© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 1
UNDERSTANDINGCLIENT DYNAMICSGIRL GEEKS TORONTOSEPTEMBER 24, 2014
MORAG JOHNSTON
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 2
“What the heck just happened in
there?”
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 3
WHY TALK ABOUT CLIENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS?
Create a great user experience
Affect business outcomes
Generate repeat business
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 4
AGENDA
1.Approach
2.Project Context
3.At the Table
4.Toward a Client Persona
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CHRONOLOGYHTML coder/web designer
Production Manager
Information Architect / Team Manager
Independent IA
Business Analyst & Web Strategist
Manager, Analysis & Planning
Director, Digital Product Strategy & User Experience
Director, UX Design Centre of Excellence
Custom CMS
Legal Publishing
Online Training
eCommerce
Finance/Wealth Management
Pension Administration
Travel eComm
Digital Rights Management
Digital Media
Television
Telecom
1995
2014
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 6
APPROACH
Based on 20+ years of consulting experience
A no judgment zone
Minimal cynicism and bitterness
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 7theoatmeal.com/comics/design_hell
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 8Dilbert.com
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http://shitclientssay.net/
http://shitclientssay.tumblr.com/
http://shitmyclientsays.tumblr.com/
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Designers are not users.
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 11
Designers are not clients.
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Designers are intrinsically motivated.
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 13
“When you ask creative people how they did something, they
feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw
something. It seemed obvious to them
after a while.”
-- Steve Jobs
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/04/creativity-habits_n_4859769.html
14Image: http://hqworld.net/gallery/data/media/20/tip_of_the_iceberg.jpg
Creating the User
Experience
Annual project portfolio
Organizational objectives
Political, Economic, Social and Technology Environment
The Project /
Business
CONTEXT
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 15
Bid on contract
Awarded contract
Team formed
Made aware of project
External Project Team
Internal Project Team
PRIOR TO KICK-OFF
Kick-off meeting
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 16
Bid on contract
Awarded contract
Team formed
Made aware of project
External Project Team
Internal Project Team
Why does this
project exist?
Why were you picked?
Why this team?
Kick-off meeting
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 17
WHY DOES THIS PROJECT EXIST?
Follow the money.
• Minimizing risk VS. maximizing market impact
• Customer-centric VS. short term profit• Response to a competitor• Legislative requirement• Visual identity and copy refresh
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 18
WHY WERE YOU PICKED?
• Reputation• Shake things up VS. play safe
• Strength of the account team • What was promised?• Did the client meet the execution
team? • Proposal
• What’s fixed: budget, people, timeline?• Process: do they understand or care?
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 19
WHY THIS CLIENT TEAM?
• A-Team• Right skills, availability, connections &
personalities
• Not the A-Team• A-Team was busy on a higher priority
• Company doesn’t realize how big this is
• Someone asked for more responsibility
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 20Image: http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/plan/groups/meetings-and-conferences/
AT THE TABLE
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AT THE TABLE
•Listen to titles & introductions
•Where do people sit?
•What are they doing?
•Who does most of the talking?
•RACI?
22http://intimateexcellent.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/snapshots-cyrano-production-design-meeting/
CLIENT PERSONAS
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 23
PERSONA PARAMETER GROUPING THEORY
1.Personal Investment
2.Business Contribution Ability
3.Design Contribution Ability
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CORPORATE
PERSONAL
OPENCLOSED
OBJECTIVES VS. VULNERABILITY
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 25
CORPORATE
PERSONAL
OPENCLOSED
OBJECTIVES VS. VULNERABILITY
Optimally productive
May takecredit
Make themlook good
Do nothing in public
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Expert in their core competency
Learning the ropes
DigitallySavvy
Learning the ropes
BUSINESS VS. DIGITAL BUSINESS
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 27
BUSINESS VS. DIGITAL BUSINESS
Great business requirements
Create allies,
carefully
Educate as best possible
Why arethey here?
Expert in their core competency
Learning the ropes
DigitallySavvy
Learning the ropes
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Design process experience
Little to no design experience
Team augmentation
Completelyout-sourced
DESIGN EXPERIENCE VS. INVOLVEMENT
Internal UX Design team
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 29
DESIGN EXPERIENCE VS. PROJECT INVOLVEMENT
Learn from their experience
Design process experience
Team augmentation
Completelyout-sourced
Help them solution
differently
Threatened or grateful?
Strong project management framework
Little to no design process experience
Looking for a partner
Looking to learn from you
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 30
CLIENT PERSONA RANGEGET YOUR HOPES UP GNASH YOUR TEETH
Working to corporate objectives Working their own personal agenda
Open to discussion Afraid of looking stupid
Digital business savvy No digital experience
Subject matter expert New to the business
Willing to share experience No design process experience
Grateful Threatened
Looking for a partner Can’t think differently
© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ 31
IN CONCLUSION
Empathy
Communication
Boundaries
32© 2014 Morag Johnston | @MoragJ
THANKS GIRL GEEKS@MoragJ FOR UPDATES