21. “Visualizations don’t provide answers outright,
they foster conversations. Diagrams are
compelling artifacts that draw interest and
attention from others in the organization. They
are a means to engage others in discourse.”
40. The Vancouver Tourism Office (VTO) would like to improve the overall experience guests have when visiting the city,
particularly holiday travelers. They already have some ideas what to do, but need to see the big picture in order to
prioritize funding and to focus on areas that will have the most impact.
First, the VTO is planning to significantly overhaul its website. The site has grown organically over the past decade,
and there are many complaints about finding information. In particular, the federated reservations system for hotels
is incomplete, outdated and hard to use.
Second, the VTO wants to offer mobile services and apps for travelers. With so many options in the mobile arena,
they are not sure where the best place to start would be.
Finally, VTO believes partnering with key service providers would improve the travel experience of visitors. VTO
already has information kiosks in tourist areas, but they are looking to integrate more with partner services.
You work for a research agency specializing in experience mapping. The VTO has hired you to investigate and identify
the most salient ways to bring the most value to visitors. They are also looking for new opportunities previously
overlooked. The insight they hope to gain will help structure a multi-year program for improvement.
SCENARIO
41. Based on the scenario, address the 5 questions for getting started:
1. What is your POINT OF VIEW?
1. Whose experience?
2. Which experience
2. What is the SCOPE of the experience?
3. What elements will you FOCUS on?
EXERCISE 1: INITIATE (20 minutes)
42. Based on the scenario, address the 5 questions for getting started:
1. What is your POINT OF VIEW?
2. What is the SCOPE of the experience?
3. What elements will you FOCUS on?
4. How will STRUCTURE the diagram?
5. What will you USE the map for?
EXERCISE 1: INITIATE (20 minutes)
43.
44. Five things businesses care about:
2. ALIGN TO BUSINESS GOALS
• Increase revenue
• Decrease cost
• Increase new business
• Increase existing business
• Increase shareholder value
Jared Spool: “UX means business” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEyUe4q_pOk
Growth=
52. Who might you want to interview?
Internal interview participants External interview participants
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
_____
EXERCISE 2: INTERVIEW PARTNERS (5 MINUTES)
53. What themes or topics might you include in a guide for interviews
internally at the SFTO and externally with travellers?
Internal interview themes External interview themes
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
_____
EXERCISE 3: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (5 MINUTES)
59. Guideline Example 1 Example 2
Start with insights
Research cluster 1: People indicated they sometimes
hesitate and reconsider during the customer acquisition
phase because of our premium pricing model
Research cluster 2: There is a clear pain point around
deploying the solution, primarily due to lack of
necessary technical knowledge.
Use natural language
People reconsider when making a purchase because
they may be nervous or anxious about the high cost
Users struggle to install the software for the first time
if they don’t have the required technical skills
Keep voice
consistent
I reconsider when making a purchase because I’m
anxious and nervous about the high cost
I struggle to install the software for the first time
because I don’t have the necessary technical skills.
Omit pronouns and
articles
Reconsider when making purchase due to anxiousness
and nervousness over high cost
Struggle to install software for first time without the
necessary technical skills.
Focus on the root
cause
Feel anxious and nervous when making purchase due
to high cost, and then reconsider
Struggle during installation due to lack of necessary
technical skills
Be concise
Feel anxious during purchase about cost, and then
reconsider
Struggle due to lack technical skills during installation
Use abbreviations
sparingly
“” Struggle due to lack of tech skills during installation
Rely on context of
map
anxious about cost
(In the cell for the column for “purchase” and row for
“feelings”)
Reconsider
(In the cell of a column for “purchase” and a row for
“actions”)
Struggle due to lack of tech skills
OR
Lack tech skills
(assuming a column for “installation” and a row for
“pain points”)
77. CONSISTENT REPRESENTATION
TEXT
•Actions: Start each with a verb,
•Thoughts: Phrase as a question
•Feelings: Use adjectives
•Pain points: start each with a gerund
•Touchpoints: Use nouns
•Opportunities: Begin with verb of change, e.g.,
increase the ease of installation
VISUAL
•Fit to space
•Font selection
•Color coding
•Icons and shapes
79. EXERCISE 4: ILLUSTRATE (30 MINUTES)
In groups, create a draft diagram for the VTO scenario
Use the following phases
•Plan Trip
•Travel
•Arrive
•Stay
•Depart
•Return Home
•Visit Again
Include the following aspects
•Customer
• Actions
• Thoughts
• Feelings
• Pain points
•Touchpoints
•VTO
• Role + Activity
• Goals
Copernicus discovery wasn’t just scientific. It had a profound effect on the collective psyche of society at the time. We’re not the center of the universe.
The equation is simple.
You have people behaving and acting trying to get stuff done.
And there’s an organization that provides a service.
In the middle is an exchange of value.
So we have this class of document that basically shows this equation.
You’ve probably already used some of them.
By describing alignment diagrams as a class of documents that reveals the value creation equation, you have many possibilities. This brings choice
But visualizations don’t provide the answers, they foster conversations. They are platforms for change– that enable designers to become facilitators. Because you’re not going to make this visualization and put it as an email attached. You print them out and have workshops around them.
They are catalysts for conversations. They are compelling artifacts that teams can rally around. They are cross functional – everyone can get something from understanding the user experience. They show a picture of value alignment.
I believe they are a one tool in already in our tool kit. There are others. I think Lean UX moves us in this direction in a different way, as does design thinking Design thinking
Personally, I’ve had success facilitating conversations using alignment diagrams.
It’s about using our design as an impetus for strategy and innovation and good business.