1.
Bringing the User Into the
Process
Using Design Thinking to Help Staff Build
Empathy, Think Through Problems, and
Design Innovative Solutions
Kris Johnson, Jacqueline Frank, & Hannah McKelvey - 2018 PNLA Conference

2.
Kris Johnson
Head of the Learning & Research Services Department
Jacqueline Frank
Technology & Instruction Librarian
Hannah McKelvey
Electronic Resources Librarian

3.
2015
Implementation Ideation Inspiration
Design
Research
Working
Group
Formed
20162017
Service
Blueprints
Journey
Mapping
Design Sandboxes
Hex
UX
Personas
Participatory User Experience Design
with Underrepresented Populations:
UXUP
Love
Letter/Breakup
Letter
Love
Letter/Breakup
Letter
Liaison Design
Library Master
Planning
Library
Experience
Group
Formed
Consulting
Journey
Mapping
User
Focused
Request In
Strategic
Planning
Design Journey @ the MSU Library
2018

4.
Audience Poll:
What type of
library do you
work in?

5.
Learning
Objectives
Attendees will...
Learn how Design Thinking:
Helps approach projects and problem
solving by building empathy and
placing the user at the center of the
equation.
Ties directly to the spirit of the
conference theme of breaking the
fourth wall, with users being the fourth
wall in the decision-making process.
Helps boost creativity &
innovation.

6.
Session
Outline
We’re going to ask you some
things
We’re going to tell you some
things
You’re going to go do something
You’re going to report back
We’re going to connect
everything to design thinking

7.
Exercise #1: Tell Us
Write down each thought on a separate sticky note:
How do you, or people in your library, approach problem solving and
decision-making?
How do you design a new service, or make changes to an existing
service?
What is something you would like to change in your library, or you
are thinking about changing in your library?

8.
What is
Design?

9.
What is Design?
“Design can be viewed as an activity that translate an
idea into a blueprint for something useful.”
-UK Design Council

10.
What is Design?
“Some people think design means how it looks. But of
course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works.”
-[who said this?]

11.
What is Design?
“Some people think design means how it looks. But of
course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works.”
-Steve Jobs

12.
What is
Design
Thinking?

13.
What is Design Thinking?
“Design thinking is a process for creative
problem solving.”
-IDEO

14.
What is Design Thinking?
Design thinking is a process for creative
problem solving...
● utilizing elements from the designer's toolkit like
empathy and experimentation to arrive at innovative
solutions.

15.
What is
Service
Design?

16.
Service Design
Service design is a holistic, co-creative, and
user-centered approach to understanding customer
behavior for the creating or refining of services.
-Marquez & Downey, 2015

17.
Service Design Attributes
Described as a “mindset” by Marquez & Downey:
● Co-creation
● Making the intangible tangible
● Confirming with evidence
● Focus on user needs and expectations
● Holistic
● Empathetic
● Open minded - or- No Devil’s Advocate
● A willingness to evolve

18.
Service Design Tools
Examples:
● Service Prototyping
● Ethnographic Studies
● Usability Testing
● Mind Mapping
● Affinity Mapping
● Personas
● Service Blueprints
● Journey Maps

19.
Exercise #1: Analysis
Review feedback to questions:
How do you, or people in your library, approach problem solving and
decision-making?
How do you design a new service, or make changes to an existing
service?
What is something you would like to change in your library, or you
are thinking about changing in your library?

20.
Tool
#1
KJ Technique
A tool to equalize all voices

21.
Tool
#2
Affinity Diagramming
A tool to find patterns & natural correlations

22.
Exercise #2: Alternate Uses
I wonder what this could be…?

23.
Building
Empathy
The User Mindset

24.
Put on your walking shoes. Here is your task:
Print one item from the provided USB drive
(see handout for instructions)
Exercise #3: Journey Mapping

25.
Here is your task:
Pair up - One person interview, the other person share their
experience.
Interview question - how did you get here today?
● Starting from beginning your transportation to the conference,
arriving, checking in, finding this room.
Take notes on provided Empathy Map template.
Exercise #3 (alternate):
Empathy Mapping

26.
Tool Empathy
Mapping
Visualizing attitudes & behaviors of a user type

27.
Here is your task:
Think about: what would your ideal experience at the DMV look like.
Write, on separate sticky notes, each thought about the following
parts of your ideal experience:
Entice - Enter - Experience - Exit - Extend
Exercise #3 (alternate):
Ideal Experience Mapping

28.
Tool
Ideal Experience
Map

29.
Tool
#3
Journey
Mapping
A visual representation of the user experience

30.
(alternative)
Tool
#4
Fly on the wall
Observation
Looking & listening without participation
or interference

31.
You just did a Journey Map!
See, that was easy.
UX best practices:
input from
5-7 people max
Exercise #3:
Wrap up & discuss

32.
Conclusion: wrap up & discuss
Share Advice
Review techniques introduced & share examples
What techniques could be used to implement that change in your
library?

33.
A few
words of
advice...
● Start small
● Do things you have control over
● Never make assumptions
● A few exercises are your core
○ Use these as platform to get started
○ Exercises help avoid internal bias
● Use creative thinking exercises
● Get the right people at the table
● Trust the process
● Getting buy-in
○ gather evidence from users
○ internal employees/colleagues are users
too
○ start with what you have control over
○ show success & evidence based
decisions/changes
○ be honest; share failures too
○ tell them the reason why
● Be flexible/adaptable/merge/blend methods
● Have fun!

34.
Parting Thoughts
Why design matters

35.
1. Design is
Everywhere

36.
2. Design is Essential

37.
Jon Kolko
http://www.jonkolko.com/

38.
3. We are all
designers

39.
4. Go forth
and design!

40.
Presentation Credits
● Presentation Design:
○ FGST0015 - UX Theme Presentation Template - Free Google Slides template:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dzrtEv2S6VRkVDJfTZgm9FNuc4hCPvW0jqF5O9_7geA/edit#slide=id.g16
dc4b7341_0_855
● Slide #4:
○ Images built into free Google Slide template
● Slide #6:
○ Objectives photo: Kris Johnson (author)
● Slide #7:
○ Design Matters photo: Kris Johnson (author)
● Slide #10:
○ Design:
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/the-expanding-role-of-design-in-creating-
an-end-to-end-customer-experience
● Slide #14:
○ Image credit Lynda.com
https://www.lynda.com/Creativity-tutorials/Design-Thinking-Lead-Change-your-Organization/433738-2.html
● Slide #17
○ Service design image credit: https://www.brightlabs.com.au/page/Blog/service-design-ux-design-cx-design/
● Slide #22:
○ KJ Technique image credit: https://www.brightlabs.com.au/page/Blog/service-design-ux-design-cx-design/
● Slide #23:
○ Affinity diagramming image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nearsoft/18026909793

41.
Presentation Credits
● Slide #25:
○ User mindset Image credit: http://andybenson.online/mindsetmastery/
● Slide #29:
○ Journey map photo: Kris Johnson (author)
● Slide 30:
○ Fly on the wall: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lucilia_sericata.jpg
● Slide #31:
○ User research methods: https://www.invisionapp.com/blog/generative-research-ux/
● Slide #33:
○ Image from: https://www.invisionapp.com/blog/generative-research-ux/
● Slide #35:
○ Elevator photo: Kris Johnson (author)
● Slide 36:
○ Design is Essential - Author screengrab from article PDF. Citation: Kolko, Jon. (2015). Design Thinking Comes of
Age. Harvard Business Review, September, 2015, 66 - 71.
● Slide 37:
○ Design Thinking Comes of Age - Author screengrab from article PDF. Citation: Kolko, Jon. (2015). Design Thinking
Comes of Age. Harvard Business Review, September, 2015, 66 - 71.
● Slide 38:
○ Designer photo - Author screengrab from Skinny Vinny website:
https://skinny-vinny.com/products/designer-maker-thinker-pin-set
● Slide 39:
○ Thank You - Author screengrab from: https://www.thebalance.com/thank-you-letters-4073099