Insights
Blog on UX, design thinking, and workshops. (RSS feed)
Collaboration + Facilitation + Workshops — Austin joins the Design Thinking 101 podcast
In a wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Dawan Stanford, Austin discusses product design, collaboration in design work, challenges that can arise when collaborating, designing within and for systems, workshop design, and collaboration facilitation.
The only three types of meetings you ever need to run
Master meetings by learning how to run three types of meetings. Are you meeting to inform? Answer a question? Or figure something out?
Managing brainstorms for breadth and depth
You have more control of brainstorms than you realize. Use ‘type’ and ‘frame’ to manage the breadth and depth of what teams brainstorm.
The new wave of information architecture
We need information architects again. We need them to design and affect new information environments, at different scales as organizations evolve into new, interaction-centric information environments. We need new information architectures. We need them everywhere. We need them now.
‘Hope’ wakes: Turning UX from profession to movement
If UX is a movement, then every interaction leave a little bit of UX's holistic viewpoint and compassion behind leaves some of UX's hope in your wake.
How do Jobs to Be Done, UX, and Product Management work together?
A big milkshake straw reveals how UX and Product Management work together and why Jobs to Be Done are so critical.
Frame-Facilitate-Finish: the secret structure to better collaboration
Collaboration often focuses on how to facilitate. However, the most important parts of any collaboration are the frame and how you finish.
Information architecture for findability vs. content management
The balance between the org’s needs and user needs means you need to organize content by both type and user path, so you can support both users and the org.
Design thinking as a decision-making process
Design thinking structure and methods counteract group bias and ensure teams make better informed decisions for better outcomes.
Workshop activity: vote with your feet
Looking for dot-voting alternatives? The 'Vote with your feet' workshop activity identifies preferred ideas without alienating outliers.
Rethinking large workshops
Giant workshops are really about small groups of 6-12. How can we optimize giant workshops to help groups to work together better?
Collaboration is crucial (Experience Design podcast chat)
Tony Daussat graciously had me on his Experience Design podcast to talk about the importance of collaboration (very!).
Facilitation pro tips: Rules for sketching on whiteboards and flipcharts
If you're drawing on a whiteboard or flip chart in front of a group, keep these tips in mind.
UX clients from hell
UX isn't about answers. It's about the right questions. When someone suggests you're an impostor, look for the right question.
UX Principles for the Design Age
In the Design Age where teams create products faster than they can think, it's the team adopt new ways of working.
The horror that lurks within the Internet of Things
That the Internet of Things, a thousand enchanted objects, would unleash a thousand tiny horrors isn't so far-fetched.
Focus on outcomes for better UX meetings
Organize your meetings around outcomes. At the end of the meeting, what do you want to walk out with?
Understanding taxonomy
Andy Fitzgerald's presentation, "Taxonomy for App Makers", doubles as a solid exploration into taxonomy as a concept. The presentation audio has been synched with the slides.
The 'Only' statement: focus on your project's key goals
An Only statement keeps your team focused on a project's main goal and audience as well as what makes your project special.
Move your practice from service to colleague
Last March at the IA Summit, Christina Wodtke grabbed myself and Livia Labate for a quick discussion about how information architects can better interface with the business. The interview is up at Boxes and Arrows.