Open Screens

Aligning audience goals with technical goals can seem daunting. Oftentimes, it is necessary to approach a solution from the highest level and then drill down. By using Activity Models, Interaction Designers can drill down into audience goals by starting with a high-level activity statement (e.g., Compose Music for Piano), then identify actions that comprise that activity (e.g., improvise on a melody, define the theme, find an introduction, establish a phrase and chorus). These actions begin to define vertical slices of features; essentially chunking the design.

Kanban - Feature development is streamlined by moving features through a kanban ”pull” system. Kanban systems can take many forms. Most kanbans are comprised of two primary components: units (i.e., Goal) and cards (i.e., features and user stories). For more information about using kanban systems for software development, check out Scrum-ban | Lean Software Engineering.

At kaizenconf 2008, Jef Newsom gave a talk titled Driving Toward the Goal: Standard Work in Software Development. Jef’s facilitation style is very much about getting people into action. To illustrate a kanban pull system, Jef used a presidential election. The goal, Vote for a Presidential Candidate. The primary actor (what Jef calls a ‘protagonist’), Valerie the Voter. (read more about Jef’s talk)

For the purpose of illustration, the example from the talk at kaizenconf was very useful to show how “standard work” (a.k.a., user stories) moved through the units. However, for Interaction Designers a much deeper understanding of user goals must be attained.

Activity Models - By utilizing Activity Models as an analysis method for identifying user goals and generating features, Interaction Designers can populate a product backlog. Also, artifacts produced by Interaction Designers during activity modeling can support subsequent units in the kanban system.

Kanban "pull" system with Activity Model populating the backlog.

A synthesis of activity theory framework and user mental models, Activity Models introduce a highly generative design method for analysis and discovery. Activity Models can be created as immediately as analysis and discovery of user activity is needed. However, some groundwork is required. First, Interaction Designers must know the ‘who?’ within a context or domain. Starting with personas and conducting user interviews—using non-directed interview techniques—data is gathered to help create an activity model. (more about activity models in upcoming article)

Activity Modeling - Artifacts and Process (diagram by Sharon J Cichelli)