Product Delivery UX

What is the deliverable phase?

by Faciliation

The operational phase of an Agile project

The objective is to imagine and create the solutions envisioned during the discovery phase. This is the operational phase of your project that will bring the final product to life.

This phase aims to provide the following deliverables : 

  • A user journey mapping, functional wireframes and a final User Interface based on an existing Design System.
  • A Minimum Viable Product, a user and business impactful version of the solution with minimal development effort. This deliverable allows for quick testing and validation of hypotheses while minimizing risk.
  • A continuous improvement process in the form of a Product Map that relies on data and user experience to help teams identify new opportunities for improvement.

The delivery phase or release, is one of the key phases of the agile software development process.

This is the phase where the development teams deliver the developed functionalities to the end clients or users. This phase is crucial as it allows the development teams to transform ideas and designs into tangible products.

The delivery phase in an agile environment focuses on short-term and incremental feature delivery. This approach allows development teams to quickly deliver usable features to customers and receive regular feedback. The agile method promotes an iterative approach, in which features are delivered in each iteration or sprint.

To facilitate the delivery phase, development teams must ensure they have a solid infrastructure for source code management, version control, configuration management, and deployment. These tools allow for efficient change management and quick delivery of stable releases.

Delivery automation is also crucial in an agile environment. Tools such as Jenkins, Ansible, and Puppet are often used for automating delivery processes.

Ensuring the quality of deliverables.

During the delivery phase, the development teams must also ensure that the features delivered are of high quality and meet the needs of clients. Quality tests must be performed at each iteration to ensure that the delivered product is bug-free and meets quality standards. Unit tests, integration tests, and user acceptance tests are typically used to ensure the quality of the delivery.

Additionnally, development teams must consider the technical aspect of delivery. The delivered features must be easy to integrate into the existing architecture and compatible with the technologies used by clients.

The documentation should also be provided to help customers integrate the features into their environment. Finally, the development teams must be prepared to receive feedback from customers. Customer feedback should be considered as opportunities for improvement and product update.

In conclusion

The delivery phase is a crucial step in the agile development process. It allows development teams to quickly and regularly deliver features while ensuring high quality and compatibility with existing environments.

The agile methodology encourages an iterative approach and automation for continuous delivery of quality. By keeping in mind customer feedback, development teams can ensure that the delivered product to meet the needs of customers and continues to improve over time.

choas dans une réunion

Your meetings lead nowhere, what to do?

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Why meetings are not efficient?

Several reasons that meeting can lead to nowhere:

  • Undefined objectives: If the meeting does not have a clear objective or if participants are not aware of the objective, it can be difficult to know what needs to be accomplished or discussed.

  • Too many participants: Meetings with too many participants can be difficult to manage and can lead to frequent interruptions and digressions.

  • Lack of structure: Without a clear plan and effective management of speaking time meetings, can become chaotic and unproductive.

  • Unpreparedness: If participants are not prepared or have not reviewed relevant documents before the meeting, they may struggle to follow along or contribute meaningfully.

  • Poor time management: If the meeting is not well-managed and does not adhere to the scheduled time, it can take more time than necessary and go beyond its planned duration which can be frustrating for participants.

  • They are too frequent: If meetings are held too often, they can become a waste of time for participants and harm productivity.

To avoid ineffective meetings it’s important to plan and structure the meeting in a way that achieves specific objectives maintains the attention and participation of all participants and limits distractions.

How to properly plan a meeting

Here are a few things to consider  in order to properly plan a good meeting:

Meeting objective: It is important to clearly define the objective of the meeting, so that participants know what to expect and can prepare accordingly.


Agenda: It is important to prepare a detailed agenda that lists the topics to be discussed and the allocated time for each topic. This helps to better structure the meeting and ensure that all important points are covered.

Participants: Invite the people who need to participate: make sure all participants have a good reason to participate and are aware of the topics to be discussed.

Facilitator: naming a moderator will enable someone to guide the meeting and ensure that each person has the opportunity to speak.

Necessary materials: please specify if any presentation aids or additional documents will be required for the meeting, so that participants can obtain them in advance.

Duration: it is also useful to specify the expected duration of the meeting so that participants can plan their time accordingly. It is important that this duration is respected if you need more time plan another meeting.

During the meeting make sure to follow the agenda and give everyone the opportunity to speak: use techniques for managing the floor to stay on-topic and encourage participation from all attendees.

It is also recommended to allow time for discussion and Q&A to enable participants to ask questions and express their thoughts on the topics covered. Don’t forget to include a point for evaluating the meeting and defining next steps.

Take notes and send them to all participants after the meeting: this will ensure that everyone has understood what has been discussed and can follow up on the actions to be taken.

facilitateur atelier

How to become a good facilitator?

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What is a facilitator?

A facilitator is a person who guides and supports a group of individuals in achieving their objectives through the use of facilitation techniques.

The facilitator’s role is to create a favorable environment for communication and collaboration so that the group can work effectively and creatively.

A facilitator can be involved in various types of groups such as work teams discussion groups decision-making groups etc.

The objective of a facilitator is to ensure that the group moves forward effectively and collaboratively to achieve its goals while emphasizing the commitment and participation of each member.

The role of the facilitator is to know how to manage conflicts: It is important to know how to manage conflicts in a way that they do not disrupt the group’s decision-making process.

What kind of training is required to become a facilitator?

However there is no specific mandatory training to become a facilitator.

However it is recommended to receive facilitation training in order to master the techniques and tools needed for this role.

 

Here are some examples of facilitation trainings:


  • Training in group facilitation

  • Training in meeting facilitation

  • Training in project management

  • Training in leadership

  • Training in conflict management


It is also recommended to become familiar with various facilitation tools and techniques such as brainstorming techniques decision-making techniques problem-solving techniques etc.

In addition to training it is important to have certain qualities and competencies to be a good facilitator such as communication skills active listening empathy flexibility leadership etc. These skills can be acquired through experience and practice in facilitation.

What makes a good facilitator?

Here are some qualities and skills that can make a good facilitator:

Communication: A good facilitator is able to express themselves clearly and concisely so that all participants understand what is being said. They are also attentive to the needs of each participant and know how to adapt their message accordingly.

Active listening: a good facilitator knows how to listen attentively and without prejudice to the ideas and opinions of all participants. They are also able to rephrase ideas in a way that can be understood by everyone.

Empathy: A good facilitator is able to put themselves in the shoes of others and understand their perspectives. They are kind and patient and know how to encourage everyone to speak up and participate.

Flexibility: a good facilitator knows how to adapt to different situations and different groups of people. They are capable of adjusting to different paces and levels of participation.

Leadership: A good facilitator knows how to lead a discussion in a way that remains productive and focused on the established goals. They are capable of making decisions and guiding the group towards creative and viable solutions.

Preparation: a good facilitator is well prepared and does not need to be an expert on the topic they are facilitating. Instead they rely on other members to obtain the information they need.

To summarize, a good facilitator is someone who is able to create a conducive environment for communication and collaboration guide the group towards achieving its objectives in an effective and creative manner and adapt to different situations and groups of people.

It is important to practice and train: practice and training can help you become a better facilitator by giving you the opportunity to apply what you have learned and receive feedback on your work.

Some books on facilitation:

There are numerous books on the topic of facilitation that can help in becoming a very good facilitator.

Here are some titles that might interest you:

 

  • « The Facilitator’s Fieldbook » from Tom Justice and David W. Jamieson :This book describes the different stages of facilitation and provides practical tools and strategies to assist facilitators in leading effective meetings workshops and decision-making processes.

 
  • « The Skilled Facilitator » from Roger Schwarz : This book offers a holistic approach to facilitation that emphasizes the importance of preparation active listening and conflict management.
 
  • « Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making » from Sam Kaner and al. : This guide provides practical advice on how to establish participatory decision-making processes and create a collaborative working environment.
 
  • « The Art of Facilitation » from Dale Hunter and Anne Bailey : This book presents the fundamentals of facilitation and provides guidance to help facilitators lead effective meetings and workshops.

Outils du Design Sprint

How does a Design Sprint work?

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What is a Design Sprint?

This process allows for testing and measuring a solution within 4 days by creating a functional prototype that will be tested with real users.
It is a framework a well-sequenced work process that enables teams to obtain tangible answers about the viability of a product/solution they have imagined.
 
The goal is to start with an idea/concept and at the end of the week, have a testable and measurable prototype.

Their feedback will help validate or not the initial assumptions, provide quick answers to different questions we may have and make any necessary iterations before implementing the solution (developing and integrating the technical aspects of the solution).

This framework primarily serves to establish a working structure that helps teams think co-construct and align on a clear project vision.

A 4-day week to validate a concept

Who are the participants in the Design Sprint?

The Decision Maker: the person who will have the final say in the decision-making process.

The Experts: all other participants who will share their knowledge on the subject (Product Owner Data Analyst Marketing & Communication Devops UX Designer Business Owner Sales…).

The Facilitator: the person who will be responsible for facilitating the workshop, structuring the discussions, setting up the different exercises, monitoring time and ensuring that the workshop progresses in the right direction.

The Design Sprint can be conducted on-site or remotely if the teams are located in different geographical locations.

Before the D-day, it’s important to send an email to the participants with the details of the activities (schedule of the week objectives expectations and next steps).

The Design Sprint week is intense but it will allow the teams to engage in a real collaborative approach where everyone will feel they are actively participating and contributing to the development of a testable and measurable solution.

How does the week unfold?

Day 1 :

The Design Sprint starts with a discussion/interview between the different experts and the facilitator on the problem to solve the issues faced by the users the objectives challenges business stakes…

During this interview, the objective is to capture the various opportunities in the form of « How Might We », questions on post-it notes that will allow us to better reflect on potential solutions.
A voting system will be used to prioritize the most relevant opportunities to address during the sprint.

Once the right problem has been identified, the group will define the long-term objective (that is in 2 years if everything went well what would be the ideal scenario? « North Star what would be the ideal vision).
A voting system will allow alignment on the project vision and in the event of a tie the final decision will be made by the Decision Maker.

The group will now become a bit more pessimistic and reflect on the different obstacles that would prevent them from achieving this objective.
« What would prevent us from reaching our objective? ».
 These ideas will need to be rephrased in the form of questions
 
Ex. Some competitors are already well-established on the market.
 
Question : Can we create a unique and differentiated solution that allows us to stand out from the competition?
 

Map et Sketching

Next comes the mapping exercise which aims to identify the key stage of the journey that needs to be rethought first.

Participants will now look for examples of solutions different inspirations elsewhere and not necessarily in the same industry for creating their concepts.

 
After completing this benchmark exercise, participants will be able to create a concept with ideas they wish to see in the final prototype through a paper sketching exercise.
 

Day 2

During Tuesday the team will mainly focus on item, concept, idea to be included in the final prototype.
There are at this stage of the sprint a whole series of votes for decision-making but once again, it will be up to the Decider to make the final call.
Sometimes the decisions made by the Decision Maker may go against the group’s preferences but it is important to remember that the final solution will be tested with real users and the results of the tests will show whether the concept is viable or not.

 
The participants will cast their votes on the various concepts that were elaborated the day before.
The group will be able to better visualize the winning concepts thanks to the clusters that will naturally form with the votes of each participant.
Everyone will vote again but this time on the best idea to develop.
 
Next comes the storyboarding stage also known as the « User Test Flow » where participants will use 6 post-its to illustrate each key step of the ideal journey. (List of the 6 main user actions).
 
Overview of the post-it wall as shown in the screen below:
 
Another round of voting will take place to select the journey path that will be prototyped.

Day 3 & 4

This day is dedicated to prototyping.
The goal is to build a high-fidelity prototype so that users feel like they are interacting with the actual interface (as close as possible).
 
The prototyping day is often very intense which is why it sometimes takes several UX designers to do the work to ensure that nothing is missing on the day of user testing (different states micro interactions).
 
Recruiting users and writing a clear testing protocol with the opportunities to be tested on the prototype will be necessary.
Keeping in mind the goal of these tests the questions should be oriented towards confirming or refuting the various initial hypotheses and not obtaining approval for the visual quality of the prototype.
 

The results of the Design Sprint

After the testing day a lot of materials and information will be collected that will need to be sorted and categorized.

This work will allow us to have a list of recommendations / features that will be presented to the teams and that will need to be prioritized based on value and effort (Impact Effort Matrix).

This list will fill out the teams’ roadmap and backlog with the identified topics.
 
The Design Sprint week ends with user testing.
Test usually involves 5-8 users but studies have shown that with 3 user tests, you will start to observe similar feedback from one user to another.
After testing the solution with 5 users you begin to identify what worked or not as well as hypotheses to review or refine.
 
The testing protocol will be oriented in a way to obtain tangible answers to the questions that the group asked themselves during the sprint.
Asking open questions to encourage users to express themselves is part of the best practices to adopt.
Asking for their opinion or point of view on what they see what they expect to see when clicking on a button for example capturing what is unclear and getting their feedback on the solution…
 
It is also very important to put the user at ease before starting the interview.
The user will do his best to give you his feedback by expressing himself freely if he feels comfortable.

Would it be possible to achieve the same result without using a Design Sprint?

Yes, but not as quickly and efficiently.
The important thing to keep in mind with a Design Sprint,  is that it brings together multiple expertise in a real collaborative approach aligning everyone on a common vision.
Communication and sharing of information is much more effective and the engagement of all participants in the project is undeniable.
 
A Design Sprint allows teams to accomplish in 4 days what they would normally do in 6 months.

Did you enjoy this article? Are you interested in learning more about the Design Sprint or being trained to implement it in your company?

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Facilitation atelier UX

Why is facilitation one of the key skills of tomorrow?

by Faciliation

The profession of facilitator has become very popular in recent years. If your organization is looking to innovate increase sales and profitability and establish a culture focused on performance and results then the skills of a facilitator are essential.

 

According to a recent study by the World Economic Forum critical thinking and problem-solving abilities are fundamental skills to acquire and highly valued by companies.

This makes sense: with the need to innovate more quickly collaboration co-creation and creative problem-solving are essential steps to help teams find the best solutions.

Studies have shown that bringing together people from different backgrounds and perspectives leads to more creativity and innovation.

Facilitating collaborative workshops will not only allow for the practical application of these various skills but also enable teams to engage in a true collective intelligence process. Facilitation inevitably leads to a better work environment.

By mastering these skills you will clearly stand out from other co-workers and make a difference for companies with this new way of collaborating.

What is workshop facilitation?

Facilitation is a process that helps a group achieve a clearly identified goal, define a problem to be solved or reflect on the development of a new functionality.

This methodology is often used to transform a problem into a challenge or opportunity to improve user experience (platform interface business tool…). A facilitator whether internal or external will set a framework for guiding a group and structuring discussions with specific and sequenced exercises.
The facilitator will encourage everyone to participate and allow each expert to speak up. They will capture rephrase and organize the ideas generated during the session and ensure that everyone is aligned through group cohesion.

Facilitation is still very underutilized in businesses at present. However it is a process that could gain momentum in the years to come.

What skills do you need to become a facilitator?

The facilitator prepares organizes structures and leads the workshop by providing a conducive working environment for sharing knowledge.

The facilitator will guide the participants towards the solution but on one hand, it is not their role to solve the problem on behalf of the group.

On the other hand he will be responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the workshop and will need to:

  • Be attentive and show humility

  • Guide the group with kindness

  • Provide clear instructions on the workshop plan

  • Ensure that the group is moving toward the goal

  • Ensure that everyone participates actively

  • Manage the time allocated for each exercise

  • Facilitate the discussion by asking relevant questions to elevate the debate

  • Ensure that the agenda is followed

  • Make sure that participants stay focused during the meeting

  • Define the next steps and actions to be taken

To be a good facilitator, some may think, we should:

  • Be extraverted

  • Have expertise on the subject

  • Always find the solution to the problem.

These are just preconceived ideas, the best facilitators are sometimes the most introverted.

The role of a facilitator once again is to set a framework for work to encourage participants to co-create and reflect together.
They will rather guide the group towards the objective to be achieved.

You should not be the person who has all the answers but rather the one who asks the questions. The answers should come from the group.

UX_Research

What is the Discovery phase?

by Faciliation

When launching a new product or service, there is often a gap with actual need when teams do not take the necessary time to thoroughly study their customers’ real needs and expectations (use cases qualitative/quantitative studies objectives etc.).

After some focus groups and quick studies of the competition, teams will quickly move on to the design and prototyping phase.

With enough budget, companies then launch the product then realize that there is a gap between what the user really wants and their initial assumptions.

 » If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design » Ralf Speth – Jaguar CEO.

Before even developing the product, one of the most important steps is the Discovery Phase.

It is a process that allows us to validate an idea (market functionality, user need opportunity) before implementing it.

This step allows us to better understand and identify your customers and users in order to develop a product or service that will best meet their expectations.

The discovery phase allows teams to identify potential opportunities develop products that create value (for both the business and the user) and are technically feasible.

This process helps the company avoid wasting resources on a product that nobody wants.

Product discovery enables informed decisions on what to develop based on data analysis.

Discovery has 2 main steps :

The exploratory phase and the validation phase.

Exploratory phase: This step involves various activities such as problem/opportunity identification workshops/interviews with stakeholders and auditing the existing system.

Validation phase : This step could include market research customer surveys focus groups ethnographic research prototyping and testing. The goal of this phase is to gain a deeper understanding of the user needs the market demand the technical feasibility and the design constraints which will inform the design process. Based on ouptut found during the exploratory phase.

The discovery phase will enable teams to have a clearer view establish a real product vision and make the right choices in terms of development.

To be effective, teams must broaden their possibilities and implement exercises to validate the best solutions to implement.

When should we do Discovery ?

If the project teams do not have well-defined objectives and a clear vision of the project or solution to be developed (objectives value proposition market audience OKRs…), this step is crucial.

What questions should we ask ourselves ?

  • What is the ambition of your project? What are your goals?
  • What specific problem(s) will your product or service solve? (Value proposition)
  • Who are your users what are their needs and expectations? (Audience)
  • How can you consider your project a success? (KPIs)
  • What are the alternative solutions on the market? (Current competitors)
  • What makes your product different? (Competitive advantage)
  • When do you plan to launch the product? (Time to market)
  • How do you plan to launch it? (Marketing and communication strategy)
  • What are the key factors for making your project a success?
Answering these questions will help you have a clearer understanding of your product or service.
 

What are the expectations for Discovery?

This process not only validates an idea but also gathers important quantitative and qualitative data that will guide teams in product development. They will help prioritize, select the best solutions, facilitate decision-making, establish an action plan etc.
 

By incorporating discovery into your study phases, you will be able to obtain the following outputs:

  • A better understanding of the users and their needs, behaviors and pain points
  • Clarity about the problem you are trying to solve and the goals you want to achieve
  • A set of hypotheses to test and validate through user research and usability testing
  • Detailed personas and user journeys to guide your design decisions
  • Insights into the market and competitors to inform your product positioning and differentiation
  • Data-driven recommendations for the design and development teams

All of these outputs can help ensure that your product or service meets the needs of your users and stands out in a competitive market.

Atelier UX avec l'équipe de designers

Why organizing a workshop instead of a meeting?

by Faciliation

The difference between a workshop and a meeting is that during a meeting, participants will naturally communicate freely with open discussions where many ideas and opinions are shared and without structuring or framing exchanges between participants, it quickly becomes chaos.

In addition, everyone has their own way of taking notes, not everyone captures the same information and the perception of information can vary from person to person.

At the end of the meeting, nothing tangible has come out and no decision has been made.

Result : Product vision goal is NOT CLEAR

The workshop unlike a meeting will allow for setting a work framework by structuring the discussions. This is where the FACILITATOR comes in who, will have to suggest this work environment to the group by structuring the discussions through sequenced exercises.

These exercises will allow the group to move towards a specific objective that was set at the beginning of the workshop. Therefore it is important to prepare the workshop well, define and share the agenda in advance.

During a meeting unlike a workshop no one was specifically designated to facilitate the discussions and interact with the group.

What is a facilitator ?

He supports project teams (often multidisciplinary and therefore complementary to teams) in problem solving, identifying objectives and project stakes, facilitates decision and making (prioritizing tasks, action planning).

The facilitator sets up a work framework to make teams collaborate more effectively, align the vision through the implementation of collaborative workshops, favoring collective intelligence.

Everybody participates and becomes a contributor by being a « source of ideas » during the workshops. The facilitator is not there to find the solution but to help the group move towards the solution.

What does he effectively do? what is his role?

Before the workshop :

  • Engage in discussions with experts beforehand to get the context
  • Fully understand the given assignment
  • Identify the participants of the workshop
  • Get familiar with the context without being an expert on the subject
  • Planning the workshop (including the methods and tools that will be used as well as the supporting materials)

During the workshop :

  • Remind the objectives, the framework…
  • Give clear instructions on the workshop sequence
  • Structure and sequence discussions
  • Guide the group by helping the participants to gain a broader perspective
  • Elevate the conversation level when appropriate
  • Ensure good dynamics in the group making sure everyone can express themselves.

  • Timing each exercise and speaking time

  • Ensuring that the workshop is moving forward smoothly and eliminating any discussions or debates that are not directly related to the agenda

  • Capturing everything that is shared during the session and grouping common ideas

  • Restating what has been said to ensure that everyone has understood the same thing

  • Defining the next steps

After the workshop :

  • Summarize everything that was shared during the session in a clear and comprehensive format
  • Summarise and/or provide feedback to the teams
  • List and prioritize opportunities/work areas with other workshops
  • Identify impacted teams and suggest an action plan
  • Plan the next steps
  • Facilitate other workshops as needed

A facilitator can be valuable asset to the project teams:

  • Developing a solution without clearly identifying objectives and challenges.

  • Having a problem to solve that requires the involvement of at least 3 stakeholders.

Advantages of a workshop: Interactive & Collaborative

  • Centralizing everything onto a single platform rather than scattered across different sources (data qualitative, studies, objectives, vision, CVP, OKRs, inspirations challenges, users, use cases, pain points, opportunities)

  • Live and asynchronous communication space

  • Structuring & Sequencing discussions (importance of having a facilitator, not deviating from the scope ex.: Starting to discuss possible solutions while defining the problem)

  • Visualize discussions with a standardized note-taking system (seeing post-its on a board helps capture ideas and centralize everything in one place allows for continued contribution even after the workshop and helps with prioritization through a voting system).

  • Everyone actively participates: Generate ideas individually and then share them with the group. Everyone gives their opinion without the group effect where, often the most outgoing or highest in the hierarchy will drive the group’s reflections. The more introverted who usually listen more during traditional meetings, will be able to give their opinion and contribute.

  • Definition of next steps (deciding on the next actions and assigning responsibilities/tasks to each impacted team).