Negotiating with Objects

A different perspective in designing product interactions.

People find comfort in negotiating for concessions with objects around them. We hit torchlights for their last bits of power or cover our ears when music is too loud. This project aims to introduce a different perspective in designing product interactions.

Client

Industries

Product Design, User Testing

Date

2018

Recognition

This project was shortlisted for Wallpaper* Handmade Next Generation Singapore Designer 2019

Challenges

Limited client feedback made it difficult to prioritise design revisions, causing delays in the development sprint cycle.

Objectives

To Involve designers early in requirement-gathering to prioritise user experience.

Impact

Optimised refinement sprints and improved efficiency by reducing cycle time by 43% to 50%.

The problem

Sprint development delays caused rushed decisions, resulting in unclear user story requirements. This confusion and misalignment among team members resulted in frequent scope changes and compromised design consistency.

Challenges

Lacking of Early Client Agreement and Designer Involvement

It became evident that there was insufficient early involvement from designers. With the user journey mostly determined at early stages, with the business analyst finalising the user flow after receiving the client's requirements. This resulted in missed opportunities for the user experience team to advocate for users. Moreover, limited client feedback engagement posed challenges in hasty design revisions.

Challenges

Inefficient Design Revisions

The lack of a structured feedback loop made it difficult to align the design iterations with the client's needs and preferences. Designs had to be approved by the client within a short pre-sprint period. Additionally, changes were influenced by a larger team’s feedback, legal and compliance requirements, and the need to incorporate existing design interactions. This resulted in delays and inefficiencies in refining the design, affecting the overall quality design decisions.

Challenges

Inefficient Design Revisions

This misalignment led to repeated revisions, disrupting planned sprint cycles and causing delays. The ongoing back-and-forth communication to address changes frustrates the team, extending the development timeline by weeks. This highlighted the importance of early and consistent collaboration among all stakeholders for a smoother and more efficient process.

<Highlights>

Approaches

Achieving design consistency and effective communication within the team.

This misalignment led to repeated revisions, disrupting planned sprint cycles and causing delays.

Involvement of UX designers in early stages

Adopt an approach where designers participate in gathering requirements and making decisions early on, we ensured that user experience is prioritised throughout the design process. Additionally, it fosters better communication and collaboration between designers and other stakeholders, leading to more cohesive and well-informed project outcomes.

Active feedback engagement with key stakeholders

Using feedback channels with clients, particularly by tagging relevant stakeholders (UX, CX teams, Business team) on Figma, built trust and get stakeholders to be part of the the design process. Involving key decision-makers early and securing their agreement before bringing the discussion to a larger group made the decision-making process smoother.

Impact

Optimized refinement sprints and improved efficiency by reducing cycle time by 43% to 50%

By Prioritizing effective communication and actively engaging clients through a feedback channel helped address premature product decisions, reducing back-and-forth communication and resolving team frustrations. Clear guidelines, regular feedback loops, and involvement of UX designers in all stages of product development can help ensure a smoother workflow.