How UX researchers can craft a balance between interactive agency and end client demands.

1. Working in Harmony
with Product
,
Stakeholders, Interactive
Agencies and Research
Charles Wiedenhoft
Red Door Interactive
Danaus Chang
AnswerLab
June 22, 2011
1

2. Introduction
• Challenge
• Keys to Success
• G l
Goal
Make sure everyone
#wins in the end.
2

3. Charles Wiedenhoft Danaus Chang
Director of Business Planning & Director, Client Solutions
Optimization
Email: charles@reddoor.biz Email: danaus@answerlab.com
@chastwied @AnswerLab
• Nearly 12 years experience in digital media, • Lead mobile client engagements:
usability and user experience design Google, FedEx, Yahoo!, ESPN
• Focus on the social web and transactional • Background in quantitative and
interfaces qualitative research methods
• Driven to make it easier for people to
• 10+ years experience delivering
accomplish goals and create experiences
that surprise and delight. consumer insights.
Fun Fact: Getting back to the South brings back Fun Fact: Danaus takes pictures of almost
memories spending summer days swimming every meal
with Alligators.
3

4. Definitions
• Product Stakeholder
• Interactive Agency
• R
Research T
h Team
(company or division)
Quick Poll
Poll…
Which best describes you?
4

5. What We Are All Thinking
How do I get the How do I balance
best result within user f db k with
feedback ith How do I help make
the timeline and creative concept this product the best
budget I have? and control costs? it can possibly be?
Product Stakeholder Interactive Agency Research Team
5

6. Potential Outcomes if One Perspective
Dominates the Project
• Product Stakeholders
• Interactive Agency
• Research Team
6

7. Most Importantly…
Importantly
• Keep everyone working in harmony
• Focus on the key goals
7

8. Case Study
8

9. Case Study: Redesign Retail Website
Study • PETCO needed site redesign
CO
Overview
• Remote usability
• Inflexible deadlines
Issues
I • N
New working d
ki dynamic i
• Communication challenges
• Conducted pre-kickoff meeting
Solutions • Assigned one client point of contact
• Had group consensus on plan B
• Improved communication 9

10. PETCO Before
10

11. PETCO After
11

12. Best Practices
12

13. Tips & Best Practices: Motivations
• U d t di of everyone’s i di id l
Understanding f ’ individual
motivations
– Get all parties engaged
– Factor frustrations
between parties
13

14. Tips & Best Practices: Consensus
• Come to a group consensus on shared objective
given individual motivations
– Have a kickoff meeting
designed for the
group s
group’s success
– Define and
clarify roles
– Step-by-step project flow,
roles, and responsibilities
14

15. Tips & Best Practices: Shared Vision
• Operate in the project keeping your goals
aligned with shared vision
– P d t St k h ld
Product Stakeholder
– Interactive Agency
g y
– Research Team
– Overall: Encourage
all parties to be engaged
with sessions
ith i
15

16. Tips & Best Practices: Preserve
Relationships
• Don’t piss people off!
16

17. Questions?
17

18. Thank You.
18

19. The world’s leading brands
About AnswerLab partner with AnswerLab
User experience research you can trust
trust.
AnswerLab delivers trusted customer
insights that help the world’s leading brands
world s
build outstanding digital products and
services.
• Exclusively focused on user experience
research, so clients receive independent,
objective insights
• Provide insights into users’ interactions across
digital touch points - web, mobile, tablet
• Valuable experience from working with the
world’s i d t l d
ld’ industry leaders
• Utilize a variety of innovative qualitative and
quantitative research methods
Learn more: Visit www.answerlab.com or call 415-814-9910.
1919

20. About Red Door Interactive
An Internet Presence Management Firm
We help our clients develop smart long-term strategies
for leveraging multiple digital platforms and distribution
channels to acquire customers and build deep and
powerful relationships.
At a Glance
• Offices in San Diego & Denver
• 58 full time employees Dozens of Different Companies with One Thing in Common:
AR l
Relentless D
l Determination to Succeed
i i S d
• Founded in 2002
Brand Promise
• Expert Recommendations
• Transparent Return on Objective
• Proactive Communications
Learn more: Visit www.reddoor.biz or call 619-398-2670.
2020

21. Appendix
21

22. Key Issues
22

23. Key Issues: Product Stakeholders
g y
• Interactive agency resists the research
• Staying involved when the agency is running the project
• Attending every session to get value out of the research
• R
Research supplier might recommend changing more
h li i ht d h i
than you can actually change
• Research supplier might not fully understand the
customers
23

24. Key Issues: Interactive Agency
g
• End client isn’t interested in conducting research
• Staying involved when the end client is running the
project
• Attending a session to get value out of the research vs.
simply viewing th fi l report
i l i i the final t
• Disagreement with the research findings
g g
24

25. Key Issues: Research Team
g
• Different agendas
• Interactive agency wants to modify research results
• Interactive agency is not engaged in the research
• I t
Interactive agency or end client wants to opt out of
ti d li t t t t t f
observing
• Too many cooks in the kitchen
25