The presentation from my talk at “Let’s talk about UX” event organized by Women in Technology, Women Techmakers and GDG Kraków. The presentation is about the discovery phase - a crucial part of the design process.
19. DISCOVERY PHASE
Discovery is an information-gathering process meant to
dig deep into the details of what is important to a client's
business, target audience, and industry.
28. WHY IT’S MISSING
1. No understanding of the importance of this phase = not
enough time or resources devoted to it
2. Common belief among teams (sometimes including designers) -
“We know that…, I think…”
3. Laziness.
29. WHY IT’S MISSING
1. No understanding of the importance of this phase = not enough
time or resources devoted to it
2. Common belief among teams (sometimes including designers)
- “We know that…, I think…”
3. Laziness.
31. WHY IT’S MISSING
1. No understanding of the importance of this phase = not enough
time or resources devoted to it
2. Common belief among teams (sometimes including designers) -
“We know that…, I think…”
3. Laziness.
32. Among many project managers the discovery phase
may be seen as unnecessary extension of the process
and waste of money.
However, they often regret this mistake very quickly.
33. DISCOVERY PHASE DONE WRONG
1. Too much focus on quantitative data
2. Skewed opinions (e.g. from one users group only or from people
within the company)
3. Generating ideas too early (and sticking to them later)
4. No in-depth analysis of a target group (too general persona)
5. Forgetting about the business and technology side of the
discovery
6. …no discovery phase at all.
34. DISCOVERY PHASE DONE WRONG
1. Too much focus on quantitative data
2. Skewed opinions (e.g. from one users group only or from
people within the company)
3. Generating ideas too early (and sticking to them later)
4. No in-depth analysis of a target group (too general persona)
5. Forgetting about the business and technology side of the
discovery
6. …no discovery phase at all.
35. DISCOVERY PHASE DONE WRONG
1. Too much focus on quantitative data
2. Skewed opinions (e.g. from one users group only or from people
within the company)
3. Generating ideas too early (and sticking to them later)
4. No in-depth analysis of a target group (too general persona)
5. Forgetting about the business and technology side of the
discovery
6. …no discovery phase at all.
36. DISCOVERY PHASE DONE WRONG
1. Too much focus on quantitative data
2. Skewed opinions (e.g. from one users group only or from people
within the company)
3. Generating ideas too early (and sticking to them later)
4. No in-depth analysis of a target group (too general persona)
5. Forgetting about the business and technology side of the
discovery
6. …no discovery phase at all.
37. DISCOVERY PHASE DONE WRONG
1. Too much focus on quantitative data
2. Skewed opinions (e.g. from one users group only or from people
within the company)
3. Generating ideas too early (and sticking to them later)
4. No in-depth analysis of a target group (too general persona)
5. Forgetting about the business and technology side of the
discovery
6. …no discovery phase at all.
38. DISCOVERY PHASE DONE WRONG
1. Too much focus on quantitative data
2. Skewed opinions (e.g. from one users group only or from people
within the company)
3. Generating ideas too early (and sticking to them later)
4. No in-depth analysis of a target group (too general persona)
5. Forgetting about the business and technology side of the
discovery
6. …no discovery phase at all.
43. COGNITIVE BIAS
A cognitive bias is a mistake in reasoning, evaluating,
remembering, or other cognitive process, often occurring
as a result of holding onto one's preferences and beliefs
regardless of contrary information.
55. DISCOVERY PHASE - ACTIVITIES
1. Define who your users or potential users are
2. Assess any user feedback or analytics
3. Conduct a competitive analysis
4. If you have a current experience, identify gaps
5. Review your technology environment
6. Ask those people in your organization who have a vested interest in the
experience to specify their requirements.
7. Ensure that all stakeholders agree with the final list of needs, requirements,
and findings
56. DISCOVERY PHASE - ACTIVITIES
1. Define who your users or potential users are
2. Assess any user feedback or analytics
3. Conduct a competitive analysis
4. If you have a current experience, identify gaps
5. Review your technology environment
6. Ask those people in your organization who have a vested interest in the
experience to specify their requirements.
7. Ensure that all stakeholders agree with the final list of needs, requirements,
and findings
57. DISCOVERY PHASE - ACTIVITIES
1. Define who your users or potential users are
2. Assess any user feedback or analytics
3. Conduct a competitive analysis
4. If you have a current experience, identify gaps
5. Review your technology environment
6. Ask those people in your organization who have a vested interest in the
experience to specify their requirements.
7. Ensure that all stakeholders agree with the final list of needs, requirements,
and findings
58. DISCOVERY PHASE - ACTIVITIES
1. Define who your users or potential users are
2. Assess any user feedback or analytics
3. Conduct a competitive analysis
4. If you have a current experience, identify gaps
5. Review your technology environment
6. Ask those people in your organization who have a vested interest in the
experience to specify their requirements.
7. Ensure that all stakeholders agree with the final list of needs, requirements,
and findings
59. DISCOVERY PHASE - ACTIVITIES
1. Define who your users or potential users are
2. Assess any user feedback or analytics
3. Conduct a competitive analysis
4. If you have a current experience, identify gaps
5. Review your technology environment
6. Ask those people in your organization who have a vested interest in the
experience to specify their requirements.
7. Ensure that all stakeholders agree with the final list of needs, requirements,
and findings
60. DISCOVERY PHASE - ACTIVITIES
1. Define who your users or potential users are
2. Assess any user feedback or analytics
3. Conduct a competitive analysis
4. If you have a current experience, identify gaps
5. Review your technology environment
6. Ask those people in your organization who have a vested interest in the
experience to specify their requirements.
7. Ensure that all stakeholders agree with the final list of needs, requirements,
and findings
61. DISCOVERY PHASE - ACTIVITIES
1. Define who your users or potential users are
2. Assess any user feedback or analytics
3. Conduct a competitive analysis
4. If you have a current experience, identify gaps
5. Review your technology environment
6. Ask those people in your organization who have a vested interest in the
experience to specify their requirements.
7. Ensure that all stakeholders agree with the final list of needs,
requirements, and findings
63. DISCOVERY - TECHNIQUES
• Prioritization : e.g. must have / nice to have
• Impact vs. effort
• Qualitative and quantitative data (e.g. Google Analytics and Hotjar data, Intercom
conversations)
• Focus groups
• Business Model Canvas
• Empathy map, personas and proto-personas
• How Might We? (HMW method)
• Usability audit
64. Don’t be afraid of discovery! It’s an adventure, and an
experienced UX designer will go through it as
efficiently and substantively as resources and
timeline allow.