Conversation, Cadence & Culture: recipes to inspire collaborative teams. Print-your-own recipe cards from workshop at http://leanuxnyc.co/nyc/ April 12, 2013. Print two sided on 8x5"x11" card stock. Cut in four pieces. Produces two sets of six cards. Keep one, share one with a friend!

1. #c5recipeApr.30.13
Lean UX NYC 2013#leanux
- Activity -
Six-ups
Note: This activity works better if the team has a shared understanding
of the project goals and user(s) and if everyone participates in both the
drawing and the subsequent conversation.
Step 1: Agree on a topic question,for example “How might we create
experiences that help serious bike commuters evaluate and purchase
bikes at Wheel Nice Guys?”
Step 2: Fold an 8.5”x11”piece of paper in half longways and then fold it
in thirds.Unfold and you’ll have six sections.Set a timer for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Draw a picture in each section.If you’re stuck,think about
a setting or situation where the user solves a problem with your
product/service.What are the the key elements of that solution ?
Step 4: Tape your six-ups on a wall.One person at a time,describe your
concepts.Other people just listen & take notes (on stickies).
Step 5: When all the concepts are introduced,talk about all the ideas,
adding more notes (stickies) as necessary to capture the conversation.
The project brief helps the team understand the objectives of the
current project phase,experiment,milestone or MVP.
• Start with a blank document that contains the sections below.Write
the project brief as a team.
• Use a shared Google doc or pass the keyboard and make different
people type different sections to increase ownership in the outcome.
• Review often (i.e.when you write,prioritize or size user stories) and
revise as necessary to reflect the accurate project goals.
project brief SECTIONS
• Project name
• Date last updated
• Opportunity statement
• Key personas
• Key scenario titles
• Key metrics
Wheel Nice Guys “Bike Builder”
last updated: April 7,2013
Opportunity Statement
Problem: Serious bike commuters find it difficult to learn about,configure
and purchase bikes. Solution: A Web application that lets serious bike
commuters explore different components,envision different combinations and
understand price.
Key Persona(S)
PETER (serious bike commuter) because bike commuting will be a point of
maket differentiation for our shop. Our solution might also be attractive
to FRAN (sports training biker) but we’re NOT going after NOONA (budget-
conscious weekend rider).
Key Scenario Titles
• Peter explores options for a new bike (information,cost,configuration
choices)
• Peter shares his configuration with friends
• Peter makes an appointment to visit WNG to discuss the bike he configured
Key Metrics
Serious bike commuters who use the bike builder will:
• Look up info and change bike components in the bike builder (engagement)
• “Like”the bike builder and share bikes they configured in the bike builder
(market intelligence,virality)
• Make an appointment to talk to an advisor (qualified leads)
• Buy a bike (revenue)
Why use six-ups?
• Visual thinking unlocks new ideas because it engages a different
part of your brain than talking.
• You don’t need to be good at drawing to be an effective visual
communicator. You can do a lot with simple shapes and stick people.
• Sketching six-ups as a team helps expose everyone’s assumptions
and starts good conversations about priorities and unknowns.
Project BRief
Six-up
For more information see: bit.ly/c5r-project-brief

2. #c5recipeApr.30.13
Lean UX NYC 2013#leanux
Why use six-ups?
• Visual thinking unlocks new ideas because it engages a different
part of your brain than talking.
• You don’t need to be good at drawing to be an effective visual
communicator. You can do a lot with simple shapes and stick people.
• Sketching six-ups as a team helps expose everyone’s assumptions
and starts good conversations about priorities and unknowns.
The project brief helps the team understand the objectives of the
current project phase,experiment,milestone or MVP.
• Start with a blank document that contains the sections below.Write
the project brief as a team.
• Use a shared Google doc or pass the keyboard and make different
people type different sections to increase ownership in the outcome.
• Review often (i.e.when you write,prioritize or size user stories) and
revise as necessary to reflect the accurate project goals.
project brief SECTIONS
• Project name
• Date last updated
• Opportunity statement
• Key personas
• Key scenario titles
• Key metrics
Project BRief
Six-up
Wheel Nice Guys “Bike Builder”
last updated: April 7,2013
Opportunity Statement
Problem: Serious bike commuters find it difficult to learn about,configure
and purchase bikes. Solution: A Web application that lets serious bike
commuters explore different components,envision different combinations and
understand price.
Key Persona(S)
PETER (serious bike commuter) because bike commuting will be a point of
maket differentiation for our shop. Our solution might also be attractive
to FRAN (sports training biker) but we’re NOT going after NOONA (budget-
conscious weekend rider).
Key Scenario Titles
• Peter explores options for a new bike (information,cost,configuration
choices)
• Peter shares his configuration with friends
• Peter makes an appointment to visit WNG to discuss the bike he configured
Key Metrics
Serious bike commuters who use the bike builder will:
• Look up info and change bike components in the bike builder (engagement)
• “Like”the bike builder and share bikes they configured in the bike builder
(market intelligence,virality)
• Make an appointment to talk to an advisor (qualified leads)
• Buy a bike (revenue)
- Activity -
Six-ups
Note: This activity works better if the team has a shared understanding
of the project goals and user(s) and if everyone participates in both the
drawing and the subsequent conversation.
Step 1: Agree on a topic question,for example “How might we create
experiences that help serious bike commuters evaluate and purchase
bikes at Wheel Nice Guys?”
Step 2: Fold an 8.5”x11”piece of paper in half longways and then fold it
in thirds.Unfold and you’ll have six sections.Set a timer for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Draw a picture in each section.If you’re stuck,think about
a setting or situation where the user solves a problem with your
product/service.What are the the key elements of that solution ?
Step 4: Tape your six-ups on a wall.One person at a time,describe your
concepts.Other people just listen & take notes (on stickies).
Step 5: When all the concepts are introduced,talk about all the ideas,
adding more notes (stickies) as necessary to capture the conversation.
For more information see: bit.ly/c5r-project-brief

3. #c5recipeApr.30.13
Lean UX NYC 2013#leanux
- tips -
Opportunity Statement
• Ask your project stakeholder(s) to write an opportunity statement
and use that as a starting point for a conversation about project
scope and vision.
• An opportunity statement can be used to define an experiment,
milestone or MVP the team will design,deliver and validate.
• Use the opportunity statement as a way to prioritize design and
development activities. Ask“How does doing this help us achive
what we set out to do in the opportunity statement?”
• The opportunity statement contains assumptions that must be
validated by making things and showing them to customers. As you
make things,get feedback and learn more, revisit the opportunity
statement periodically to make sure it’s still valid.
- Example -
Persona 4x4
NamE & rOle
• Sketch of Peter,wearing a bike helmet
• Peter,serious bike commuter
Description
• Owns several bikes
• Does NOT own a car
• Bikes are a hobby--he loves looking at bikes and talking about bikes
Behavors
• Rides everywhere--work,store,errands
• Rides in all weather
• Carries a lot of stuff (computer,groceries)
Needs & Goals
• Arrive clean and not too sweaty
• Share his enthusiasm
• Be safe
A persona is a model of your understanding of “the user.” Personas can
evolve over time as you talk to users learn from showing them product
experiments. Sketching personas as a group can help your team:
• Talk about how different people will use your product
• Prioritize different kinds of users
• Recognize when you don’t know who the user really is
• Find what kinds of people you want to find and talk to
Persona 4x4
Example
Problem
Custom bike shoppers find it difficult to learn about,configure and
purchase bikes.
Solution
A Web application that lets custom bike shoppers explore different
components,envision different combinations of components and
accessories and understand price.We will know we’ve succeeded when
custom bike shoppers use the tool,share with their friends,generate
qualified leads and purchase bikes.
Opportunity Statement
An opportunity statement articulates the team’s undestanding of the
audience we’re trying to reach and the problem we’re trying to solve.
PAttern
Problem
<people with this behavior> <have this problem>.
Solution
<short sentence describing key features>.We will know we’ve
succeeded when <qualitative and/or quantitative metric>.

4. #c5recipeApr.30.13
Lean UX NYC 2013#leanux
- Example -
Persona 4x4
NamE & rOle
• Sketch of Peter,wearing a bike helmet
• Peter,serious bike commuter
Description
• Owns several bikes
• Does NOT own a car
• Bikes are a hobby--he loves looking at bikes and talking about bikes
Behavors
• Rides everywhere--work,store,errands
• Rides in all weather
• Carries a lot of stuff (computer,groceries)
Needs & Goals
• Arrive clean and not too sweaty
• Share his enthusiasm
• Be safe
A persona is a model of your understanding of “the user.” Personas can
evolve over time as you talk to users learn from showing them product
experiments. Sketching personas as a group can help your team:
• Talk about how different people will use your product
• Prioritize different kinds of users
• Recognize when you don’t know who the user really is
• Find what kinds of people you want to find and talk to
Persona 4x4
- tips -
Opportunity Statement
• Ask your project stakeholder(s) to write an opportunity statement
and use that as a starting point for a conversation about project
scope and vision.
• An opportunity statement can be used to define an experiment,
milestone or MVP the team will design,deliver and validate.
• Use the opportunity statement as a way to prioritize design and
development activities. Ask“How does doing this help us achive
what we set out to do in the opportunity statement?”
• The opportunity statement contains assumptions that must be
validated by making things and showing them to customers. As you
make things,get feedback and learn more, revisit the opportunity
statement periodically to make sure it’s still valid.
Example
Problem
Custom bike shoppers find it difficult to learn about,configure and
purchase bikes.
Solution
A Web application that lets custom bike shoppers explore different
components,envision different combinations of components and
accessories and understand price.We will know we’ve succeeded when
custom bike shoppers use the tool,share with their friends,generate
qualified leads and purchase bikes.
Opportunity Statement
An opportunity statement articulates the team’s undestanding of the
audience we’re trying to reach and the problem we’re trying to solve.
PAttern
Problem
<people with this behavior> <have this problem>.
Solution
<short sentence describing key features>.We will know we’ve
succeeded when <qualitative and/or quantitative metric>.

5. #c5recipeApr.30.13
Lean UX NYC 2013#leanux
Goals
• Create a shared understanding of the emerging design
• Discuss time/effort of different approaches and identify trade-offs
• Get input from developers about ways to enhance the user
experience with new technologies
• Identify areas where the design needs to be fleshed out in greater
detail for discussion and construction
- Tips -
Wireframe Walkthrough
Use the right fideltiy
Ask yourself “What is the lowest level of design fidelity (completeness/
polish) necessary to create the necessary conversation?”
Separate style from function
Create “neutral/unstyled”key screens with real (or at least realistic)
content and all UI elements placed in a layout.[no “lorem ipsum!”] If
your team needs to see visual design,create a single styled screen or
separate style sheet to show how the look would be applied.
Consider mixed media
Use a paper prototype or sketches for detailed interactions which are
time-consuming to create as multiple states in an electronic tool.
Use a narrative
Demonstrate the design’s features with a narritive (scenario).Tell
a story about how the user would interact with the product to
accomplish a common workflow or activity that supports a business
objective (e.g.This is how Peter configures a bike and shares it.”)
- Example-
Conversation Guide
Product: service for diners who use mobile devices
Intro
Do you dine out and use mobile devices? (screening question)
We’re interested in what you think.No wrong answers.
Collect Context
What’s your name.What do you do? When do you eat out? Why?
Collect a Story
Tell me about a recent dining experience.What restaurant? With who?
Occasion/motivation? What was memorable? How much was the bill? How
much did you pay? Any problems?
Show the Demo Last
How would you use this product to <something they told you about earlier
in the conversation>. If they get stuck ask“what do you think should happen
now?”
Thank you! May we contact you later? Who else should we talk to?
When you plan as a group,everyone is more engaged and it’s easier to
focus on what you want to learn during customer conversations.Align
the team by asking “What do we wish we knew about our customers?”
and “What kinds of people do we need to talk to?”
Tips
• Have a specific learning objective in mind
• Recruit 3-5 people who match your target audience (persona)
• Collect stories,listen more than you talk
• Show the demo last
Wireframe Walkthrough
Customer Conversations

6. #c5recipeApr.30.13
Lean UX NYC 2013#leanux
- Tips -
Wireframe Walkthrough
Use the right fideltiy
Ask yourself “What is the lowest level of design fidelity (completeness/
polish) necessary to create the necessary conversation?”
Separate style from function
Create “neutral/unstyled”key screens with real (or at least realistic)
content and all UI elements placed in a layout.[no “lorem ipsum!”] If
your team needs to see visual design,create a single styled screen or
separate style sheet to show how the look would be applied.
Consider mixed media
Use a paper prototype or sketches for detailed interactions which are
time-consuming to create as multiple states in an electronic tool.
Use a narrative
Demonstrate the design’s features with a narritive (scenario).Tell
a story about how the user would interact with the product to
accomplish a common workflow or activity that supports a business
objective (e.g.This is how Peter configures a bike and shares it.”)
- Example-
Conversation Guide
Product: service for diners who use mobile devices
Intro
Do you dine out and use mobile devices? (screening question)
We’re interested in what you think.No wrong answers.
Collect Context
What’s your name.What do you do? When do you eat out? Why?
Collect a Story
Tell me about a recent dining experience.What restaurant? With who?
Occasion/motivation? What was memorable? How much was the bill? How
much did you pay? Any problems?
Show the Demo Last
How would you use this product to <something they told you about earlier
in the conversation>. If they get stuck ask“what do you think should happen
now?”
Thank you! May we contact you later? Who else should we talk to?
Goals
• Create a shared understanding of the emerging design
• Discuss time/effort of different approaches and identify trade-offs
• Get input from developers about ways to enhance the user
experience with new technologies
• Identify areas where the design needs to be fleshed out in greater
detail for discussion and construction
Wireframe Walkthrough
When you plan as a group,everyone is more engaged and it’s easier to
focus on what you want to learn during customer conversations.Align
the team by asking “What do we wish we knew about our customers?”
and “What kinds of people do we need to talk to?”
Tips
• Have a specific learning objective in mind
• Recruit 3-5 people who match your target audience (persona).
• Collect stories,listen more than you talk
• Show the demo last
Customer Conversations