#cooperu

Cooper U: Interaction Design Course - 1st half reflections

If you haven't heard, Cooper is a design & strategy firm in San Francisco, CA, that works with companies to create products & services that delight. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in the Cooper U Interaction Design Course - where I'm learning about Cooper's techniques & methodologies, and how to create products/service people love. 

Be forewarned. This post more of a brain-dump, and a more concise and eloquent version will come after the course is complete. Really. It'll be more eloquent. I swear. 

Highlights from Day 1 + 2 of Cooper U's Interaction Design Course:

Cooper teams are made up of 2 interaction designers: a "syn" (synthesizer) and a "gen" (generator). The two work symbiotically together throughout the entire design process, each with their unique and specific roles. The thought is that having unique roles reduces noise and churn, that often occur in larger, less defined teams. My POV: It's very different from the IDEO & Intuit Innovation Catalyst methodologies that I'm used to using - but it seems to work well, and I have faith in it's methods. I'm a firm believer that there's more than 1 way to skin a cat. Meow.

We've been broken up into teams of 2. Yes, you guessed it. 1 syn + 1 gen = power couple. And since the course follows a lecture + activity format, it's great to have us solidify the lessons by playing out the activities the way designers at Cooper do. I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical of the pairing methodology, but I'm seeing its value and effectiveness. 

I was in heaven diving deeper into Personas. I've created plenty, but I'm usually left with lingering questions: Did I miss anything? What's the most critical information to include? How do I know when I've nailed it? The instructors had us complete a persona using their methodologies & techniques which are tried-and-true (they're the inventors of personas). So here are the key elements of a persona:

Photo: It has to feel real. Give it an emotional state & physical environment. And give this person a great name. Not one of those silly "Wally the Worrier." Make it real. 

Quote: Give a sense of the person's mental model

Story: Bring this person to life. Ensure the readers gain empathy and a deep understanding for this persona. 

Goals: Why does this person do what they do? And get deep. Like 5-why's deep.

Behaviors: Yes, what this person does... but more. Tie it all together. Make it believable. 

I can't emphasize how difficult it is to make a compelling, engaging, and helpful persona. But it can be done! You know you have a strong persona when you can picture the person you're solving for and feel like you know him/her. 

Feel. Always think about how the user / customers are feeling. Get emotion and solve for their true needs and goals. 

I learned a new ice-breaker game: Bear/Ranger/Hunter. Think of Rock/Paper/Scissors, but charade style. It's awesome, and I'm stealing it. 

And forgive that horrid profile sketch. There are no words... 

Hope you enjoy the pictures of my sketch-notes above!

Last thing. I met Mr. Alan Cooper today in the lunch room and chatted for a few minutes! My celebrity moment! I didn't go as far to get him to sign my About Face 3 book, or take a selfie... I played it cool... right...