Leisa Reichelt: "Operating in Context" DesignOps Summit 2018 • November 7-8, 2018 • New York, NY http://www.designopssummit.com

1. LEISA REICHELT | HEAD OF RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS, ATLASSIAN | @LEISA
OperatinginContext
or,theincrediblefreedomofknowingyouarealmostcertainlywrong

3. “
I am not young enough to
know everything
OSCAR WILDE
@LEISA

4. Every organisation is unique
@LEISA

5. IT DEPENDS
@LEISA

6. THERE IS
NO SILVER
BULLET
@LEISA

7. BEST
PRACTICE IS
UNRELIABLE
@LEISA

9. Government Digital Service (GDS)
UK Government, London

13. Universal audience
Services had to work for
everyone in the community
GDS Context
Experienced
colocated team
Maturity and strong
capability for craft & agile
‘Simple’ transactions
Services were mostly linear
form-based transactions

14. Universal audience
Services had to work for
everyone in the community
GDS Context
Experienced
colocated team
Maturity and strong
capability for craft & agile
‘Simple’ transactions
Services were mostly linear
form-based transactions

15. Universal audience
Services had to work for
everyone in the community
GDS Context
Experienced
colocated team
Maturity and strong
capability for craft & agile
‘Simple’ transactions
Services were mostly linear
form-based transactions
@LEISA

16. HOW COULD WE
SET UP THE
RESEARCHERS TO
SUCCEED?
@LEISA

18. Researchers embedded
in every team
At least one researcher per product team.
At least three days/week
GDS Doctrine
Embedded
Researchers
Research in
every sprint
Research is a
team sport

19. Research in every sprint
One day a fortnight, conduct research with at least 5 users.
Include at least one research participant with particular
access needs in each sprint
Unlock budget planning
GDS Doctrine
Embedded
Researchers
Research in
every sprint
Research is a
team sport

20. Research is a team sport
GDS Doctrine
Embedded
Researchers
Research in
every sprint
Research is a
team sport
Everyone in the team should get at
least two hours every six weeks of
‘exposure hours’
Invest in a well specced research
lab and large observation space to
enable this

24. But, hang on a second….
SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO IS GOOD AT MATH

25. ASK FOR
WHAT YOU
NEED TO
SUCCEED
@LEISA

26. DON’T
NEGOTIATE
BEFORE
YOU GET TO
THE TABLE @LEISA

29. Digital Transformation Agency (DTA)
Australian Government
Sydney / Canberra

30. Parliament House
Photo Credit: Yury Prokopenko

32. @LEISA

33. Distributed teams
Many teams were divided
across two cities and along
policy / delivery lines
DTA Context
Inexperienced team
Many people in the teams
lacked craft and/or agile
experience.
‘Simple’ transactions
Services were mostly linear
form-based transactions

34. Distributed teams
Many teams were divided
across two cities and along
policy / delivery lines
DTA Context
Inexperienced team
Many people in the teams
lacked craft and/or agile
experience.
‘Simple’ transactions
Services were mostly linear
form-based transactions

35. Distributed teams
Many teams were divided
across two cities and along
policy / delivery lines
DTA Context
Inexperienced team
Many people in the teams
lacked craft and/or agile
experience.
‘Simple’ transactions
Services were mostly linear
form-based transactions
@LEISA

36. Consultant Embedded
Researchers
Service designer with experience doing
research from consultancy dedicated to
project team for discovery/alpha
Central guidance (me)
DTA Doctrine
Embedded
Researchers
Everyone does
research
Continuous
research

37. Everyone in the team
does research
Geographic challenges meant the
teams had to ‘divide and conquer’ to
get sufficient representation.
Training and tools to improve
consistency and practice.
DTA Doctrine
Embedded
Researchers
Continuous
Research
Everyone does
research

38. Continuous Research
Research happened in an almost ongoing fashion
Analysed cumulatively on walls
Reported back at Showcase each fortnight
DTA Doctrine
Embedded
Researchers
Continuous
Research
Everyone does
research

40. Empathy Walls

42. GDS
Simple transitions Universal Audience Experienced Team
DTA
Simple transitions Universal Audience Inexperienced Team Distributed Domestic Team
Colocated team
@LEISA

43. Atlassian
SYD / SF / MTV / ATX/ BLR

44. If you think you’re going to
stop us from doing our own
research, you have another
think coming
MANY DESIGNERS AND PRODUCT MANAGERS AT ATLASSIAN

45. Discovery Research
@LEISA

46. Distributed team
Product teams were mostly
colocated but my researchers
were based in five locations
and three timezones.
Atlassian Context
Complex applications
Products were often highly
complex offering wide
ranging functionality and
customisation and could be
used for multiple purposes
‘Confident amateurs’
Many people felt confident with
their research capability and
ways of working (not always
justified).

47. Distributed team
Product teams were mostly
colocated but my researchers
were based in five locations
and three timezones.
Atlassian Context
Complex applications
Products were often highly
complex offering wide
ranging functionality and
customisation and could be
used for multiple purposes
‘Confident amateurs’
Many people felt confident with
their research capability and
ways of working (not always
justified).

48. Distributed team
Product teams were mostly
colocated but my researchers
were based in five locations
and three timezones.
Atlassian Context
‘Confident amateurs’
Many people felt confident with
their research capability and
ways of working (not always
justified).
Complex applications
Products were often highly
complex offering wide
ranging functionality and
customisation and could be
used for multiple purposes

49. Knowledge in field
Confidence
HIGHLOW
LOWHIGH
Huh?
I know everything!
There’s more to this than I thought
I’m never going to understand this
It’s starting to make sense
Trust me, its complicated
Dunning-Kruger effect

50. Suddenly, the only thing I
knew for sure was that
none of my old plays would
work here….
@LEISA

51. Map team activity to Company OKRs.
Have a powerful rationale for the
prioritisation and trade offs we were
making.
Atlassian
Doctrine
Align to
corporate goals
Build capability
Align to Corporate Objectives
User not produce
mindset

52. Pair researchers to support professional
development.
Hire for breadth of experience (prioritise
experience in multiple orgs).
Stretch team through different work
practices
Atlassian
Doctrine
Align to
corporate goals
Build capability
Build capability in inherited team
User not produce
mindset

53. Product Team
Product Team
Product Team
Product Team
Embedded Researchers

54. Product Team
Product Team
Product Team
Product Team
Centralised Strategic
+ Research Advisors / Educators
+ Research Ops

55. Contribute product-agnostic research that
illuminates product-centric blind spots
Encourage triangulation of results and
synthesis of existing sources
Atlassian
Doctrine
Align to
corporate goals
Build capability
User not produce
mindset
Encourage a user not product
centric mindset

57. TOP TASKS
HaTS Usability Benchmark Product Analytics

58. CHOOSE THE
RIGHT HILL(S) TO
DIE ON TODAY.
@LEISA

59. image: Ella Frances Sanders

60. PROBLEMS THAT
MATTER COME
AROUND AGAIN.
@LEISA

61. Quick wins are a over rated if
your organisation values the
wrong things. Bravery and
thick skin may be more useful.
ME

62. Thetruthwill
setyoufree,
butfirstitwill
pissyouoff.
-GloriaSteinem

63. HOW MIGHT YOU
BEST SET YOUR
PEOPLE UP TO
SUCCEED?

64. GDS
Simple transitions Universal Audience Experienced Team
DTA
Simple transitions Universal Audience Inexperienced Team Distributed Domestic Team
Colocated team
ATLASSIAN
Complex Applications Targeted Audiences ‘Confident’ Team Distributed International Team

65. Creativity, Agility, Experimentation
Understand your organisational DNA

66. Sounds cool, but is this idea
really relevant to my context?
YOU (AS YOU LISTEN TO ALL THE GREAT TALKS THIS WEEK)

67. I like when people say a
particular solution "isn't
a silver bullet," because
it implies that the
problem is a werewolf
@jeffparker
http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/Werewolf_Physiology

68. Find your own
way, for your
own context
YOUR ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT?

69. Thankyou
LEISA REICHELT | @LEISA | LREICHELT@ATLASSIAN.COM