Workshop: Articulating Design Decisions with Tom Greever

Talking to people about design might seem like a basic skill, but it can be difficult to do efficiently and well. And, in many cases, how you communicate with designers, stakeholders, clients, and other non-designers is more critical than the designs themselves – simply because the most articulate person usually wins.

Based on the best-selling book from O'Reilly, this practical and fun workshop focuses on principles, tactics, and actionable methods for presenting design. Whether it’s the design of websites, apps or other products, you'll learn how to win over anyone who has influence over the project—with the goal of creating the best experience for the end user. Using techniques from improvisational theatre, we’ll laugh our way through the process of explaining design to the people around us.

What we will do:

• Walk through the process of preparing for and presenting design

• Understand stakeholder perspectives, and learn how to empathize with them

• Cultivate both implicit and explicit listening skills

• Learn tactics and formulas for expressing the most effective response to feedback

• Discover why the way you follow through is just as crucial as the meeting itself

What we will achieve:

• Get in the right frame of mind for discussing design

• Identify stakeholder values and needs

• Manage design meetings and conversations

• Listen to design feedback effectively

• Document design decisions for the future

• Effectively respond to design feedback

• Apply common strategies and tactics for making your case

Exercises include:

• Discussing common challenges with explaining design

• Writing stakeholder stories to better see their perspective

• Evaluating your own skill at articulating design decisions

• Practicing tactics for responding with other participants

• Applying techniques from improvisational comedy

• Simulating design conversations and scenarios

• Discussing common challenges with explaining design

Who's this workshop for?

This workshop is for anyone who needs to talk about design! While most attendees will be designers, many developers, product owners, researchers, and business people also benefit from the ideas and best practices. Regardless of your role in the design process, everyone needs to be better at articulating design decisions.

What will participants learn?

At the end of this workshop, you’ll be more confident in your ability to help stakeholders understand the design you recommend. Articulating Design Decisions will equip you to communicate with stakeholders, keep your sanity, and still deliver the best user experience.

About Tom

Tom Greever is the author of Articulating Design Decisions from O’Reilly Media and UX Director at Bitovi, a front-end design and development consulting company. As a consultant, he helps companies design and build better applications. As a teacher, he helps designers be better communicators. As a father, he helps his children expend energy on wrestling and cleaning up the house. He works from home in Illinois, USA with his wife and five kids.

Schedule

We'll have a full breakfast buffet with coffee, eggs, bacon, potatoes, biscuits, and fruit. We'll also have boxed meals for lunch. Please note any dietary restrictions specified upon registration (gluten-free is usually easy with the caterer).

• 8:30 - 9:30 am: Arrival and Breakfast
• 9:30 am - 4:00 pm: Activity schedule and lunch to be announced

Location

Red Hat Annex
190 E Davie St
Raleigh, NC 27601

Note: This is NOT the main Red Hat entrance. This is a separate entrance that is next to Oak City Meatball. We will provide additional sign-in details closer to the event.