Plan Your Next Project in a Flash, Post-It Style
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“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
Larry Elder
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About Me
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Our Team
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PAUSE!
I was on a roll, but this is important for today’s class :)
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“How Might We” Note-Taking
During this workshop, if you have questions for me, you can write them down on a BIG YELLOW POST IT.
But, you should write it as a How Might We (or How Might I) question. Start with HMW or HMI, then phrase your question as a How Might We.
EXAMPLE
HMI utilize the post-it site map exercise for a print project?
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UNPAUSE!
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Successful Projects Need Great Kickoffs
Why do a kickoff?
Who do I need at at a kickoff?
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Common Kickoff Challenges
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Prepping for Your Kickoff
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Sprint: Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just 5 Days
A lot of these ideas are adapted from this book by the Google Ventures team. If you’re interested in learning more, I highly suggest picking up a copy.*
It’s basically a step by step break down of what it takes to solve big problems. The steps work for anything, whether it’s a project or planning a party.
*Not sponsored by Google Ventures.
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Techniques for Websites, Products, Apps, Features, etc.
Since Alley primarily works on websites, I’ll be speaking about these activities in those terms. However, each and all of these ideas can be adapted to whatever type of project you’re working on.
If you have specific questions, please write them down on your HMW post its, and we’ll get to them at the end!
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Tools of the Kickoff Trade
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Why Post Its*?
* I swear I’m not sponsored by Post Its. I’m just weirdly obsessed with them.
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Day 1 Overview
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Lightning Discussion
EXAMPLE DESCRIPTION
We want to hear from team members representing different aspects/departments of the your work (research, communications, events). Please come prepared to briefly discuss your work and goals for the website. For each area, we’d like one representative to provide information along the following discussion points:
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“How Might We” Questions Drafting
EXAMPLE DESCRIPTION
During the Day 1 discussions, we’ll ask each participant to listen and document compelling ideas for the website or comments (their own or their colleagues’) in the form of “How Might We…” questions—”HMW” for short. Each participant will write three HMW questions to share with the group. We will organize the questions into “affinity groups” (related by topic or objective) and then vote to determine the priorities for our work.
“How Might We” examples:
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“How Might We” Prioritization
When it’s time for the HMW activity, start by having every participating member pick their top 3-5 HMW notes and stick them on a wall.
Next, dismiss the group for a short break while your team reads the HMWs. While doing so, think of categories for grouping similar HMWs, such as “branding” “media” “sales”, etc.
Write the categories in bold sharpie on new post its, and line these up. Organize the group’s HMWs under the relevant category.
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“How Might We” Dot Voting
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Turning “How Might We” into Project Objectives
The idea of the HMW exercise is to glean the most important project objectives. Once participants vote with their dot stickers, the facilitator will read out the ones with the most dots, and remove those from the crowd. On Day 2, they will be rewritten as Project Objectives, which you will then work with the client to prioritize.
REALLY BASIC EXAMPLE
HMW drive users to our shop page? = Drive users to our shop page.
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Sketching: Working Alone Together
Timebox: 20 min.
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Sketching Dot Voting
Dot voting, again?!
OF COURSE, those dots are super adorable and they DO come in hot pink.
But for reals, this will be really helpful in jumpstarting your actual work.
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Sketching Dot Voting
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Day 1 Conclusion
CONGRATULATIONS!! You did it!
Well, almost. You’ve still got Day 2 coming up!
Use a paperclip to save a stack of the top-voted HMWs, another paperclip to save the rest (just in case), and another to keep the sketches together (with the top dots at the top.
If you’re paranoid that your dog will eat your homework, feel free to take photos of everything.
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Day 2 Overview
Here’s the fun part! Invite 1-2 representatives (your primary contact) from the client to join you for the Day 2 workshop. It’s good to have 2-3 people from your team present. We usually have a designer, our Director of UX, and a project manager.
Activities
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Site Mapping
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Templates
It’s preferred to do this with post its so you can just throw away ones that don’t work, but whiteboard works too.
We generally identify “templates” as a wireframe that could be used for multiple pages, for example, an article page. This helps developers out so they’re not coding each page individually.
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Project Planning
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Client Kickoff Conclusion
Okay, NOW you did it!!!!
Give yourself a pat on the back and your team a high five. You’re all set to start your project with a bunch of tools in your pocket.
You go, Glen Coco!
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Your turn!
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Thank You
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