The document describes a Hothouse process which is a 2-3 day focused effort to quickly design the user experience for a new product or feature. It involves iterative creative sprints and design immersion sessions with stakeholders to refine a prototype. The goal is to get stakeholder alignment on an experience that solves business problems while providing a great customer experience before considering technology limitations.

1. Welcome!
www.productcampdc.org
#pcampdc
LinkedIn group: ProductCamp DC
Participate in Your Success
May 5, 2012

2. Thank You to Our Sponsors
2

3. About me: Shardul Mehta
• 17 years building and launching digital products and experiences
• Early career: software developer – Honeywell, First USA Bank
• Did my first start-up in 2000
– Healthcare Application Service Provider (ASP – now called SaaS)
• Small, family business – medical office software
– Product development, product management, marketing
• Now at Capital One: digital product management
• MBA, Tepper Business School, Carnegie Mellon
• B.S., Computer & Information Sciences
shardulmehta@gmail.com
Twitter: @shardulmehta
www.linkedin.com/in/shardulmehta
http://streetsmartproductmanager.com

4. The Problem of Conceptual Design in a Big Company
• Too many stakeholders
• Too many affected parties and vested interests
• Too many opinions
• Too many approvals
• Takes too long!

5. What we really want is
• A CX design that:
– Solves the business problem
– Can be agreed upon by all stakeholders
– Can be used to obtain directional IT feedback
– Can be quickly tested with customers
• Achieved through fast iterative cycles

6. Hothouse
• 2 to 3-day focused effort consisting of a series of
iterative Creative Sprints and Design Immersion
Sessions with key stakeholders
• Focus is on the creating the user experience
– Push the envelope on design
– Don’t be limited by technology, systems, processes,
entrenches business practices
– Stakeholder alignment on a UX that solves the business
problem and provides a great customer experience

7. Sample Agenda
Day 1 Day 2
•08:30 – 09:00 Kickoff: Welcome/Intro •08:30 – 12:00 Creative Sprint #2
•09:00 – 10:00 Business Problem Overview •12:00 – 01:00 Design Immersion Session #2
•10:00 – 12:00 •01:00 – 04:00 Creative Sprint #3
•Walk-Through Existing Prototype
•04:00 – 05:00 Final Design Immersion
•Share VOC Feedback
Sessions
•Feedback/Direction from Judges
•05:00 – 05:15 Closing (next steps)
•12:00 – 04:00 Creative Sprint #1
•04:00 – 05:00 Design Immersion Session #1
• Creative Sprints: team takes the feedback from the judges to produce the next iteration of the
prototype
• Design Immersion Sessions: team demos the latest iteration for stakeholder feedback
• Lunches will be working sessions

8. The Hothouse process fosters intense and focused solution
development
People Agenda
• 1 Business / Product Lead •Business problem overview
Hothouse
• 1 CX Lead •Existing prototype & VOC review
• 2-4 UI Designers •Iterations
x2
• 1-2 IT/Engineering Leads •Prototype demonstrations
•Feedback / Judging Daily
demonstration
INPUTS CREATIVE OUTPUTS
Confidence Level 50%+ SPRINTS Confidence Level 80%
Prototype
Creation Agreed upon solution with
•Biz Problem Prototype
stakeholders
•Prototype demonstration Working demonstrable prototype
•VOC Feedback Knowledge
Prioritized user stories
share Identification of impacted
Trade-offs
systems and organizations
agreed
All stakeholders fully represented
Constant stakeholder involvement
BENEFITS Rapid incorporation and iteration through feedback
High level of innovation & collaboration
Improving faster time to market

9. Participants represent a cross-section of the roles, levels,
organizations and disciplines involved in the delivery process
Role Type What Who
Facilitator Manage overall event Facilitates the Hothouse process
Assess solutions, Relevant stakeholders, typically executive and senior
Judges
provide feedback management level folks
Business Articulate business
Business / Product Lead
Intent problem
Customer Demo existing prototype
Product Manager / CX Lead
Experience & VOC
1 Business / Product Lead
Develop the best
Team customer experience 1 CX Lead
Members solution to solve the 2-4 UI Designers
business problem.
1-2 IT/Engineering Leads (e.g., Architect, Tech Lead)
• Lifeline resources: designated individuals from dependent departments available as “phone-a-
friend” resources (e.g., Legal, Compliance, Fraud, Brand, etc.)

10. Principles of a Successful Hothouse
• Close collaboration
• Rapid prototyping
• Focus on the user experience
• Working team same as those responsible for delivery
• Executive commitment
• Same judges at every Design Immersion Session
– Delegates are empowered to make decisions on their behalf
• Plenty of energy suppliers!

11. Benefits of Hothouse
• Direct stakeholder involvement – immediate feedback
• Stakeholder consensus on:
– Understanding of business problem
– Proposed solution
• Alignment by all parties on potential high-level IT
impacts and delivery trade-offs
• Clarity for delivery team

12. Hothouse
Combines rapid prototyping with executive
level decision making to quickly reach
consensus on key customer experiences

13. www.producampdc.org
Twitter #pcampdc
LinkedIn group: ProductCamp DC
shardulmehta@gmail.com
Twitter: @shardulmehta
www.linkedin.com/in/shardulmehta
http://streetsmartproductmanager.com