Summary
Generative workshops are a critical generative component of any product development process. But in my 20+ years conducting product user research, I have seen more product harm come from so-called "workshops" or "design sprints" than good. In this tutorial, I will share more about my experience and what I've found are critical components of generative workshops -- whether they last five hours or five days. Contrary to popular belief, a design sprint is a highly structured and carefully designed series of exercises, not a brainstorm, design jam or free-for-all. The whole point is to drive a cross-functional team to the right outcome, and this requires a set of structured exercises which weave the thread of user needs, behaviors and attitudes throughout. This involves more than reviewing the research at the start and then moving on to create without that research in context. A true design sprint takes us from user insights -- even broad user insights -- to user-evaluated concepts or designs. The generative phase of a product is deeply impactful, and design sprints are a fantastic tool for driving this needed impact. However, many are practicing brainstorms or design jams rather than true design sprints. One can make a mismatched concept extremely usable throughout the product development process, but that will not remedy the fact that it is not the right concept. Researchers are ideal design sprint organizers and facilitators, but researchers are sometimes not even considered a critical component of the sprint. It's important for knowledgeable researchers to drive design sprint impact.
Key Insights
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Workshops should focus on genuine outcomes rather than merely presenting an appearance of inclusiveness.
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A well-structured agenda is critical in guiding the flow of ideas and ensuring that human needs are addressed effectively.
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Lack of research at the beginning or end of a workshop can lead to concepts that do not resonate with users.
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Including key stakeholders in workshops is vital to ensure alignment and prevent surprises post-workshop.
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Untrained facilitators can severely compromise the quality of a workshop; therefore, proper training is necessary.
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While scaling back workshop components can be tempting, it risks rendering the workshop ineffective; trade-off conversations are essential.
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The ability to facilitate workshops is a core skill that UX researchers should develop to enhance their impact.
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Engaging stakeholders meaningfully can improve their understanding of workshop outcomes and their value.
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Feedback loops and open communication are vital for recovering from mistakes during workshops.
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Ensuring equal participation requires addressing power dynamics and providing adequate training in workshop tools.
Notable Quotes
"The outcome of this method makes the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"Sometimes it's more political in the organization and the true intent may not be to really develop a concept that will be used in an actual product."
"This mistake is going to be very fundamental and very hard to recover from."
"It's important to dig in and really address the deeper problem."
"You can't scale back too much; otherwise, you're going to end up with something that's just ineffective."
"Facilitation takes a lot of skill and sometimes those who step up may not always have those skills."
"It's essential to have that trade-off conversation so folks understand the value of each component in a workshop."
"We want to talk about it from a standpoint of human needs and behaviors throughout the process."
"This is a symptom of a larger cultural issue and needs to be addressed as such."
"I think these are pretty fundamental skills to have, even if they're not exercised every day in the organization."
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