Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
Implementing LeanUX:
The practical guide to lean user
experience
John Whalen
UX Lead & Founder, Brilliant Experience
VP, UXPA-DC
#leanux #uxpa2013@johnwhalen

Welcome to
SUNNY
Washington, DC

Welcome to
SUNNY
Washington, DC

Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
Meet Brilliant Experience
User Insights Strategy & Ideation User Experience

John tell me more about yourself,
it is all so fascinating!

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Agenda
‣ Introduction to Lean UX
‣ Most successful Lean UX Pattern for Startups and Enterprise
‣ Secrets to implementing Lean UX (Strategy is the secret sauce)
‣ Common challenges and questions
‣ Leave after lunch for Segway tour of Washington

Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
We find that many clients:
- know they’ve got a market for a product
- have limited UX/design capabilities
- were developing something that users didn’t really want
- need to move faster, (not slower) while introducing UX

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How do we “cross the chasm”?
User Insights
Great Experience,
Successful Product
Insert
Magical
Process
Here

Not recommended

Hard to find

Try this

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To help you understand what “this” is,
let’s play ‘Name that Methodology’

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1 2 3 4
Empathize with
the audience you
are designing for.
Brainstorm
possible designs
Build a representation
of one or more of your
ideas
PrototypeIdeateResearch
Test your ideas for
feedback
Test

Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
Empathize with
the audience you
are designing for.
Brainstorm
possible designs
Build a representation
of one or more of your
ideas
PrototypeIdeateResearch
Test your ideas for
feedback
Test
Design
Thinking
1 2 3 4

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Design Thinking

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Build
1
Measure
2
Learn
3

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Build
1
Measure
2
Learn
3
Lean
Startup

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Lean Startup

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User Stories
1
Design &
Develop
2
Feedback
3

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User Stories
1
Design &
Develop
2
Feedback
3
Agile

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Agile

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What about LeanUX?

LeanUX...

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LeanUX...

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Two key points

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1. Must balance business & user needs

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2. Iteration improves the product

That’s all swell John, but what was
common to LeanUX solutions for
startups and large enterprises?

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The secret lies in the strategy
#leanux #uxpa2013@johnwhalen

Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
Getting strategy right helped to properly frame
all the subsequent rapid design work.

Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
Get internal focus on
what matters and
prioritize business
goals.
Prioritize your
audiences, define
them and the
scenarios in which
they would use your
product.
Brainstorm ways to
satisfy 1 & 2.
IdeationAudience NeedsBusiness Needs
Flesh out best ideas.
Get stakeholders on
board with conceptual
model.
Sketching
Strategy Session
1 2 3 4

CEO: I know you had an agenda, but
let’s just sketch our ideas anyway...

Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
Warm Up: Elevator Pitch
For
who
UXPA is a
that
Unlike
UXPA
(target customer),
(customer need),
(market category)
(one key benefit).
(competition),
(unique differentiator).

Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
Warm Up: Elevator Pitch
For
who
UXPA is a
that
Unlike
UXPA
(target customer),
(customer need),
(market category)
(one key benefit).
(competition),
(unique differentiator).
UX Pros
idea
Students Sponsors
Prof Dev Education
Networking
Collaboration
Professional
Org
Bring people
together
One stop
shop
Support the
profession
SIG CHI
IxDA

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Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
Business Goals

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Business Goals for _____________
‣ Write down business goals independently
‣ Prioritize through collaborative discussion
‣ Examples:
- Make us all rich! Ka ching!
- Totally wow users!
- Create (opportunity) that provides great value to customers.
- Drive (user behavior) by (strategic design goal). text
text
text

Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
LeanUX Secret 1:
Get the stakeholders aligned on prioritized business goals.
#leanux #uxpa2013@johnwhalen

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Personas

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Prioritize Personas

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LeanUX Secret 2:
Prioritize personas.
#leanux #uxpa2013@johnwhalen

Just a quick sketch

No detailed persona exercise.
This is LeanUX!

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LeanUX Secret 3:
Sketch personas, don’t over think them.
#leanux #uxpa2013@johnwhalen

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Scenarios & Journey Mapping

What motivates your persona?

What motivates your personas?

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LeanUX Secret 4:
Focus on the experience journey.
#leanux #uxpa2013@johnwhalen

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Ideation & Sketching

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Quantity over visual
quality. The more
ideas the better.
Sell your concept to
the group.
Using prioritized user
scenarios and
business needs.
CritiquePresentIdeate
Creatively based on
feedback.
Refine
The Process
1 2 3 4

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LeanUX Secret 5:
Debate design direction alternatives early in the process.

• Agreed&upon&conceptual&
direc0on&
• Include&wall&with&pictures&
• Liked&that&this&would&vary&
between&user’s&stated&
interests&and&related&things&
(think&Pandora)&
• Like&the&faces.&&Need&to&
include&way&to&acknowledge&
new&members&
• Need&to&emphasize&who&has&
viewed&your&profile,&or&liked&
your&content&

Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
LeanUX Secret 6:
Develop conceptual model with stakeholders, not the design.

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Rapidly Iterate Design

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Rapidly Iterate Design

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LeanUX Secret 7:
Rapidly iterate design.
#leanux #uxpa2013@johnwhalen

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Rapidly Iterate Design
Rapidly iterate (all of this in a week),
but share/test with stakeholders, potential users, etc.

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LeanUX Secret 8:
Share broadly. Be attentive to internal feedback.
#leanux #uxpa2013@johnwhalen

Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
Usability Testing

63

64
Why is this
empty?
What is a past
hosted events?
Why is the nav so
complicated?
Feels awfully beige
for a fun app.
Is this where I
start?
How do
explore
features and
FAQ differ?
Will drafts show invitations
or greetings or polls?

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More Content, Less Navigation

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Rapidly Iterate & Test
What are you using?

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LeanUX Secret 9:
Test continuously.
#leanux #uxpa2013@johnwhalen

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User Experience Design

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Design Matters

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LeanUX Secret 10:
Take the time to produce brilliant experiences
(by not trying to accomplish too much)
#leanux #uxpa2013@johnwhalen

Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
Common challenges to LeanUX

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Things we don’t recommend:
- The “genius designer” mentality within the UX Team
- Only periodic design / development interaction
- The executive swoop down (aka hijack)
- The anti-cheerleader who says “No we can’t!”

Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
Let’s Review

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LeanUX Secrets
1. Get the stakeholders aligned on prioritized business goals.
2. Prioritize personas.
3. Sketch personas, don’t over think them.
4. Focus on the experience journey.
5. Debate design direction alternatives early in the process.
6. Develop conceptual model with stakeholders, not the design.
7. Rapidly iterate design.
8. Share broadly. Be attentive to internal feedback.
9. Test continuously.
10. Take the time to produce brilliant experiences.

Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
Is he done?

Copyright © 2012-2013 Brilliant Experience
Common Questions
1. Does this work for a company like mine (Startup, Enterprise, Gov, etc.)?
2. What was the composition of the most successful UX teams?
3. How did the process differ between Startups and Large Enterprises?
4. How did the Design Studios work?
5. When/how did you test prototypes with users?
6. How much functional documentation (e.g,. Spec.) did the client need?
7. How does this work in an Agile development process?
8. What are the risks/benefits of a LeanUX approach vs. waterfall?
9. Can you do this on a fixed budget and timeline?

John Whalen
@johnwhalen
User Research Strategy User Experience
BrilliantExperience.com