Conducting UX Workshops

What is the 3-step process for conducting a UX workshop?

• explain, execute, and examine

• plan, prepare, and present

• present, reflect, and connect

• read, write, and report

What is the primary role of the facilitator?

• To keep workshop is short as possible

• To keep the workshop as productive as possible for participants

• To keep workshop participants busy

• To teach UX theory to the workshop participants

What should a workshop start with?

• A brief introduction and explanation of the process

• Icebreakers

• A brief introduction to the concept of UX

• A brief discussion of what happened at the last workshop

Do not do this when executing the workshop.

• Act as the expert

• Let participants carry out the task

• Step in to review information as needed

• Define the logistics for how participants will contribute

Do not do this when examining the outcome of the workshop.

• Let participants showcase their work

• Synthesize what was learned from the activity

• Encourage participants to describe the exercise from their own point of view

• Prevent silences by asking rapid fire questions

When you facilitate, you should also contribute solutions

• True

• False

A good way to learn to be a facilitator is to experience other facilitators.

• True

• False

What is a Parking Lot in the context of a UX workshop?

• A place for participants to park

• A list of things you don't want to talk about in the workshop

• A place for unrelated questions or out-of-scope conversation topics that come up in the workshop

• A place for participants to leave their jackets and bags at the workshop

What is not a benefit of a Parking Lot?

• Keeps conversations on topic

• Captures ideas

• Captures questions or assumptions

• Informs future actions

• Lets people know their contribution wasn't helpful

How do you avoid Parking Lot pitfalls?

• Email a copy of the parking lot list to all participants

• Promise to come back to the parking lot items later

• Tell participants their ideas are not helpful when you add them to the parking lot

• Create a follow up plan of who does what, when with the parking lot items