SOFTWARE DESIGN: SESSION 6

MAPPING THE COAST- CREATING

QUALITY DEVELOPMENT INPUTS
Alex Cowan

2015 COWAN+
WHERE YOU SHOULD BE NOW
Experiment(s) for
CUSTOMER Was the implemented
DISCOVERY & story relevant to the
hypothesis testing
EXPERIMENTS proposition?

WH
AT
Personas, Problem Scenarios

?IF
including Think- Alternatives
See-Feel-Do Value Propositions
VALUE
PROPOSITIONS & Summary Value
ASSUMPTIONS Hypothesis
MVP Ideas
Assumptions for Value
Hypothesis

Do we understand
this person? What ?
AT
makes them tick? WH
PROBLEM Interview Guide
PERSONAS WHO? SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES
2 (or more) Interviews

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

WHAT WELL WORK ON TODAY
How did the customer CUSTOMER Was the implemented
/user react? DISCOVERY & story relevant to the
EXPERIMENTS proposition?
?

E
M

WH
W

AT
S HO

?IF
VALUE
PROPOSITIONS &
USER STORIES
ASSUMPTIONS
& PROTOTYPES

Do we understand
this person? What ?
AT
makes them tick? WH
PROBLEM
PERSONAS WHO? SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

WHAT WELL WORK ON TODAY
Finding the Right Finding the Right
PROBLEM SOLUTION

Value Hypothesis &

Personas
alternatives

Assumptions
Problems
Alternatives Product Experiments on Motivation
Hypothesis User Stories
Field
Discovery (input to)

Software

divergence convergence divergence convergence

time
source: adapted from The Design of Everyday Things 2015 COWAN+
SOFTWARE DESIGN CLASS

EMPATHIZE TEST VALUE BUILD

Interview Guide Proposition Design User Stories
VETTED Customer Interviews Assumptions Comparables/
SOFTWARE
VENTURE Personas Motivation Tests Patterns
DESIGN
IDEA Problem Scenarios Prototypes
Usability Tests

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

THE IMPORTANCE OF FORM & NOTATION

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

(THE WHOLE) AGILE USER STORY
Epic Stories
Stories Who is this user?
Test Cases What makes them tick?
Whos an example of such a person?
As a [persona],
I want to [do something]
so that I can [realize a reward]

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

(THE WHOLE) AGILE USER STORY
Epic Stories
Stories Who is this user?
Test Cases What makes them tick?
Whos an example of such a person?
As a [persona],
I want to [do something]
so that I can [realize a reward]
Why do they want to do this?
What's the benefit/reward?
How will we know of its
working?

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

WHAT ANGLE ARE WE WORKING?

Motivation

Action : )

Action Line

Inaction : (

Ability (Usability)

source: adapted from BJ Foggs Behavioral Model 2015 COWAN+

THE RED BUTTON PROBLEM
As a shopper,
I want to click a red button,
so I can complete my purchase.
I AM A
RED
BUTTON!

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

PERSONA TO PROBLEM SCENARIO TO EPIC
Who?

PERSONAS

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

PERSONA TO PROBLEM SCENARIO TO EPIC
Who? What?

PROBLEM
PERSONAS SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

PERSONA TO PROBLEM SCENARIO TO EPIC
Who? What?

PROBLEM
PERSONAS SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES

Why?
(Motivation)

VALUE
PROPOSITIONS &
ASSUMPTIONS

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

PERSONA TO PROBLEM SCENARIO TO EPIC
How?
Who? What? (Usability)

PROBLEM
PERSONAS SCENARIOS & USER STORIES
ALTERNATIVES & PROTOTYPES

Why?
(Motivation) EPIC
STORY

VALUE
PROPOSITIONS & CHILD
ASSUMPTIONS

CHILD

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

PERSONA TO PROBLEM SCENARIO TO EPIC- HVAC IN A HURRY
Who?

Ted the HVAC

Technician

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

PERSONA TO PROBLEM SCENARIO TO EPIC- HVAC IN A HURRY
Who? What?

Ted the HVAC Getting parts

Technician to a job site.

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

PERSONA TO PROBLEM SCENARIO TO EPIC- HVAC IN A HURRY
Who? What?

Ted the HVAC Getting parts

Technician to a job site.

A more structured,
automated parts
Why?
ordering process will
(Motivation)
increase billable time
and reduce planning
overhead.
ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+
PERSONA TO PROBLEM SCENARIO TO EPIC- HVAC IN A HURRY
How?
Who? What? (Usability)

Ted the HVAC Getting parts Epic #1:

Technician to a job site. As Ted the HVAC technician, I
want to identify a part that needs
replacing so I can decide my next
steps.
A more structured,
automated parts
Why?
ordering process will
(Motivation)
increase billable time
and reduce planning
overhead.
ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+
DEBUGGING: EPIC TO PROBLEM TO PERSONA
How?
(Usability)

USER STORIES
& PROTOTYPES

EPIC
STORY

CHILD

CHILD

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

DEBUGGING: EPIC TO PROBLEM TO PERSONA
How?
What? (Usability)

USER STORIES
& PROTOTYPES

Why?
(Motivation) EPIC
STORY

VALUE
PROPOSITIONS & CHILD
ASSUMPTIONS

CHILD

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

DEBUGGING: EPIC TO PROBLEM TO PERSONA
How?
What? (Usability)

PROBLEM
SCENARIOS & USER STORIES
ALTERNATIVES & PROTOTYPES

Why?
(Motivation) EPIC
STORY

VALUE
PROPOSITIONS & CHILD
ASSUMPTIONS

CHILD

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

DEBUGGING: EPIC TO PROBLEM TO PERSONA
How?
Who? What? (Usability)

PROBLEM
PERSONAS SCENARIOS & USER STORIES
ALTERNATIVES & PROTOTYPES

Why?
(Motivation) EPIC
STORY

VALUE
PROPOSITIONS & CHILD
ASSUMPTIONS

CHILD

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

PERSONA TO PROBLEM SCENARIO TO EPIC- HVAC IN A HURRY
How?
Who? What? (Usability)

Getting parts Epic #1:

Ted the HVAC
is hard and As Ted the HVAC technician, I
Technician
holds up jobs. want to identify a part that needs
replacing so I can decide my next
steps.
A more
structured, Why?
automated (Motivation)
parts ordering
process.

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

THE EPIC: NOT QUITE AS BIG AS IT SOUNDS

Epic Stories Epic sounds big.

Stories

Test Cases
But they are still specific & discrete.
The bigger stuff should thread back
to problem scenarios.

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

PERSONA TO PROBLEM SCENARIO TO EPIC- HVAC IN A HURRY
How?
Who? What? (Usability)

Getting parts Epic #1:

Ted the HVAC
is hard and As Ted the HVAC technician, I
Technician
holds up jobs. want to identify a part that needs
replacing so I can decide my next
steps.
A more
structured, Why?
automated (Motivation)
parts ordering Draft an Epic, Identifying
process. its Parent Problem
Scenario & Proposition
ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+
EXAMPLE: AGILE EPIC STORIES AT HVAC IN A HURRY
As a [persona],
I want to [do something]
so that I can [derive a benefit]

EXAMPLE EPICS
1) As Ted the HVAC technician, I want to identify a part that needs replacing so I can decide
my next steps.
2) As Harry the HVAC technician, I want to understand how to arrive at my next job prepared
so I avoid logistical delays and the customer having to repeat themselves.
3) As Danielle the Dispatcher, I want to understand a customers location, needs, and urgency
level so I can decide who, what, and when to dispatch to their site.
4) As Danielle the Dispatcher, I want to see a specific technicians availability so I can decide
whether Im able to use them for follow-up on a job they started.

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

EXAMPLE: AGILE USER STORIES AT HVAC IN A HURRY

EPIC STORY CHILD STORY A

1) As Ted the HVAC technician, I want to 1A) I know the part and I want to order it
identify a part that needs replacing so I can so I can figure out next steps on the
decide my next steps. repair.

CHILD STORY B
1B) I dont know the part and I want to try
to identify it online so I can move the job
forward.

STORY N

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

SKETCHING YOUR NARRATIVE
EPIC
As Ted the HVAC technician, I want to identify a part that needs replacing so I can decide my next steps.

TRIGGER ACTION REWARD

How does the problem scenario
How is the alternative executed? How is the persona gratified?
initiate?

source: adapted from Nir Eyals Hook Framework 2015 COWAN+

SKETCHING YOUR NARRATIVE
EPIC
As Ted the HVAC technician, I want to identify a part that needs replacing so I can decide my next steps.

TRIGGER ACTION REWARD

How does the problem scenario
How is the alternative executed? How is the persona gratified?
initiate?

Ted completes a problem diagnosis Ted knows the cost and availability
Ted identifies the part for ordering
that requires a new part of the part

source: adapted from Nir Eyals Hook Framework 2015 COWAN+

THINKING THROUGH AN EPIC
EPIC
As Ted the HVAC technician, I want to identify a part that needs replacing so I can decide my next steps.

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+
THINKING THROUGH AN EPIC
EPIC
As Ted the HVAC technician, I want to identify a part that needs replacing so I can decide my next steps.

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+
THINKING THROUGH AN EPIC
EPIC
As Ted the HVAC technician, I want to identify a part that needs replacing so I can decide my next steps.

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+
THINKING THROUGH AN EPIC
EPIC
As Ted the HVAC technician, I want to identify a part that needs replacing so I can decide my next steps.

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

THINKING THROUGH AN EPIC
EPIC
As Ted the HVAC technician, I want to identify a part that needs replacing so I can decide my next steps.

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

THINKING THROUGH AN EPIC
EPIC
As Ted the HVAC technician, I want to identify a part that needs replacing so I can decide my next steps.

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

DRAFT A STORYBOARD
EPIC
As Ted the HVAC
technician, I want to
identify a part that needs
replacing so I can decide
my next steps.

Storyboard Your Epic

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+
EXAMPLE: AGILE USER STORIES
EPIC STORY
As Ted the HVAC technician, I want to identify a part that needs replacing so I can decide my next steps.

CHILD STORIES
A) I know the part number and I want to find it on the system so I can figure out next steps on the repair.
B) I dont know the part number and I want to try to identify it online so I can move the job forward.
C) I dont know the part number and I cant determine it and I want help so I can move the job forward.
D) I want to see the cost of the part and time to receive it so I decide on next steps and get agreement from
the customer.

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

EXAMPLE: AGILE USER STORIES
EPIC STORY
As Ted the HVAC technician, I want to identify a part that needs replacing so I can decide my next steps.

CHILD STORIES
A) I know the part number and I want to find it on the system so I can figure out next steps on the repair.
B) I dont know the part number and I want to try to identify it online so I can move the job forward.
C) I dont know the part number and I cant determine it and I want help so I can move the job forward.
D) I want to see the cost of the part and time to receive it so I decide on next steps and get agreement from
the customer.

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

EXAMPLE: AGILE USER STORIES
EPIC STORY
As Ted the HVAC technician, I want to identify a part that needs replacing so I can decide my next steps.

CHILD STORY TEST CASE

A) I know the part number and I want to find it on the Make sure its possible to search by part number.
system so I can figure out next steps on the repair.
Make sure descriptive info. appears as the search
narrows (photo?) to help avoid error.

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

EXAMPLE: AGILE USER STORIES
EPIC STORY
As Ted the HVAC technician, I want to identify a part that needs replacing so I can decide my next steps.

CHILD STORY TEST CASE

A) I know the part number and I want to find it on the Make sure its possible to search by part number.
system so I can figure out next steps on the repair.
Make sure descriptive info. appears as the search
narrows (photo?) to help avoid error.

D) I want to see the cost of the part and time to Make sure its possible to dispatch a request by email
receive it so I decide on next steps and get agreement to the customer in case they order their own parts
from the customer. and/or carry their own inventory of spares.
NOTE: How would the customer respond so we can
help structure the next steps as we would otherwise?

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF 2015 COWAN+

ASSIGNMENTS
1. Do/Individual: Agile Epics (15-20 minutes)
2. Do/Individual: Storyboard an Agile Epic (15-30 minutes)
3. Do/Individual: Draft User Stories & Test Cases for An Agile Epic (20-30 minutes)
4. Do/Individual: Complete Peer Review of Propositions, Assumptions, Experiment
Ideas, and Experimental Design(20-30 minutes)

ALEX COWAN | alexandercowan.com | @cowanSF v7 2015 COWAN+