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UX Workshop Activity: Missions, Methods and Mindframes. Centerline Digital.

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Centerline Digital
Centerline Digital

The M3 technique helps stakeholders think from the user's perspective before defining product features. It involves stakeholders brainstorming the missions, mindframes, and methods of target users. Missions are the goals users want to accomplish. Mindframes provide context around the mental states and attitudes driving user goals. Methods are ways to help users achieve their missions. By discussing these three areas, stakeholders reach consensus on priority user needs to inform product strategy, rather than starting with predefined features. The technique surfaces insights and ensures user needs are central to the vision, helping stakeholders avoid a "features first" mentality.

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UX TECHNIQUE: MISSIONS, MINDFRAMES AND METHODS Working with Stakeholders to Anticipate User Needs Before Defining Features Kate A. Williamson Centerline Digital © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
UX TECHNIQUE: MISSIONS, MINDFRAMES AND METHODS (M3) Missions, Methods and Mindframes (M3 for short) is a simple activity I’ve used during client visioning sessions to help stakeholders step back and shift their mindframes to that of the target audience. It doesn’t replace user research; it’s simply meant to help you, as a facilitator, help stakeholders remember that underlying user needs should be informing everything we create. © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
THE ISSUE: STAKEHOLDERS OFTEN THINK “FEATURES FIRST” A “Features First” mentality means trying to define what an asset will look, feel and act like before taking the time to consider: 1) what goals the organization is trying to achieve, and 2) what problem we’re trying to solve for the customer. It happens when stakeholders are excited about creating something or just on a tight deadline to get something done. © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
SOLUTION: SHOW THEM HOW TO THINK “PEOPLE FIRST” Visioning sessions often involve a room full of stakeholders with differing perspectives and agendas, each with their own idea about how to solve the problem at hand. The M3 activity helps them take a step back to think “People First” and come to consensus on prioritized customer needs before jumping into the deep end of defining the solution. © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
HOW: WORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO DEFINE THE THREE M’S MISSIONS: (middle) Missions are the high-level goals your target audience wants to accomplish or the tasks they need to be able to complete. Missions go in the middle of your diagram and represent the backbone of your future design. ! MINDFRAMES: (top) Mindframes are the mental states, beliefs and attitudes driving user goals. These add context to missions and help stakeholders “think like the user.” Like the missions, they should be written in first-person. ! METHODS: (bottom) Methods are the ways in which we can help users accomplish their missions. These might include ways to deliver information, forums for delivery or types of information the user needs. © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
HOW TO BEGIN: START WITH THIS BLANK DIAGRAM MINDFRAMES MISSIONS METHODS © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
NOW: IMAGINE A SCENARIO As shown in the earlier pictures, I usually just draw this diagram on a giant sticky sheets, stick them to the wall, and arm stakeholders with small sticky notes to write down and contribute their ideas by sticking them in the relevant columns on the chart. MINDFRAMES MISSIONS ! For illustration’s sake in the next few slides, let’s consider our client to be a company that curates recipes on a membership platform. (Think: Epicurious or Allrecipes.) METHODS © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
STEP 1: COLLECTIVELY DEFINE USER GOALS MINDFRAMES MISSIONS METHODS © 2013 I need a go-to list of recipes. I need to know my family will like it. I want to show off meals I create. I want to save money. Step 1: Work with stakeholders in a group discussion to define missions. This ensures that everyone begins the activity from a place of consensus. M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
STEP 2: BRAINSTORM MINDFRAMES BEHIND THE MISSIONS I’m too tired to think by the time I get home. MINDFRAMES I don’t trust recipes without reviews. I’m not a great cook. I’m busy. I don’t want to cook something bad for a guest and be embarrassed. MISSIONS METHODS © 2013 I like to take pics of my meals. I need a go-to list of recipes. I need to know they’ll like it. I’m used to sharing on Instagram/ FaceBook. I want to show off meals I create. Food is getting expensive! My friends always want to go out to eat. I want to save money. Step 2: Continue group-brainstorming mindframes for each mission. Let stakeholders write and stick anything that comes to mind during the discussion. M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
STEP 3: FILL IN THE METHODS I’m too tired to think by the time I get home. MINDFRAMES I don’t trust recipes without reviews. I like to take pics of my meals. Step 3: Have stakeholders rapid list I’m not a great methods for each mission on the bottom cook. I’m busy. I’m used part of the chart. Finally, walk through to sharing on I as want to cook the filled-in chartdon’t a group, letting Instagram/ the FaceBook. something bad for a content guide new discussion. Food is getting expensive! My friends always want to go out to eat. guest and be embarrassed. MISSIONS I need a go-to list of recipes. I need to know they’ll like it. Reviews with ability to attach photos. METHODS © 2013 Filter recipes by prep/cook time Rating system where the people you cook for rate the meal instead of you rating the meal I want to show off meals I create. Social platform integration I want to save money. Real-time average cost of meal based on ingredient list Pinterest-style section linked to member profile to showcase dishes M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
WHY: WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISH WITH M3 M3 helps you get insights stuck in individual heads out into the world where you can use them. Additionally, as a group activity it helps stakeholders reach consensus about the problem at hand while demonstrating to them that user needs should be the backbone of our strategy...a message that will hopefully stick with them until their next initiative! © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
Connect here for more: @kateawilliamson @centerline ! ! centerline.net ! © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson

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UX Workshop Activity: Missions, Methods and Mindframes. Centerline Digital.

  • 1. UX TECHNIQUE: MISSIONS, MINDFRAMES AND METHODS Working with Stakeholders to Anticipate User Needs Before Defining Features Kate A. Williamson Centerline Digital © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
  • 2. UX TECHNIQUE: MISSIONS, MINDFRAMES AND METHODS (M3) Missions, Methods and Mindframes (M3 for short) is a simple activity I’ve used during client visioning sessions to help stakeholders step back and shift their mindframes to that of the target audience. It doesn’t replace user research; it’s simply meant to help you, as a facilitator, help stakeholders remember that underlying user needs should be informing everything we create. © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
  • 3. THE ISSUE: STAKEHOLDERS OFTEN THINK “FEATURES FIRST” A “Features First” mentality means trying to define what an asset will look, feel and act like before taking the time to consider: 1) what goals the organization is trying to achieve, and 2) what problem we’re trying to solve for the customer. It happens when stakeholders are excited about creating something or just on a tight deadline to get something done. © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
  • 4. SOLUTION: SHOW THEM HOW TO THINK “PEOPLE FIRST” Visioning sessions often involve a room full of stakeholders with differing perspectives and agendas, each with their own idea about how to solve the problem at hand. The M3 activity helps them take a step back to think “People First” and come to consensus on prioritized customer needs before jumping into the deep end of defining the solution. © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
  • 5. HOW: WORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO DEFINE THE THREE M’S MISSIONS: (middle) Missions are the high-level goals your target audience wants to accomplish or the tasks they need to be able to complete. Missions go in the middle of your diagram and represent the backbone of your future design. ! MINDFRAMES: (top) Mindframes are the mental states, beliefs and attitudes driving user goals. These add context to missions and help stakeholders “think like the user.” Like the missions, they should be written in first-person. ! METHODS: (bottom) Methods are the ways in which we can help users accomplish their missions. These might include ways to deliver information, forums for delivery or types of information the user needs. © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
  • 6. HOW TO BEGIN: START WITH THIS BLANK DIAGRAM MINDFRAMES MISSIONS METHODS © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
  • 7. NOW: IMAGINE A SCENARIO As shown in the earlier pictures, I usually just draw this diagram on a giant sticky sheets, stick them to the wall, and arm stakeholders with small sticky notes to write down and contribute their ideas by sticking them in the relevant columns on the chart. MINDFRAMES MISSIONS ! For illustration’s sake in the next few slides, let’s consider our client to be a company that curates recipes on a membership platform. (Think: Epicurious or Allrecipes.) METHODS © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
  • 8. STEP 1: COLLECTIVELY DEFINE USER GOALS MINDFRAMES MISSIONS METHODS © 2013 I need a go-to list of recipes. I need to know my family will like it. I want to show off meals I create. I want to save money. Step 1: Work with stakeholders in a group discussion to define missions. This ensures that everyone begins the activity from a place of consensus. M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
  • 9. STEP 2: BRAINSTORM MINDFRAMES BEHIND THE MISSIONS I’m too tired to think by the time I get home. MINDFRAMES I don’t trust recipes without reviews. I’m not a great cook. I’m busy. I don’t want to cook something bad for a guest and be embarrassed. MISSIONS METHODS © 2013 I like to take pics of my meals. I need a go-to list of recipes. I need to know they’ll like it. I’m used to sharing on Instagram/ FaceBook. I want to show off meals I create. Food is getting expensive! My friends always want to go out to eat. I want to save money. Step 2: Continue group-brainstorming mindframes for each mission. Let stakeholders write and stick anything that comes to mind during the discussion. M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
  • 10. STEP 3: FILL IN THE METHODS I’m too tired to think by the time I get home. MINDFRAMES I don’t trust recipes without reviews. I like to take pics of my meals. Step 3: Have stakeholders rapid list I’m not a great methods for each mission on the bottom cook. I’m busy. I’m used part of the chart. Finally, walk through to sharing on I as want to cook the filled-in chartdon’t a group, letting Instagram/ the FaceBook. something bad for a content guide new discussion. Food is getting expensive! My friends always want to go out to eat. guest and be embarrassed. MISSIONS I need a go-to list of recipes. I need to know they’ll like it. Reviews with ability to attach photos. METHODS © 2013 Filter recipes by prep/cook time Rating system where the people you cook for rate the meal instead of you rating the meal I want to show off meals I create. Social platform integration I want to save money. Real-time average cost of meal based on ingredient list Pinterest-style section linked to member profile to showcase dishes M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
  • 11. WHY: WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISH WITH M3 M3 helps you get insights stuck in individual heads out into the world where you can use them. Additionally, as a group activity it helps stakeholders reach consensus about the problem at hand while demonstrating to them that user needs should be the backbone of our strategy...a message that will hopefully stick with them until their next initiative! © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson
  • 12. Connect here for more: @kateawilliamson @centerline ! ! centerline.net ! © 2013 M3: Missions, Mindframes and Methods @kateawilliamson