Fists with Your Toes - Learning to relax as a UX / BA crossbreed
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A talk I recently gave at UX Camp Brighton (25th March 2017) discussing my role as a User Experience Designer and Business Analyst.
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Fists with Your Toes - Learning to relax as a UX / BA crossbreed
- 1. 1
- 2. • Hello • General introduction • I’m a Business Analyst and User Experience consultant at Amido • SECOND year at UX CAMP • This time last year, I wouldn’t have included the ‘UX Designer’ part in the DESCRIPTION... • For those here last year, there are PROBABLY no STORMTROOPERS this year… 2
- 3. • So here I wasn’t a UXD or a BA • But it was when I did most of my MOVIE watching • Hence the THEME DESIGN of this talk 3
- 4. ’Fists with your toes’ Learning to relax as a UX / BA crossbreed As a Business Analyst / Product Manager I was always ANXIOUS about INCORPORATING UX into my DAY-TO-DAY work. ... • As a NEW YORK COP… • John McClaine is ANXIOUS about to FLYING • This guy tells him how to relax by making ‘fists with your toes’ 4
- 5. THE STORY Ok, so I have STORY for you (LUCKILY it does have an END!) Before working for a CONSULTANCY, worked in many LARGE organisations • At AMAZON - I used BASIC SKETCHES to illustrate concepts • TOLD don’t step on the toes of UXD • “It’s not your place” • “Stick to user stories!!” • This STARTED my anxiety However… • At the TIME I wasn't TRYING to be a UXD • I used them to help me DEFINE FEATURES • And to visually explain CONCEPTS to stakeholders So, I’m here to… • Talk about my JOURNEY to incorporate UXD more FORMALLY 5
- 6. • How I became a CROSSBREED • The benefits of a COMBINED role • TIPS for you to take away • FIRST LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ROLES 5
- 7. EVERY PROJECT HAS A TEAM • DON”T READ à Criminal, athlete, basket case, business analyst, user experience designer. • Or something CLOSE to this • DIFFERENT in different companies and projects. • Sometimes don’t have the LUXURY of UX and BA on one project. • In that case (as with a MEDIUM sized consultancy) often there is a UX BA role. LETS START BY LOOKING AT THE TWO ROLES INDIVIDUALLY 6
- 8. WHAT DOES A BA DO? (ALSO coincidentally, like John McClaine…. DOESN’T LIKE TO FLY) • Provides the LINK between the stakeholder (who knows what they want) • And the DEVELOPER… who can make that a REALITY How? • INTERVIEWING stakeholders (and ongoing discussion) • Gathering REQUIREMENTS • Writing USER STORIES • What is a requirement? • A set of THINGS that they want the property TO DO • What is a user story? • A way of DESCRIBING that and trying to eliminate SURPRISES Overall • Concerned with GENERATING VALUE to the business 7
- 10. WHAT DOES A USER EXPERIENCE DESIGNER DO? • Well, they are SUAVE, sophisticated people… we know that (wink) • Understands the BUSINESS GOALS • Understands user BEHAVIOUR • Creates a FUNCTIONAL framework for the digital property How? • WORKSHOPS to understand business OBJECTIVES • RESEARCH to understand user goals • WIREFRAMES to create a visual understanding of how it might work Overall • Concerned with generating VALUE to the business • by understanding how the USER can achieve their GOALS SEE where I’m going here……? 8
- 11. WHY TOGETHER? You can see the parallels… • These disciplines work together well because… • They like to REACH OUT • Generally PERSONABLE people (with a lot of patience!) • EMPATHY for the user (and business needs) • Concerned with the WHAT more than HOW • Skillset can FLEX – BA at start, UX in the middle, BA / UX at the end • and don’t need TWO BRAINS to achieve this 9
- 12. IS IT FEASIBLE TO COMBINE THE TWO IN THE REAL WORLD? • Short answer is yes • I have done this at AMIDO • But depends on WHERE YOU WORK and the other team members • Or members of the COMPANY • To start with I felt a bit like an IMPOSTER • I was QUALIFIED as a BA • But doing UX work • Who was I to comment on matters of UX….? • It’s OK • (pause) • You can only gain EXPERIENCE by DOING • So that’s what I did • I used UXD PRACTICES as much as possible 10
- 14. HOW DOES IT WORK? • As a BA..."Is this merely a SHORTCUT?" • Can I stop writing USER STORIES? • No. • Still need to go through ALL THE STEPS • Gathering REQUIREMENTS • WIREFRAMING • Writing USER STORIES • Re-wireframing • Re-writing user stories • There’s still a lot of BACK AND FORTH • BUT you can link the UX up with the STORIES much quicker • One INTERLINKED flow 11
- 15. WHERE DOES RESEARCH FIT IN? • Research is still SUPER-IMPORTANT • Doesn’t exist in THE SAME WAY in the PURE BA world • But we all know how important it is • DEPENDS on project • But most should use research • From SMALL DECISIONS about default states • To larger decisions around BEHAVIOUR and flow • Sometimes the CLIENT WILL PAY for this • Sometimes you need to do it GORILLA style • COFFEE SHOPS ETC. • SAME research, but instantly feeds into the TWO DISCIPLINES 12
- 16. IS IT AN EXACT SCIENCE? • No • Assess the PROJECT • Assess the TEAM SIZE • Assess the CLIENT • Sometimes you can (and will have to) defer to a MORE EXPERIENCED UXD • That is really HELPFUL as you then have a resource to LEARN from 13
- 17. TIPS AND TAKE AWAYS • Gain EXPERIENCE through doing • FEED it into your daily work • It’s a FLUCTUATING role (you don't get PAID twice!) • UX is not a SHORTCUT • Go to EVENTS like this 14
- 18. WHAT UXD CAN LEARN FROM BA FIRST of all… not implying that the BA is some kind of GRANDMASTER! • Consider BEST and WORST CASE scenarios • Work TOGETHER to prototype with MVP in mind • Prototype ELEMENTS with individual, deliverable features • Try not to create something that is IMPOSSIBLE to DESCRIBE.... please ;) • In this picture ROB is my Mr Myagi 15
- 19. 16
Editor's Notes
- Hello General introduction I’m a Business Analyst and User Experience consultant at Amido SECOND year at UX CAMP This time last year, I wouldn’t have included the ‘UX Designer’ part in the DESCRIPTION... For those here last year, there are PROBABLY no STORMTROOPERS this year…
- So here I wasn’t a UXD or a BA But it was when I did most of my MOVIE watching Hence the THEME DESIGN of this talk
- ’Fists with your toes’ Learning to relax as a UX / BA crossbreed As a Business Analyst / Product Manager I was always ANXIOUS about INCORPORATING UX into my DAY-TO-DAY work. ... As a NEW YORK COP… John McClaine is ANXIOUS about to FLYING This guy tells him how to relax by making ‘fists with your toes’
- THE STORY Ok, so I have STORY for you (LUCKILY it does have an END!) Before working for a CONSULTANCY, worked in many LARGE organisations At AMAZON - I used BASIC SKETCHES to illustrate concepts TOLD don’t step on the toes of UXD “It’s not your place” “Stick to user stories!!” This STARTED my anxiety However… At the TIME I wasn't TRYING to be a UXD I used them to help me DEFINE FEATURES And to visually explain CONCEPTS to stakeholders So, I’m here to… Talk about my JOURNEY to incorporate UXD more FORMALLY How I became a CROSSBREED The benefits of a COMBINED role TIPS for you to take away FIRST LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ROLES
- EVERY PROJECT HAS A TEAM DON”T READ Criminal, athlete, basket case, business analyst, user experience designer. Or something CLOSE to this DIFFERENT in different companies and projects. Sometimes don’t have the LUXURY of UX and BA on one project. In that case (as with a MEDIUM sized consultancy) often there is a UX BA role. LETS START BY LOOKING AT THE TWO ROLES INDIVIDUALLY
- WHAT DOES A BA DO? (ALSO coincidentally, like John McClaine…. DOESN’T LIKE TO FLY) Provides the LINK between the stakeholder (who knows what they want) And the DEVELOPER… who can make that a REALITY How? INTERVIEWING stakeholders (and ongoing discussion) Gathering REQUIREMENTS Writing USER STORIES What is a requirement? A set of THINGS that they want the property TO DO What is a user story? A way of DESCRIBING that and trying to eliminate SURPRISES Overall Concerned with GENERATING VALUE to the business by understanding how the USER can ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS
- WHAT DOES A USER EXPERIENCE DESIGNER DO? Well, they are SUAVE, sophisticated people… we know that (wink) Understands the BUSINESS GOALS Understands user BEHAVIOUR Creates a FUNCTIONAL framework for the digital property How? WORKSHOPS to understand business OBJECTIVES RESEARCH to understand user goals WIREFRAMES to create a visual understanding of how it might work Overall Concerned with generating VALUE to the business by understanding how the USER can achieve their GOALS SEE where I’m going here……?
- WHY TOGETHER? You can see the parallels… These disciplines work together well because… They like to REACH OUT Generally PERSONABLE people (with a lot of patience!) EMPATHY for the user (and business needs) Concerned with the WHAT more than HOW Skillset can FLEX – BA at start, UX in the middle, BA / UX at the end and don’t need TWO BRAINS to achieve this
- IS IT FEASIBLE TO COMBINE THE TWO IN THE REAL WORLD? Short answer is yes I have done this at AMIDO But depends on WHERE YOU WORK and the other team members Or members of the COMPANY To start with I felt a bit like an IMPOSTER I was QUALIFIED as a BA But doing UX work Who was I to comment on matters of UX….? It’s OK (pause) You can only gain EXPERIENCE by DOING So that’s what I did I used UXD PRACTICES as much as possible HOW DOES IT WORK IN REALITY?
- HOW DOES IT WORK? As a BA..."Is this merely a SHORTCUT?" Can I stop writing USER STORIES? No. Still need to go through ALL THE STEPS Gathering REQUIREMENTS WIREFRAMING Writing USER STORIES Re-wireframing Re-writing user stories There’s still a lot of BACK AND FORTH BUT you can link the UX up with the STORIES much quicker One INTERLINKED flow
- WHERE DOES RESEARCH FIT IN? Research is still SUPER-IMPORTANT Doesn’t exist in THE SAME WAY in the PURE BA world But we all know how important it is DEPENDS on project But most should use research From SMALL DECISIONS about default states To larger decisions around BEHAVIOUR and flow Sometimes the CLIENT WILL PAY for this Sometimes you need to do it GORILLA style COFFEE SHOPS ETC. SAME research, but instantly feeds into the TWO DISCIPLINES
- IS IT AN EXACT SCIENCE? No Assess the PROJECT Assess the TEAM SIZE Assess the CLIENT Sometimes you can (and will have to) defer to a MORE EXPERIENCED UXD That is really HELPFUL as you then have a resource to LEARN from
- TIPS AND TAKE AWAYS Gain EXPERIENCE through doing FEED it into your daily work It’s a FLUCTUATING role (you don't get PAID twice!) UX is not a SHORTCUT Go to EVENTS like this
- WHAT UXD CAN LEARN FROM BA FIRST of all… not implying that the BA is some kind of GRANDMASTER! Consider BEST and WORST CASE scenarios Work TOGETHER to prototype with MVP in mind Prototype ELEMENTS with individual, deliverable features Try not to create something that is IMPOSSIBLE to DESCRIBE.... please ;) In this picture ROB is my Mr Myagi