Storyboard Workshop, User Story Workshop or Another Usability Workshop?

Question

I'm trying to propose a way to heighten communication for all departments involved within a new project.

Primarily we build backend administrative systems, however there is a lack of inter departmental cohesion.

I think that proposing a UX Process Storyboard workshop, involving the project manager, product developer, CSS members and developers involved would be a good way for everyone to effectively get on the same wavelength when it comes to a new product.

Currently the functionality, user experience design etc is only carried over to departments by limited technical or concept documentation.

My question is, based on the nature of our company would holding storyboard sessions be the best way for everyone to understand the user journey? I was considering introduction an active brainstorming session, but this workshop is not meant to introduce and new features to the project. Instead such a session is for everyone to understand the user experience, work flows and tasks involved as this will help everyone's understanding throughout the life cycle.

Are there any other type of usability workshops I could hold, would a simple presentation highlighting the persona's of the project, user stories and task analysis be suffice?, any advice would be great.

Answer 1

I'm not sure what your primary goal of that workshop is.

• Is it a "meeting intended to create or generate plans, analysis, or design to support organizational efforts" (as wiki defines workshop)?
• Or is it a presentation "to understand the user experience, work flows and tasks involved"?

The latter I wouldn't call workshop, but meeting instead. A workshop is interactive and has'nt a predefined outcome. This will be worked out during this workshop.

As you see with my opening sentences I think you are trying to mix two different things. I guess you want involve the people, build a team with one goal. Which is in your case best user experience. If you want to involve people you have to give them the opportunity to give ideas, think about it, have a chance to influence the outcome.

So, I recommend you to hold a workshop, where you plan the user experience with the people you want to bind to a good user experience outcome.

In the end it's very simple: if you put some effort and ideas into a plan, project or software you somehow own it. And you would do best for your own projects, wouldn't you? That is the so called buy-in of people.

The tricky part is, not to let the workshop wide open. You moderate it and you steer it. You can shift it into the direction you want, by presenting the themes, choosing the open parts for discussion, collecting the ideas and summarize it and finally your friendly expert voice can sort out not so good ideas.

I can't give you a full answer for your case, because I don't know the details. I recommend to choose some open parts or some parts that are not so important for you and let people involve/own them. Open this areas for discussion in your workshop and people will be happy. (And accept the predefined parts ;)

Personally, I had good experience in holding a workshop for drafting our digital corporate design. All important department were bought in and had their ideas and suggestions in it. So finally, everybody involved was loving the new style. And still I had freedom to steer the direction.