Whether you work in-house or at a design studio, it can be a struggle to get your clients to think more like designers—while at the same time encouraging your team to understand the value those clients provide to your design process. This talk is about how to craft successful (and fun) collaborative design sessions for your designers and internal clients. It was delivered by Principal Designer David Sherwin at the HOW Design Conference on Saturday, June 25th, 2011.

1. Making Clients Part of the Design Process
David Sherwin / t:@changeorder
HOW DESIGN CONFERENCE | JUNE 25, 2011

2. Introduction
Trying
to work
From Nick Walker / HoveringArtDirectors.com
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 05/09/11 2

3. Introduction
This is a talk about how to
build trust between designers
and clients through
facilitated collaboration.
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 05/09/11 3

4. Introduction
Collaboration:
When clients and designers
work together as equals
towards a shared goal
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 05/09/11 4

5. Introduction
Like this:
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 05/09/11 5

6. 01: Why collaborate with my clients?

7. Why collaborate with clients?
It was in the design brief?
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 7

8. Why collaborate with clients?
email conversation
face-to-face meeting
proposal
scope of work
It was in the design brief
discovery meeting
stakeholder interview
customer shadowing
late-night IM brainstorm
video chat
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 8

9. Why collaborate with clients?
email conversation
face-to-face meeting
proposal
scope of work
It was in the design brief
discovery meeting
stakeholder interview
customer shadowing
late-night IM brainstorm
video chat
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 9

10. Why collaborate with clients?
email conversation
face-to-face meeting
proposal
scope of work
It was in the design brief
discovery meeting
stakeholder interview
customer shadowing
late-night IM brainstorm
video chat
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 10

11. Why collaborate with clients?
What information
does your team lack
to make this project
successful?
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12. Why collaborate with clients?
Did you know:
What needed to be made?
Why it needed to be made?
How it would be made?
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 12

13. TEXT
WATCH
EMAIL
CALL
READ
Did you really grok
the complexity at hand?
PLAY
STATUS CHAT
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14. Were you operating across
cultures and industries
you didn’t understand?
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15. Why collaborate with clients?
Collaborating with clients can
sometimes be the only reason
a project succeeds.
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 15

16. Why collaborate with clients?
And we can design situations
that yield necessary information
for projects in a playful way.
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17. Why collaborate with clients?
This extends beyond projects
to encourage belief and sustain
great working relationships.
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 17

18. 02: How should I collaborate with clients?

19. How should I collaborate with clients?
COLLABORATE EARLY:
Determine where clients can help
well before you start designing.
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20. How should I collaborate with clients?
COLLABORATE DEEPLY:
Invite clients into the process—
rather than let them dictate it.
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21. How should I collaborate with clients?
At project inception: During discovery: Kicking o design:
• Setting constraints • Making sense of data • Brainstorming ideas
• Aligning on goals • Creating empathy • Establishing criteria
• Understanding fears • Identifying oppty’s
• Cataloguing biases
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22. How should I collaborate with clients?
COLLABORATE EFFECTIVELY:
Maximize the time you have.
Make the work not feel like work.
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23. How should I collaborate with clients?
COLLABORATE HONESTLY:
Relate to clients as people first.
Don’t be design robots.
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 23

24. How should I collaborate with clients?
Clients
Designers
Customers
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25. How should I collaborate with clients?
Clients Designers
Custome
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26. How should I collaborate with clients?
Clients Designers
Customers
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27. Why do design projects fail?
You’re not designing for the client.
You’re designing with them
to best reach their customers.
(Sometimes, we forget this…)
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 27

28. 03: How should I prepare a collaboration?

29. How should I prepare a collaboration?
1. Know your goal
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30. How should I prepare a collaboration?
Goals for client collaboration
aid us in determining what
should be designed…
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31. How should I prepare a collaboration?
…by exploring what our clients
and customers desire, and why.
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32. How should I prepare a collaboration?
GOAL: WHAT
INPUTS DO I NEED TO OUTPUTS
DISCOVER?
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33. How should I prepare a collaboration?
CLIENTS ACTIVITY TO INFORMATION
DESIGNERS FACILITATE IDEAS
QUESTIONS DISCOVERY CRITERIA
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 33

34. How should I prepare a collaboration?
FIRST, KNOW THIS: THEN, DETERMINE THIS:
Uncover why Create what
customers are customers
frustrated with want from our
our new products company next
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 34

35. How should I prepare a collaboration?
FIRST, KNOW THIS: THEN, DETERMINE THIS:
Establish criteria Make 12 amazing
by which our design concepts
design work your client will
will be judged slavishly adore
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 35

36. How should I prepare a collaboration?
Agree with your client to
the goal of any collaboration.
Work your plan and activities back from this.
ACTIVITY ACTIVITY ACTIVITY ACTIVITY
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 36

37. How should I prepare a collaboration?
“Our goal for this session:
generate 3 new strategies for
advertising on our website.”
? ? ? ?
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 37

38. How should I prepare a collaboration?
1. Know your goal
2. Create an arc
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 38

39. How should I prepare a collaboration?
Goal: “Generate 3 new
strategies for advertising
on our website.” PART 4:
EVALUATE
PART 3:
SHOOT THE MOON
END
PART 2:
START INTO THE DEEP END
PART 1:
THE WINDUP
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 39

40. How should I prepare a collaboration?
How should your
client feel during the
collaboration session?
REALISTIC
EUPHORIC
END
EXCITED
START
NERVOUS
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 40

41. How should I prepare a collaboration?
8:30 AM • Quick intros & bios
PART 1: • Re-present agenda sent in advance
THE WINDUP • Establish the “pool rules”
MINGLE INTROS ICEBREAKER EX
Light, fun, kill the nervousness
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 41

42. How should I prepare a collaboration?
10:00 AM • Build trust
PART 2: • Explain why the exercise works
INTO THE DEEP END • Use lunch as a time to present work
WORKING
EXERCISE 1 EX
LUNCH
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43. How should I prepare a collaboration?
1:00 PM • As people loosen up, they can work harder
PART 3: • Keep clients in their group, rotate designers
SHOOT THE MOON • Don’t lose momentum!
G MINI-
EXERCISE 2 EXERCISE
BREAK
Build o the output from #1
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 43

44. How should I prepare a collaboration?
NI- NEXT
EXERCISE 3 EVALUATE
EAK STEPS
The last experience defines the whole
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45. How should I prepare a collaboration?
3:00 PM • Establish criteria for evaluating design ideas
PART 4: • Apply criteria to most-liked ideas over the day
EVALUATE • Outline what happens next with the output
NEXT RECAP CREATIVE D
EVALUATE
STEPS OF DAY BRIEF
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 45

46. Know when evaluation
should be silent or active.
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47. How should I prepare a collaboration?
1. Know your goal
2. Create an arc
3. Plan your activities
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48. How should I prepare a collaboration?
At project inception:
• Worst Fears
• Goal Setting
• Press Release
• Design Your Own!
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49. Worst Fears
photo 5673173163 by swanksalot / CC share remix license on flickr
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50. Goal Setting
photo 3294421417 by centralasian / CC share remix license on flickr
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51. Press Release
photo 5696004915 by thomasleuthard / CC share remix license on flickr
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 51

52. How should I prepare a collaboration?
At project inception: During discovery:
• Worst Fears • What Customer?
• Goal Setting • Scavenger Hunt
• Press Release • Brand Thermometer
• Design Your Own! • Design Your Own!
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 52

53. What Customer?
photo 5582403746 by toddle_email_newsletters / CC share remix license on flickr
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54. Section title text
Scavenger Hunt
cc share remix license / photo by W.A. Djatmiko, wikimedia
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55. Brand Thermometer
photo 3842203154 by ladykeli / CC share remix license on flickr
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 55

56. How should I prepare a collaboration?
At project inception: During discovery: Kicking o design:
• Worst Fears • What Customer? • 100 Uses
• Goal Setting • Scavenger Hunt • Photo Collage
• Press Release • Brand Thermometer • Interface Bingo
• Design Your Own! • Design Your Own! • Design Your Own!
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 56

57. 100 Uses
photo 2997879253 by mugley / CC share remix license on flickr
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 57

58. Photo Collage
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59. Interface
Bingo
photo 2828528741 by Samuel Mann / CC share remix license on flickr
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 59

60. How should I prepare a collaboration?
1. Know your goal
2. Create an arc
3. Plan your activities
4. Exploit group dynamics
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 60

61. How should I prepare a collaboration?
Shift between group sizes
and work styles:
Working individually, Working in the round, Group discussion
in parallel role-playing
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62. How should I prepare a collaboration?
See the recap at:
EnergyThinkIn.frogdesign.com
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63. Section title text
04: How do I facilitate a collaboration?

64. How do I facilitate a collaboration?
3 simple guidelines:
1. You can’t participate if you’re the facilitator
2. Don’t let time slip away!
3. If it’s not working, be willing to change the plan
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 64

65. 05: Parting thoughts

66. Parting thoughts
Computers are the frenemies
of group collaboration.
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 66

67. Parting thoughts
1 hour of collaboration =
8 hours of preparation
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68. Parting thoughts
Test every activity at least twice
before using it with a client.
(Over time, you’ll have a trove of proven activities to use.)
Making Clients Part of the Design Process 06/25/11 68

69. Parting thoughts
Collaboration doesn’t stop
after the collaboration session.
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70. Parting thoughts
“The best leave-behind
is the evangelist.”
—Hans Gerwitz, Technology Director, frog
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71. Parting thoughts
Will you collaborate
with your clients
on your next project?
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72. Parting title text
Section thoughts
“We want a bigger laser.
Can you make the laser bigger?”
01: Why collaborate with clients?
photo 3528754669 by hawee / CC share remix license on flickr

73. Parting thoughts
“Whew, that was a lot of fun!
We got tons done…”
photo 2432922028 by tabitum / CC share remix license on flickr

74. Say hello:
t: @changeorder
e: david.sherwin@frogdesign.com
b: changeorderblog.com
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