Embracing Collaborative Design: Acceptance of UX in the Development process Ever since UX Design got involved with the development of websites UX experts had a hard time getting the acceptance they deserve. These slides point out the process of collaborative design that emerges in buiding sites, points at the reasons for low acceptance and shows ways to raise it.

1. Memi Beltrame
Embracing Collaborative Design
On the Acceptance of UX
in the Development Process
UXCon, December 3rd 2009
Lugano, Switzerland
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

2. About
• Developing websites since 1997
• 2003-2007 Study of cinematography
• Since 2007
specialising in frontend and interaction design
• Since 2008 for Liip Agile Web Development
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

3. Misson
Show the dynamics of collaborative design
Show ways to raise acceptance of UX in
development
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

4. The Internet
Browser War dotcom
Pl op !
1993 1995 1998 2000 03 04 05 06 2009
High interaction apps,
Increased need for UX
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

5. Until 2003 UX Design was only rarely a
part of the commission and
development process for websites.
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

6. Rich internet applications brought a
higher sensitivity to the users needs.
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

7. UX concepts as a response to shape
customer and user experience
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

8. Developers meet UX experts with
scepticism and little acceptance
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

9. Why?
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

10. To find out
we need to do two things:
● Know the process
● Understand the expectations
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

11. The process:
Collaborative Design
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

12. From Collaboration
To Collaborative Design
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

13. Collaboration is the successful
sharing of a working environment in
a joint effort to accomplish a task
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

14. Collaborative design is collaboration
with the task of creating an artefact
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

15. Collaborative Design takes place
whenever an artefact is planned
and/or implemented by two or more
participants.
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

16. Typical Collaborative Design Areas
Architecture
Software
Movies
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

17. The Internet is (probably) the
biggest single instance of
Collaborative Design
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

18. Collaborative Design is a reality.
It is the inevitable process that
emerges when you build something
as a team.
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

19. Unlike UCD or TDD it is nothing you
choose, it just happens,
nolens volens.
UCD: User centered design
TDD: Test driven development
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

20. Even the simplest
Customer < > Contractor Relationship
involves Collaborative Design
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

21. It involves is a network of participants
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

22. The goal is a common product
with a high overall utility
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

23. Every participant can propose
solutions for design issues
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

24. Participants are inter-dependent.
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

25. Participants are inter-dependent.
Inter-dependency means
„I need something“
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

26. Every participant has a self-interest
Customer:
Affordable yet magic
Developer:
solid, stable and performing
Designer:
beautiful and usable
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

27. Fulfilling self-interest means
Reaching a local optimum of utility
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

28. Are participants willing to
compromise their self interest for
the sake of a global optimum?
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

29. A B C D global Utility
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

30. A B C D global Utility
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

31. The system can become very complex
Interface Designer Webserver
Management
Developer
Proxy
UX expert
Mobile Services
DB Specialist DB Admin
Project Lead
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

32. It's hard to keep track of the
interactions and design decisions
Interface Designer Webserver
Management
Developer
Proxy
UX expert
Mobile Services
DB Specialist DB Admin
Project Lead
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

33. Subsytems can emerge
Interface Designer Webserver
Management
Developer
Proxy
UX expert
Mobile Services
DB Specialist DB Admin
Project Lead
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

34. Subsytems also have a local
optimum utility plus they are loyal!
Interface Designer Webserver
Management
Developer
Proxy
UX expert
Mobile Services
DB Specialist DB Admin
Project Lead
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

35. Every new participant brings a shift
in the global utility.
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

36. Every old participant must be aware
of this and accept it. Otherwise the
team is possibly ripped apart.
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

37. Successful Collaborative Design is
based on the commitment of each
participant to achieve an optimum
of overall utility.
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

38. Acceptance
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

39. UX brought a paradigm shift
to a whole industry
UX
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

40. UX brought a paradigm shift
to a whole industry
UX
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

41. Why does this change happen with
considerable problems?
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

42. Before UX:
Developers modelled processes
according to their instead of the
user's needs.
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

43. Before UX:
An application's utility was not
anyone's explicit responsibility
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

44. Before UX:
Utility did not figure as a criteria for
quality assertion in the conceptual
phase
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

45. Measurability
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

46. Criteria for quality assertion:
● Performance (computing speed, interface response)
● Drain on resources (bandwidth, disk-space, file-size)
● Implementation standards
(normalisation, unit/functional testing, validation)
● Deficiency (incomplete or faulty implementation)
● Duration, cost (on time, on budget)
● Utility (relevance of information, ease of task completion)
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

47. Criteria for quality assertion:
● Performance (computing speed, interface response)
● Drain on resources (bandwidth, disk-space, file-size)
● Implementation standards
(normalisation, unit/functional testing, validation) Easy to
● Deficiency (incomplete or faulty implementation) measure
● Duration, cost (on time, on budget)
● Utility (relevance of information, ease of task completion)
Hard to
measure
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

48. Hard to measure:
Utility needs a process involving
users to be asserted.
It's findings are hard to read and
difficult to interpret.
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

49. The user is the only valid measuring
instrument to assert utility.
Simultaneously being tester and
testee deprives the developer from
objectivity.
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

50. Objectivity is only possible if the results
do not depend on the tester.
Only measurements based on
objectivity lead to reliability and validity.
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

51. Expectation Management
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

52. It is important to continuously manage
stakeholder expectations.
Identify what each stakeholder can and
cannot do.
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

53. Two essential demands:
1. Device proficiency
2. Completenes of information
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

54. Device proficiency
Be familiar with the conventions of use
on the device as well as its limitations.
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

55. Completenes of information:
Information architecture proposed must
be complete and consistent.
Incompleteness paves the way for
arbitrariness
Provide methodological guidance
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

56. Raising Acceptance
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

57. Successful Acceptance:
Reciprocal understanding of each others
standards and expectations
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

58. This helps acceptance:
● Clear, unambiguous negotiation
● Alliances
● Shared experiences
● Common achievements
● High iteration workflows
● Frequent synchronisation
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

59. Questions?
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano

60. Thank you!
Slides: http://slides.liip.ch
Memi Beltrame: Embracing Collaborative Design - UXCon Lugano