Enterprise Application Design Approach & Strategy

Russell WilsonDirector of Product Design, NetQoS

User Experience Network (UXnet) Ambassador

Interaction Designer’s Association (IxDA) Representative

Principal, Dexo Design

Challenges to World Class Software Design:

Challenges to World Class Software Design:

(1) Everyone is a designer

Challenges to World Class Software Design:

(1) Everyone is a designer

(2) Who makes the final decision?

Challenges to World Class Software Design:

(1) Everyone is a designer

(2) Who makes the final decision? (3) Difficulty in justifying designs to critics

Challenges to World Class Software Design:

(1) Everyone is a designer

(2) Who makes the final decision? (3) Difficulty in justifying designs to critics

(4) Design is a nice to have

The “Incremental” Approach

Textbook design process does not apply

for most enterprise applications

Concept Design Build Test

Why?

• Most applications already exist in some state before a true “designer” is brought in – POC’s, R&D, GA

– few paper-napkin opportunities to start with

Why?

• Most applications already exist in some state before a true “designer” is brought in – POC’s, R&D, GA– few paper-napkin opportunities to

start with

• Too costly and just not viable to start over

Why?

• Most applications already exist in some state before a true “designer” is brought in – POC’s, R&D, GA– few paper-napkin opportunities to

start with

• Too costly and just not viable to start over

• Pressure to deliver value fast

Why?

• Most applications already exist in some state before a true “designer” is brought in – POC’s, R&D, GA– few paper-napkin opportunities to

start with

• Too costly and just not viable to start over

• Pressure to deliver value fast

• It is more difficult (if not impossible) to do user research at the concept phase for enterprise applications

Why?

• Most applications already exist in some state before a true “designer” is brought in – POC’s, R&D, GA– few paper-napkin opportunities to

start with

• Too costly and just not viable to start over

• Pressure to deliver value fast

• It is more difficult (if not impossible) to do user research at the concept phase for enterprise applications

• Must consider the current team’s emotional involvement

Why?

• Most applications already exist in some state before a true “designer” is brought in – POC’s, R&D, GA– few paper-napkin opportunities to

start with

• Too costly and just not viable to start over

• Pressure to deliver value fast

• It is more difficult (if not impossible) to do user research at the concept phase for enterprise applications

• Must consider the current team’s emotional involvement

No NameNo Name

BLANK SLATE

What you want

What you get

The solution:

An incremental approach focused on delivering value quickly and continuously, while providing the foundation for evolving a “World Class” product!

Leve

l 1

Leve

l 2

Leve

l 3

Incremental Design for (Existing) Enterprise Applications

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Deliverables & Benefits

Design & Usability Foundation (Level 1)

Domain Specialization (Level 2)

Key Deliverables Design Library Styles & Basic Patterns

User Testing Plan

Conceptual Models Complex Patterns

Ethnographic Data

Key Benefits Product Cleanup Improved Quality

Foundation for future work Positive User Buy-in

Improved User Experience Development Efficiency Up

True Competitive Advantage Improved Task Efficiency Improved Customer Sat.

Expose Differentiators Product Changes Easier

Deliverables & Benefits

Design & Usability Foundation (Level 1)

Domain Specialization (Level 2)

Key Deliverables Design Library Styles & Basic Patterns

User Testing Plan

Conceptual Models Complex Patterns

Ethnographic Data

Key Benefits Product Cleanup Improved Quality

Foundation for future work Positive User Buy-in

Improved User Experience Development Efficiency Up

True Competitive Advantage Improved Task Efficiency Improved Customer Sat.

Expose Differentiators Product Changes Easier

Deliverables & Benefits

Design & Usability Foundation (Level 1)

Domain Specialization (Level 2)

User Experience Refinement

(Level 3)

Key Deliverables Design Library Styles & Basic Patterns

User Testing Plan

Conceptual Models Complex Patterns

Ethnographic Data

Library Refinements Product Refinements

Key Benefits Product Cleanup Improved Quality

Foundation for future work Positive User Buy-in

Improved User Experience Development Efficiency Up

True Competitive Advantage Improved Task Efficiency Improved Customer Sat.

Expose Differentiators Product Changes Easier

Improved Quality User Empowered

Deliverables & Benefits