Processes + Patterns

Peter Boersma, Info.nl EuroIA 2007 1

processes + patterns

best practices on steroids

EuroIA 2007, Barcelona

Peter Boersma, Info.nl






design

design






patterns design


design patterns + process patterns




on codeïne


what if we could prove that

a social network site requires remote evaluation

a card sort improves breadcrumbs

an Agile team is bad for a marketing site



<design pattern> requires <process pattern>

a card sort improves breadcrumbs





<process pattern> improves <design pattern>





<process pattern> improves <design pattern>

<process pattern> is bad for <design pattern>


what if we could combine

<design pattern> with <process pattern>

<process pattern> with <design pattern>


what if we could combine

<design patterns> + <process patterns>

best practices on steroids!


<design pattern>

• is a general, repeatable solution to a commonly-occurring problem

• is either proven effective or seen often enough to be considered worth following

• is not a finished design that can be transformed directly into code


<design pattern> examples

• Shopping cart(summary of items and prices, add, delete, details, checkout, )

• Paging mechanism(number of results, number of pages, current page, current results, next, previous, first, and last page)

• E-commerce site(product catalogue, search, user account, shopping cart, marketing, ordering process, product configurator, trust information)


<design pattern> collections

• a library of patterns• structured, layered and linked (a pattern language)

Examples• Martijn van Welie's Patterns in Interaction Design

http://www.welie.com • Yahoo! Design Pattern Library

http://developer.yahoo.com/ypatterns• Chris Messina’s screenshot collection at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/factoryjoe/• The Design of Sites (ISBN-10 020172149X)

http://www.designofsites.com

http://www.welie.com/

http://developer.yahoo.com/ypatterns

http://www.flickr.com/photos/factoryjoe/

http://www.designofsites.com/

http://www.designofsites.com/










<process pattern>

• describes sequences of general techniques, tasks, actions

• works at the task, stage or phase level

• consists of reusable building blocks

• allows an organization to tailor a process


<process pattern> examples

• team review task(announce review, distribute deliverable, review with team, publish report, update & re-distribute deliverable)

• usability evaluation stage(set goals, determine method, create prototype, create scenarios, recruit participants (optional), perform test, report findings)

• inception phase(gather requirements, write business case, set scope, identify actors, asses risks, plan, estimate, adapt process)


<proces pattern> collections

• a library of patterns• structured, layered and linked (a pattern language)

Examples• IconProcess

http://www.iconprocess.com • Rational Unified Process

http://www-306.ibm.com/software/awdtools/rup/ • Process Patterns - Building Large-Scale Systems Using

Object Technology (ISBN-10: 0521645689)http://www.ambysoft.com/books/processPatterns.html

http://www.iconprocess.com/

http://www-306.ibm.com/software/awdtools/rup/

http://www.ambysoft.com/books/processPatterns.html







IconProcess: UX Workflow

“The project team transforms the Vision or Business Concept for the application into concrete requirements, visual designs, and prototypes through roles, activities and artifacts defined in the IconProcess User Experience discipline.

This discipline's participants analyze users' needs and then define a corresponding digital experience using a mix of technical and creative skills.”


IconProcess: Develop IAPurpose:- Organize the website's content and features into a logical structure of the whole website - Define page structures for individual pages or page types (i.e., templates) - Develop navigation mechanisms to facilitate users' access to information and functionality

How to Staff: In early iterations, the Information Architect collaborates with the Content Manager to create the initial Site Map based on the Business Concept.As the team clarifies the requirements by working with stakeholders, the Information Architect and the Requirements Analyst work together or frequently review each other's work to refine the evolving Site Map and Wireframes as the Requirements Analyst refines the requirements.The Graphic Designer and User Interface Prototyper give the Information Architect valuable feedback on the Wireframes and interaction design while applying the visual design to the Wireframes and building the prototypes.The Information Architect uses that information to further improve the information architecture.



• are different

• yet similar

• give a feel for the work

• can be linked


the patterns are different

• <design patterns>describe context of use when is it good for the user (and the business owner) to apply this pattern?

• <process patterns>describe context of designwhen do what types of designers deliver what (to the business owner) and how?


but the patterns are similar too

• both are driven by “forces”("users want..." vs. "the project requires...")

• both describe pre-conditions("the solution requires..." vs. "teams want...“)

• both describe post-conditions(“this makes users feel…” vs. “this makes sure teams…”)

• both refer to team skills(“an IA designs…” vs. “an IA designs…”)


patterns give a feel for the work

• <design pattern> collections tell you how much you have to design from scratch and how much can be reused

• <process pattern> collections tell you what activities are necessary and who should perform them






in the strategy layer you use

• <design patterns>experience patterns, site type patterns

• <process patterns>write business case, calculate ROI, design thinking patterns, perform user research


in the scope layer you use

• <design patterns>entire collections to see what's already there, main user concept, mental model

• <process patterns>run scoping workshops, estimate, plan releases


in the structure layer you use

• <design patterns>site type, main navigation, search, search results, index, sitemap, related content, local navigation, wizards

• <process patterns>perform requirements workshops, perform concept test, perform card sort, create content inventory, create controlled vocabulary, design reviews


in the skeleton layer you use

• <design patterns>layout, visual hierarchy, tone of voice, action buttons

• <process patterns>apply eye tracking, perform usability test


in the surface layer you use

• <design patterns>mood, grid, layout, eye direction

• <process patterns>user research, create moodboard, create mockup, create styleguide




the patterns can be linked

• <design patterns> are used/generated when applying a <process pattern>Examples: review process, user research

• <process patterns> are useful when applying a <design pattern>Example: breadcrumbs


<process pattern> : review

Create Deliver



Create DeliverEdit



Edit Review DeliverCreate



Edit Deliver

Review

PrepareReview

TechnicalReview

TeamReview

ClientReview

ProjectReview

primary designer

designer’s senior

concept/lead

designer

primary team

reviewers

responsiblefor signoff






Create Edit

Project ApproachReview

Technical Approach Review

CreateApproach Review






Create Edit

Project Evaluation

Technical Evaluation

Review Deliver



Edit Review DeliverApproach Evaluate


<process pattern> : reviewuses/generates <design patterns>

Edit Review DeliverApproach Evaluate

<design patterns>


<process pattern> : user research

Set-upresearch

Performresearch

Analyseresults

Determinegoals

Promoteresults

<design patterns>


the patterns are linked




welie.com + <proces patterns>(warning: vaporware!)


welie.com + <proces patterns>




what

how(user research, card sort)



who(user researcher, information architect)



the patterns are linked





• are different

• yet similar

• give a feel for the work

• can be linked


what if we could

• browse <design pattern> collections and find <process patterns> associated with them

• browse <process pattern> collections and find <design patterns> associated with them

• browse pattern collections to get a feel for the work in each phase


what if we gathered data on

• which <design patterns> work best for which site types

• which <process patterns> work best for which team compositions

• which <design patterns> work best with which <process patterns>

• which design & process pattern combinations create the best sites


then we could

• apply that data when composing:- designs,- design processes- design teamsfor all types of sites

• explain to our clients:- why we design what we design- why we design how we designand have statistical proof


challenge

“in New York State, architects have developed a database on roof design and performance.The database tracks a growing number of the state's 10,000 buildings, recording variables of location, design conditions, specified components, testing results, and the history of problems and their solutions.By correlating design information with performance problems, the architects identify patterns of success and failure.”

How Buildings Learn - What happens after they’re built (Steward Brand)


challenge

“How interesting it would be to go even deeper in the analysis: what were the organizational patterns associated with the roof successes and failures?Which arrangements can detect crucial errors and correct them, and which cannot? The answer to that question could affect all of architecture.”

How Buildings Learn - What happens after they’re built (Steward Brand)


challenge

“in Barcelona, Information Architects have developed a database on infospaces’ design patterns and process patterns. The database tracks a growing number of Europe’s millions of infospaces, recording variables of location, design conditions, specified components, testing results, and the history of problems and their solutions.By correlating design information with performance problems, the Information Architects identify patterns of success and failure.”

Adapted from: How Buildings Learn - What happens after they’re built (Steward Brand)


challenge

“How interesting it would be to go even deeper in the analysis: what were the organizational patterns associated with the infospaces’ successes and failures?Which arrangements can detect crucial errors and correct them, and which cannot? The answer to that question could affect all of Information Architecture.”

Adapted from: How Buildings Learn - What happens after they’re built (Steward Brand)


challenge

I challenge youto think about waysto combine<design patterns> + <process patterns>


design patterns + process patterns


