One Big Field

How to run a user-centered

requirements gathering workshop
Presented by Fergus Roche
Friday 15th July 2011

for…
One Big Field

UX (user experience)
 One Big Field
Prototype


UX will reduce
risk
The UX approach allows us
to visualise a view of the
future without going near
build, reducing cost.

Source:
OBF
project
–
interac5on
prototype

 One Big Field

We design with 2nd
most
 Most
a8en5on


data
Lots of designers don’t.
Which we find weird.

Most
clicked


image
source:
OBF
project

 One Big Field

Help orgs. make

better decisions
Position your need; if you
can write down a problem
correctly, you can see the
solution.

image
source:
OBF
project

One Big Field

Why a workshop?
Gain insight & build consensus

image
source

 One Big Field

When to run a workshop to gather

requirements?

Made
up

&
combos


bespoke Rapid


Prototyping

 One Big Field

When to run a workshop to gather

requirements?
Made
up
&
 Rapid


bespoke combos
 Prototyping


Waterfall Trad. digital agency Iterative Agile / Scrum

Requirements Research Inception Requirements

Specification Business requirements Business modeling Specification
Design IA Requirements Architecture
Construct Specification Elaboration Design
Integrate Design Analysis & design Implementation
Test Build Construction Testing
Install Test Implementation Deployment
Maintain UAT Test Maintenance
Go live Transition
SLA Deploy

Typically run workshops during these stages

One Big Field

Three key elements…

1. The process map

2. A requirement in context
3. Prioritisation

image
source

One Big Field

…lets pretend we’re

in a workshop
One Big Field

The project
2011 National Elections: Get the people to vote!

Client
Electoral commission [stakeholders]
Supplier
Syco Productions [supplier & UX team]

Challenge
Post-Olympics, electoral turnout for 2014 is
forecast to drop to 30%.
image
source

One Big Field

Simon has been brought in to

X-Factor the elections…
image
source

 One Big Field

Rules of the game

 Grouped by suit:
 Players: Ace - 7
 Watchers: 8 - King
 Roles:
 Ace – UX team leader [Syco]
 2 & 3 – UXer [Syco]
 3 – client contact [Elec. comms]
 4, 5, 6 & 7- stakeholder [Elec. Comms]
One Big Field

Your first task…

Process-mapping
 How the
hell do I
vote?
Said Chloe [aged 19], a dynamic entrepreneur
knee-deep in running her fifth successful start-up.
One Big Field

Task no 1: process-mapping

Process map out the existing process of

voting in the general elections.

[Ace – 7]

See scenario
EXAMPLE
CLIENT
One Big Field

Process-mapping assets
Persona
Key scenarios
Flip-chart paper, post-its & markers
A clear & empty wall
One Big Field

Personas

Simple > proper ones

[or the One Big Field, special-trump-card-micro-persona one…
 One Big Field EXAMPLE
CLIENT
Scenario:
I5bek’s
earthquake

There
is
a
major
earthquake
in
a
rural
remote
area
of
Kyrgyzstan.
The

Bri5sh
Red
Cross
launches
an
appeal.



I5bek,
a
young
Bri5sh
man
with
Kirghiz
parents,
is
very
concerned

about
his
rela5ves
‐
his
uncle,
aunt
and
cousin
from
his
mother’s

side
live
in
the
area
affected
by
the
earthquake.
He's
been
trying
to
get

in
touch
with
them
but
has
not
heard
anything
since
the
earthquake.




How
can
the
Bri5sh
Red
Cross
help
him
to
find
out
what
is
happening

to
his
rela5ves


He’s
wondering
whether
to
donate
money
to
the
appeal


He
would
also
like
to
donate
some
of
his
winter
clothes,
and
wants
to

find
out
where
his
nearest
Red
Cross
shop
is
to
do
so.



Having
donated
money
and
clothes,
he
comes
back
to
the
website
a

month
later
to
find
out
how
the
Red
Cross
has
been
using
his

dona5on
in
Kyrgyzstan.


Describe
and
map
out
how
he
would
engage
with
the
Bri5sh
Red
Cross

currently.
Highlight
the
tracing
&
message,
donate
and
shop
steps.


EXAMPLE
CLIENT
One Big Field EXAMPLE
CLIENT
 One Big Field

PROCESS-
start
 BUSINESS LIKES/
SCENARIOS MAP
OBJECTIVES DISLIKES
[EXISTING]

IDEATION
PRIORITISE REPEAT PER
ACROSS CLUSTER
/ CULL SCENARIO
MAPS

Quan5ty
[x50]
 Quality
[x2]


SCORE
PROTOTYPE
IDEAS ORGANISE /
PRIORTIES end

AGAINST LIST REQS.
FIRST
OBJECTIVES
One Big Field

Three key elements…

1. The process map

2. A requirement in context
3. Prioritisation

image
source

 One Big Field

Lets swap!
 Grouped by suit:
 Watchers: Ace - 7
 Players: 8 - King
 Roles:
 Ace – UX team leader [Syco]
 8 – client contact [Elec. comms]
 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King- stakeholder
[Elec. Comms]
One Big Field

Task no 2: ideation

Come up with 50 ideas to improve this

process. Requirements in context.

[8 - King]
One Big Field EXAMPLE
CLIENT

Process map:
Find information on
<type X>business
cover. Offering a
package for the first
time.
One Big Field EXAMPLE
CLIENT
One Big Field

Three key elements…

1. The process map

2. A requirement in context
3. Prioritisation

image
source

 One Big Field

PROCESS-
start
 BUSINESS LIKES/
SCENARIOS MAP
OBJECTIVES DISLIKES
[EXISTING]

IDEATION
PRIORITISE REPEAT PER
ACROSS CLUSTER
/ CULL SCENARIO
MAPS
Quan5ty
[x50]
 Quality
[x2‐5]


SCORE
PROTOTYPE
IDEAS ORGANISE /
PRIORTIES end

AGAINST LIST
FIRST
OBJECTIVES
One Big Field

Task no 3: Strategic prioritisation

Are the top ideas/requirements relevant?

[Everyone]
One Big Field

Score the top ideas against

the strategic statements for
the project.

image
source:
OBF
workshop

One Big Field

Strategic statements
1.  Reduce the cost of the voting system

2. Increase number of voters to over 70%

3. Gather more data on voters

4. Make system favour the Party contributing

most to Commission’s retirement Fund

5. Allow voters to also audition for X-Factor

 One Big Field

PROCESS-
start
 BUSINESS LIKES/
SCENARIOS MAP
OBJECTIVES DISLIKES
[EXISTING]

IDEATION
PRIORITISE REPEAT PER
ACROSS CLUSTER
/ CULL SCENARIO
MAPS
Quan5ty
[x50]
 Quality
[x2‐5]


SCORE
PROTOTYPE
IDEAS ORGANISE /
PRIORTIES end

AGAINST LIST
FIRST
OBJECTIVES
One Big Field EXAMPLE
CLIENT

…end results
One Big Field

The three key elements…

1. The process map

2. A requirement in context
3. Prioritisation

image
source

One Big Field

13 essential ingredients
for a successful workshop

image
source

 One Big Field

No
1
–
have
a
plan

Travelex Workshop

Part 1 Part 2
Intro <split & mix teams>
20 mins 15 mins
05 mins - Intros [Phil] 15 mins - review & ideate across x2
05 mins - Project overview [Phil] process-maps
10 mins - Likes/dislikes [ferg]
<Split into groups> 20 mins
20 mins 10 mins - Process-map a scenario 5 &
10 mins - Process-map a scenario 1 & 2 6[open]
05 mins - Ideation [50 ideas] 05 mins - Ideation [50 ideas]
05 mins - Cluster and prioritise x2 05 mins - Cluster and prioritise x2
<repeat> <combine top ideas>
20 mins
10 mins - Process-map a scenario 3 & 4 10 mins
05 mins - Ideation [50 ideas] Prioritise [against biz objectives]
05 mins - Cluster and prioritise x2 If time, review and cluster non-selected
needs / what's missing
10 mins - Coffee break 5 mins slippage overall
One Big Field

13 essential ingredients
1. Have a plan 8. Timekeeping & team
2. Group dynamics back up
3. Enthusiasm 9. Divide & conquer
4. Pace & flow 10. Coral the alphas, don't
5. Assets spread them out
6. Stand up! 11. The bad idea from the
7. Know your room & top dog
reconfigure 12. The really good idea
13. Remember to shut-up
image
source

One Big Field

A workshop can gain you

insight & build consensus
with the stakeholders

image
source

One Big Field

A final point on handling large groups…

One Big Field

Thanks!

image
source:
OBF
workshop
 for…
One Big Field

Next steps to prioritising

requirements…
One Big Field

Prioritising requirements
 MoSCoW
 The 1-100 scale

with
Planning
Poker

One Big Field

Planning Poker…

Req 1: do the washing up after dinner – effort

involved = 1 Chihuahua

Req 2: build a small desk from a flatpack IKEA set –

effort involved = 1 Labrador

Req 3: replace the engine in your car – effort

involved = 1 Great Dane

Req 4: build a small nuclear fusion generator in an

Afghan cave. As a prisoner – effort involved = ten
Wargs [massive monster dogs from Lord of the
Rings]
One Big Field

Planning Poker…

• Know that no human can accurately estimate. We

just can’t do it. Accept it.

• Don’t estimate based on time

• Estimate requirements based on effort relative to

other requirements.

• Apply abstract value system e.g. 1-100, dogs

• Work out what the value of 1 is per developer in

time

• Multiply to get real effort values

• Adjust through project lifecycle

 One Big Field

Thanks!
& thanks to the plants…

image
source:
OBF
workshop
 for…