Strategy, design concepts, and estimates based on user-research
Most projects start with Research & Concepting
to make sure we thoroughly understand your project.
Using an object-oriented user experience (OOUX) strategy,
we’ll help you pinpoint the right digital product –
with interactive wireframes,
prioritized estimates,
and a robust plan for development and launch.
We’ll guide you through the
Object Oriented User Experience (OOUX) process –
popularized by Sophia Prater –
to define the “objects” that make up your web app,
the relationships between those objects,
and the ways users want to interact with those objects.
We will deliver an Object Map
to streamline communication
between designers, developers, and stakeholders
throughout the project.
It was easy to talk about technology options.
OddBird was both flexible
(working within the constraints of our existing systems)
and opinionated
(bringing context from past experience).
OddBird communication is excellent.
They come prepared, they are deeply technical,
and they can express complex concepts to a variety of audiences.
I have invited them to meetings with execs,
designers, engineers, and our own customers.
They always do a great job representing the project.
This process delivers all the information required to take your
project to the next step. We’ll help you understand the full scope of
your vision, experiment with interactive visualization, define the
Minimum Viable Product (MVP), get to know your customers on a new level,
and see a full estimate for design and development. Use the Research &
Concepting deliverables to present your idea to your board or CEO, or to
take the leap into creating your web project!
Goals
Together we’ll discuss the goals, scope, and requirements of the
project and create a map for our journey. Some of the information may
be available in planning documents you have already created. This
process includes a review of technical, brand, and marketing goals as
needed. Below are a few sample questions.
What is the goal of the application?In other words, when it’s done and working great,
what specific outcomes will occur? Are we trying to close sales?
Are we telling a story? Are we earning permission to follow up?
Are we hoping that people will watch or learn?
Who are we trying to reach?Is it everyone? Existing customers?
A certain kind of prospect?
What are the existing apps and sites
that this group has demonstrated they enjoy interacting with?
Does your audience have specific accessibility needs?
Basic accessibility is included.Do varying ability levels play a role?
Languages or other cultural/location differences?
User Profiles
Next we will create User Profiles to help us imagine a day in the life
of your users. When and where do they use the application? What are
they trying to do on the tool, and why? Below is a sample excerpt from
a User Profile.
User 1 - Coach
In the morning, Sam sits down at her desk in her office
and opens CoachHub on her desktop in Chrome browser.
She skims the dashboard and notices two alerts –
new customer signups –
that she needs to respond to right away.
She clicks on one customer name
and is taken directly to their profile information.
Sam quickly browses their list of needs
and clicks on her calendar to confirm the meeting date
the new customer requested.
It is easy to continue to the next customer
because the tool bar with alerts
still appears at the top of this page.
After taking care of the immediate tasks…
Interactive Wireframe
We will also create a basic, interactive design of the application,
showing the movement of users through core interactions. We’ll make it
look good, but lo-fi and unbranded, including several linked gray-scale
pages. Wireframes are a great way to start visualizing your web product
or site – helping us get into the specifics of what your app should do.
Wireframes are also a fantastic tool to get investor, CEO, or board
approval.
Sample Interactive Wireframe showing one laptop sized screen and the mobile view of the same content with clickable links.
User Stories
Using the Goals, User Profiles, Interviews, and Wireframe we will
create a list of expected features or ‘stories’ written from the
perspective of individuals. The final list of User Stories represents
all the ways people will interact with the web application or site.
User Stories help us provide an accurate estimate, and collaborate with
you to prioritize tasks, keeping you in control of the cost. Below is a
sample set of User Stories. Large projects can have over 100 Stories.
As a Coach, I want…
to see a dashboard.
to check alerts.
to see and confirm appointments on a calendar.
to view a client’s profile with need requests.
As a Client, I want…
to create a profile.
to request an appointment on a calendar.
to select specific services from a list.
Object Map & Data Model
What are the core concepts or “objects”
that users want to interact with in the application?
What are the relationships between these objects?
What attributes does each object have,
and what is the data-type for each attribute?
Our certified object-oriented UX strategist
will map out the objects in the web application
to create an Object Map –
giving every object a unique name
and describing the relationships between them.
This Object Map will guide development
and keep the entire team on the same page.
Sample Object Map of Mighty Networks web application showing objects, content & metadata attributes, and the relationships between objects.
Itemized & Prioritized Estimate
We’ll estimate each User Story individually, providing you with an
itemized hourly estimate, organized into phases where appropriate.
We’ll work with you to add, remove, and rearrange features to find the
right balance of functionality and budget.
The purpose of a web app or site is to improve life for people. We offer
these additional items to help you get to know the people who will
interact with your digital product more fully. Let’s find out what’s
familiar to them, where they are struggling, and what would make their
lives easier.
Competitor Overview
Let’s take a look at existing web apps and companies that serve a
similar audience to get an overview of industry trends and potential
pitfalls to avoid. We’ll do a more detailed analysis of a direct
competitor, asking questions like ‘what are the specific features this
competitor is using to serve people?’ and ‘how comfortable do users
feel when using this competitor’s web app?’
User Interviews
Because your digital product needs to serve different people with
distinct needs, we would like to have direct conversations with a
variety of users in order to create something they will all find
useful. These interviews can happen over the phone, via video chat,
or through an online survey.
OddBird met for a work retreat in April.
On the Oddgenda: grow the company, and redesign OddSite.
I came home from retreat tasked with reviewing OddBird’s
eb presence, and proposing ways to improve
communication about our process and services
in order to attract new clients.
