Consensus
• 10/1: Stakeholder alignment thru directional goals
• 10/8: Measurable Goals & Requirements
• 10/15: Features & Roadmaps
19

37. Pop Quiz:
What do we
remember from
class 2 about
continuums?
20

38. Performance Continuums
spectrums that can be used to
discuss and align on direction
21

39. What is a Continuum?
This Today Goal THAT
5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5
22

40. Examples of Continuums
² Challenge the old with the new
² Define success differently
² Manage priority and scope
23

41. Example
24

42. Rules of Continuums
25

43. Rules of Continuums
– Create the scales as a group, but rate where
you are at and the goal individually
25

44. Rules of Continuums
– Create the scales as a group, but rate where
you are at and the goal individually
– Avoid negative scales and judgmental
language
25

45. Rules of Continuums
– Create the scales as a group, but rate where
you are at and the goal individually
– Avoid negative scales and judgmental
language
– Try to be timeless, not trendy
25

46. Rules of Continuums
– Create the scales as a group, but rate where
you are at and the goal individually
– Avoid negative scales and judgmental
language
– Try to be timeless, not trendy
– Document the goals you agree to and set up
regular measurement against them
25

47. Attaching measurement
to make specify goals
26

48. Specific Goals should be
S.M.A.R.T so you know if you are
going in the right direction
q Specific
q Measurable
q Achievable
q Relevant
q Time bound

49. Finding the right measures
If you have a question about Examples to be looking at…
If something is effective Completion rates
Whether something is findable Speed to find
People’s Expectations Bounce Rates & Time on Site
Satisfaction Interviews, Surveys, Ask Sales and CSRs
Is enough Information provided? Are people clicking to further information
consistently?
Are people using the path as designed? Click path data
(Courtesy of Richard Dalton)

50. Examples
The Big Questions Planning to measure
Awareness: How do people find out User interviews and Surveys
about us?
Acquisition: Where will our loyal users Surveys, Analytics: Traffic Sources for Repeat Users
be coming from?
Conversion: What is the average time Analytics: Time on site compared to industry averages and
on site for us? What is normal? for loyalty users vs single article users
Action: Will people interact with the Analytics: Click rates on items suggested on article pages
content we suggest they interact with
after reading the entry article?
Loyalty: How will loyalty users differ from Analytics: Compare variety of points across loyalty users
new users? and single article users
Other: How should sharing work? What Surveys, Interviews, Analytics: Track social sharing behavior
do people share? to establish baselines for types of events

51. Two Goal Mad Libs:
<Increase, Decrease or Establish>
_______ by ____% over the next
_______ as measured by ______.
<Increase, Decrease or Establish>
_______ with <audience> over the
next _______ as measured by ______.

52. Example: Specific Goals
Our Goals for the next 6 months
– Establish an average time on site with our loyalty
users of 2+ minutes (matching industry standards
for news sites)
– Produce an average of 100+ unique social media
impressions per month for the news organization
brand
– Increase the likelihood of loyalty users to click of
secondary materials from 10% to 20% through
better content tagging and human curation

53. Common Question
What if we don’t
have enough data?
32

54. Answer
Your goal if you have no data is
to get data And establish what
is called a baseline.
33

55. Other questions?
34

56. Workshop:
Consensus on goals
35

57. Consensus Workshop
• Step 1: Quiet time, everyone write ideas for continuums
you could use to come to consensus on what to make
² Challenge the old with the new
² Define success differently
² Manage priority and scope
36

58. Consensus Workshop
• Step 2: Share what you came up with. Decide on the
ones you like. Choose 3 to 5 and agree where you are
today
This Today THAT
5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5
37

59. Consensus Workshop
• Step 3: Quiet time, individually decide where you think
you should aim for in the future
This Today Goal THAT
5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5
38

60. Consensus Workshop
• Step 4: Discuss your answers, and differences and come
to an agreed to goal on each continuum
39

61. Homework
• As a group: Document your directional goals as continuums
– What are the continuums and why?
– What is your group rating of today’s state?
– What is your group’s goal?
• Please submit your group homework by 6 PM Monday
October 8 via email
• Each of you should additionally come to the next class with
a list of measurable goal ideas to ladder up to the directional
goals. We will be using your homework in class to workshop
40

62. Questions?
CovertA@newschool.edu
@ Abby_The_IA
www.Abbytheia.com