5-Sketches-or-Else :5-Sketches-or-Else Gemcom’s design method


Our CTO Ram Sudama says design is your responsibility. The usability, development, and QA teams want you to excel :Our CTO Ram Sudama says design is your responsibility. The usability, development, and QA teams want you to excel 2 We don’t have designated “software designers”. Each developer is responsible for the design of the product.


5-Sketches-or-Else is our answer :5-Sketches-or-Else is our answer 3


This method blends ideas that work, by ensuring that team members can produce lots of ideas, and analyze them quickly :This method blends ideas that work, by ensuring that team members can produce lots of ideas, and analyze them quickly Parallel design, a research-based usability guideline from Usability.gov Parallel thinking, by de Bono and 2 others Conative preferences, an idea from educational psychology, and promoted by GK Vanpatter from NextDesign Sketching, promoted Microsoft’s by Bill Buxton in Sketching User Experiences 4


When several individuals attempt to solve the problem separately, the pool of results is better than a brainstorming approach :When several individuals attempt to solve the problem separately, the pool of results is better than a brainstorming approach 5


Parallel thinking lets us hear good ideas from everybody. If we hear all ideas, we’re more likely to create excellent products :Parallel thinking lets us hear good ideas from everybody. If we hear all ideas, we’re more likely to create excellent products 6


Six Hats is a method of parallel thinking that helps everyone approach the problem in the same way, at the same time :Six Hats is a method of parallel thinking that helps everyone approach the problem in the same way, at the same time 7 Control Facts Creativity Positive Negative Feelings


Your conative preference is your “doing” style, the way you prefer to approach a problem when you’re under pressure :Your conative preference is your “doing” style, the way you prefer to approach a problem when you’re under pressure 8


The Five-Sketches-or-Else method: a series of activities, in a specific order, some of which are iterated :The Five-Sketches-or-Else method: a series of activities, in a specific order, some of which are iterated 9


Discuss the problem with a subject-matter expert, to understand the competition, the market requirements, and the user personas :Discuss the problem with a subject-matter expert, to understand the competition, the market requirements, and the user personas White Hat thinking SME attends to present the factsaround the issue Participants find out what they know,what they don’t know, and decide how get the additional information they need 10


Craft one or more problem statements to which the team can respond, without limiting creativity or dictating a specific solution :Craft one or more problem statements to which the team can respond, without limiting creativity or dictating a specific solution Keeps the design team on track Makes sure the team respondsto the right problem The problem statement “Fly from a to b”is limiting because it excludes ground, underground, and virtualor remote solutions 11


Sketching five substantially different ideas takes time. The first few may sketch fast,the others only after a sticking point :Sketching five substantially different ideas takes time. The first few may sketch fast,the others only after a sticking point A minimum of 5 different ideas The first couple of sketches areusually easy, but they’re followed by an uncomfortable sticking point. It will pass. Allow your brain time to ideate. Be sure your sketch is a “rough draft” The Participant Guidelines explain the features of a good sketch 12


Sketch on large paper, with a fat-nib pen. Draw minimal detail, label all actions and outcomes in red, and add a meaningful title :Sketch on large paper, with a fat-nib pen. Draw minimal detail, label all actions and outcomes in red, and add a meaningful title 13 Not too much detail  Labels in red  Descriptive title  Large paper  Fat-nib pen 


Presenting a sketch takes only seconds.Each person presents one sketch, then each person present another, and so on… :Presenting a sketch takes only seconds.Each person presents one sketch, then each person present another, and so on… Green Hat thinking Let the sketch does most of the “talking” “Thank you for that idea!” No critiquing in a Green Hat phase, please. (That comes later, in Analysis.) Do notice the good stuff — you’ll be using it in the next part of the process 14


Mash Up Ideas :Mash Up Ideas Green Hat thinking Saturate the Design Space Mix up pieces of different designs to create a new “mash up” You can still add new ideas 15


Pretty Good Solution 1.0 :Pretty Good Solution 1.0 Green Hat thinking You’ll notice that some pieces are being repeated Sketch one Pretty Good Solution to the Problem. Each participant presents their sketch. “Thank you for that idea!” 16


Analysis :Analysis Yellow & Gray Hat thinking Analysis Guidelines … Start with yellow hat comments: one comment per sketch, then move to the next one. “This idea might succeed because …” Continue with gray hat comments: “This idea might not succeed because …” Take note when comments apply to all the design sketches. 17


After the analysis, repeat the previous step: sketch a Pretty Good Solution that considers the yellow- and grey-hat comments :After the analysis, repeat the previous step: sketch a Pretty Good Solution that considers the yellow- and grey-hat comments Green Hat thinking Present Are you noticing some trends?Any signs of convergence? Does anybody have anymore ideas they want to sketch? Do another round of analysis 18


Run the Pretty Good Solutions through a scanner, then add them to a written sketch that describes the interaction in words :Run the Pretty Good Solutions through a scanner, then add them to a written sketch that describes the interaction in words Review the Written Sketch template One of the participants volunteers to document the solution The Pretty Good Solutions end up in the written sketch But also: scan and keep all the sketches (for your project’s R&D tax claim) 19


Review the written sketch together, point by point, to check that there’s agreement and, if not, to resolve any disagreements :Review the written sketch together, point by point, to check that there’s agreement and, if not, to resolve any disagreements Get agreement from all participants Revise the document as necessary: clarification, additional details, new information, etc. This document, which contains an image of the sketch, goes on to be reviewed by Usability and the Product Manager 20


Benefits of the Five-Sketches-or-Else method :Benefits of the Five-Sketches-or-Else method 21