10. An effective and
actionable means to build
strong relationships
across mixed client/
agency teams.
Whatwefound...
Monday, April 8, 13
11. A natural fit with our
working style, and a
great way to invite
clients into our culture.
Whatwefound...
Monday, April 8, 13
12. A way to get clients out
of their typical
environment and
engaging across internal
walls.
Whatwefound...
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13. A means to create shared
ownership in envisioning
new products, services
and digital platforms.
Whatwefound...
Monday, April 8, 13
14. 1. What does new product X look like when you login?
2. How can we reinvent this customization tool?
3. What is the new homepage experience on site Y?
4. How can a new search and directory tool help
connect people?
5. How can we create a social shopping experience on
this eCommerce product page?
How we’re using collaborative design:
Monday, April 8, 13
16. How it Works
Present CritiqueSketch Refine/Repeat
321 4
Group provides
positive and negative
feedback
Steal the best ideas –
incorporate feedback
and refine concepts
Present ideas to your
group from a user-
focused POV
Generate ideas
through quick rounds
of sketching
Monday, April 8, 13
17. • Generate eight ideas in 8 minutes – they should be
distinct concepts, and can be very rough.
• Present & Critique with your group – 5 minutes each.
Round 1
Monday, April 8, 13
18. • Steal the best ideas from your group – combine them
into 4 refined concepts, with a little more detail, in 10
minutes.
• Present & Critique with your group – 5 minutes each.
Round 2
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19. • Collaborative Design – Divide & conquer to deepen
one concept, incorporating the best elements by
working together for 20-30 minutes.
• Present & Critique with the entire group, 5 minutes
per team – vote on leading concepts.
Round 3
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20. • Creates shared understanding around the design
challenges, user needs and functional scope.
• Produces leading design patterns through iteration
and consensus building.
Why it works:
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22. Foster a sense of
ownership,
investment and
deepen engagement
with partners.
Create a common
language and frame
of reference around
the product, unite
collaborators.
2
Functional Emotional
1
Why Collaborative Design?
Monday, April 8, 13
27. • Research informs well-defined design challenges.
• Background is presented at the beginning of the
workshop.
• Participants break into teams of 4 or 5 for three rapid
rounds of sketching, presentation and critique and
then refine ideas.
• The whole group gathers together after the third
round to regroup and build consensus.
Overview of the Workshop
Monday, April 8, 13
28. Tips: Sketching
Everyone can sketch!
It’s about quantity
NOT quality.
Focus on getting the
idea down on paper,
then refine.
Monday, April 8, 13
29. • Persona-first thinking should always lead
presentation of designs.
• It’s about selling a concept and getting to the best
solutions through collaboration.
• The art of critique – focus on articulating the
strengths and weaknesses of each and every design
solution.
Tips: Presentation & Critique
Monday, April 8, 13
30. • Aligning stakeholders on priority and scope.
• Exploring a problem space from a user-focused
perspective.
• Educating collaborators on how context impacts a
person’s needs, and what to expect from our iterative
product design process.
• Working through internal politics, agendas, bad
ideas and constraints.
What its great for:
Monday, April 8, 13
31. • A simple brainstorming method you can run on-the-
fly in an hour – it requires investment and
preparation.
• A means to identifying a fleshed-out approach to
implementation.
• A decision-making tool – consensus is different than
approval.
What its not:
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32. • Scheduling is a challenge – getting a group of
stakeholders in a room to sketch for six hours is
sometimes not so easy.
• Environment is essential – table space, ambient
music, healthy nourishment and the right leader.
• Preparation – a well-framed set of challenges is
essential in addition to a solid understanding of the
participants roles & relationships.
What it takes:
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34. People-focused Research
Understanding not only user behavior across context, but also
needs and behaviors of internal stakeholders is essential.
Monday, April 8, 13
35. Frame the Challenge
Sketching is uncomfortable enough, without a clearly defined
challenge your participants will struggle to dig-in.
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36. Provide some Inspiration
Thought-starters should be easily accessible by each
participant as they hit mental blocks – a look at competitors
and innovators can help ignite creative sparks.
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37. Moderation & Critique
A strong leader to guide the session is an essential component
– to both keep the loudest voice in the room in check and
encourage participants to push their critique.
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41. Journey Workshops:
Take an immersive
step-by-step journey
into a problem space,
discover thoughts,
feelings, needs and
constraints across
contexts.
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50. Competitive Analysis:
What other solutions
are out there in the
problem space?
What’s working, and
what isn’t? Where do
opportunities exist?
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51. Explore Paradigms:
Look for inspiration in
a completely different
problem space, think
about how divergent
paradigms could lead
to opportunity.
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52. Outline Thought
Starters:
How would you begin
to tackle this
challenge? What are
the most fertile
dimensions of the
problem space?
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53. Ambience + Setup:
Comfortable seating
for groups is a must,
music helps stimulate
creativity – make sure
to stock up on
supplies to set
participants up for
success.
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55. • Push your understanding of critique with each new
session – read up on methods and best practices.
• Practice makes perfect – the more time spent in
critique the better equipped you’ll be to lead it.
Practice Critique.
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56. • Get to know your participants ahead of time – what
are their goals, needs and personal agendas?
• If you don’t have a chance to interview participants,
take the time to understand their role &
responsibilities.
Foster Alignment + Buy-in.
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57. • Keep pushing for more time and participants – the
more diverse the disciplines the better the output.
• Articulate the value of the collaborative session, why
its worth an investment, and what you’ll come out
with.
Diversify + Excite.
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62. The work has just
begun.
Collaborative design
is a great starting
point and exploration
tool, but it requires
further definition and
follow-through.
Monday, April 8, 13
64. Solutions will evolve.
At the end of a
session it can feel as if
the solution is
obvious, but evolution
is inevitable as the
solutions are defined
& refined.
Monday, April 8, 13
67. 1. Regroup with participants to review the output and
conversation that happened in each round.
2. Articulate the leading design patterns that emerged.
3. Produce a readout deck to circulate with the team.
4. Include photos of people sketching, presenting and
photograph work output.
5. Position the work alongside next steps – be it
wireframes, annotated sketches or other
documentation.
After a session...
Monday, April 8, 13
68. This is just the beginning. The possibilities of this
methodology are vast – let’s continue to explore the
approach and push its boundaries.
Monday, April 8, 13