https://experiencist.com Anthony Nguyen Mon, 16 Sep 2024 17:55:59 +0000 https://experiencist.com en http://experiencist.com/Archive Mon, 16 Sep 2024 17:55:59 +0000 Anthony Nguyen 454282 Anthony Nguyen. Work.Side Projects.Say Hello.Archive. A glimpse into work from over 10 years ago, laying the foundation for my evolving design perspective and inspiring me to create even more accessible, connected, and personalized experiences. Ogilvy. <img width="2000" height="1241" width_o="2000" height_o="1241" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/de7a04d444e35c6037a7fd9a86e4a10111f954f42b75b0160b432b0e288ce124/Leopard_Staging_v1.png" data-mid="1378226" border="0" /> <img width="1000" height="750" width_o="1000" height_o="750" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/cc0da4ce29e7c1ec1b66b8e5fe5c7403437f942c013b2c42efc6f6ed4f4c3d5b/1wz94j638xad0v4vsbw39isv1wze0u.png" data-mid="1378227" border="0" /> <img width="1000" height="693" width_o="1000" height_o="693" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/39188c2af2e9ef0beebbd182f2c9e0544b1bf9866e17b0667bdeb4a80a8c4bfb/fwww65mrxb0m0sllurmnlw23oxek5i.png" data-mid="1378228" border="0" /> <img width="1170" height="808" width_o="1170" height_o="808" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/bbded08999c476d91f86c42470d53209569e673734e183bcf3474da41b9379f4/55_Proxy-Overview.png" data-mid="1378233" border="0" /><img width="1170" height="808" width_o="1170" height_o="808" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b094edfca645bbd3368c338d4d64ea521d20c78686d7f6a7d4d47f2ece5c049b/31_Create-an-ER-1-Copy.png" data-mid="1378230" border="0" /> <img width="1170" height="900" width_o="1170" height_o="900" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6caea736bd29f05a03914f09d18738c2082f62212b7d109cd4192957ade4e550/57_Proxy-Profile-Copy.png" data-mid="1378229" border="0" /><img width="1170" height="808" width_o="1170" height_o="808" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c57e16f42304b3f1355793f3f893cf293d4954ece245bcd6e3c77fd5f65db9ea/80_Manager-Approval.png" data-mid="1378232" border="0" /> FedEx Office. <img width="1200" height="659" width_o="1200" height_o="659" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/ff0bf01f8140a6101e896db94cdeb576ab59e2ff4ecb46cd26a3ce610bc637a5/llfs78c3e5toqbdyqgyoy6vtzakg81.png" data-mid="1378218" border="0" /> Navy Federal Credit Union. <img width="851" height="537" width_o="851" height_o="537" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/5cdb8fff1b2479b7a38c48a332438f28fc0a5b6dc362d74f66377e602eb3fee5/NFCU-1.png" data-mid="1378219" border="0" /> <img width="1000" height="708" width_o="1000" height_o="708" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/cdddc89d68ac32d0263724761940e363415dedb9f584006b0a553a2f47a36b22/ev60l8mc4fy8qhtn2grzdhj1kied0w.jpg" data-mid="1378221" border="0" /> <img width="5000" height="3202" width_o="5000" height_o="3202" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/35a580350f54d84fcca9b744a68a918b87a29f69721bf1683b674f3319b9d182/NFCU_MIC_JourneyMap.png" data-mid="1378222" border="0" /> Lookbook. <img width="1280" height="854" width_o="1280" height_o="854" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b1174df965dbea8942f17f4bbee3c013b7898bb1e41583302c9737303f95b316/tumblr_l6ay8nwPwL1qzpw8oo1_1280.jpg" data-mid="1378195" border="0" /> <img width="1280" height="859" width_o="1280" height_o="859" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/422fdb3aade4c43bd98fca343e9d8b1fbcfaeae4386d54ff3bcb9202e82703b9/tumblr_l5psrkxVVw1qzpw8oo1_1280.jpg" data-mid="1378196" border="0" /><img width="1280" height="861" width_o="1280" height_o="861" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/81c445432bbfeccdcd2b75fa2e9e09b00f14f5923fc8887ca3aea8c5c8292cf7/tumblr_l5kzb77TIZ1qzpw8oo1_1280.jpg" data-mid="1378199" border="0" /><img width="1750" height="1117" width_o="1750" height_o="1117" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/43c1626784d693ee330b01b14f0e84bc2fc60d6bc909c226064248dbe98a87e7/Salutations.jpg" data-mid="1378201" border="0" /><img width="1680" height="1200" width_o="1680" height_o="1200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d6d2c001fbc0bf409162d8f032d4486019fa78867f8a76b2c7660c7a4792395d/Leaka.jpg" data-mid="1378203" border="0" /><img width="1680" height="1120" width_o="1680" height_o="1120" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/1288c873000b8218ee83c1f9c6f4febc7fd758490671524a8fa7c47808250d86/Candy.jpg" data-mid="1378206" border="0" /><img width="2300" height="1264" width_o="2300" height_o="1264" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8b1d325002bc80ca07ae8124a58533ffe0140f8c92fc8954812646f034d09228/Cash-Rules.jpg" data-mid="1378205" border="0" /> <img width="1280" height="960" width_o="1280" height_o="960" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/cb874137c0b5ef88648a8e598b2cac0afecc54b746c888baae888cd9beed47bd/tumblr_l5m8euR4Cd1qzpw8oo1_1280.jpg" data-mid="1378197" border="0" /><img width="1280" height="800" width_o="1280" height_o="800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f643c08201b3bc71dfa308d12c23c6d994a8fa24966c469ba0f4c8210e6e9cf4/tumblr_l5kz65ukV71qzpw8oo1_1280.jpg" data-mid="1378200" border="0" /><img width="1680" height="1118" width_o="1680" height_o="1118" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/489aa005c2f25430c91763505debf29dac34a80e0c19c18e1aaddf6648aeaa7d/Nina-Nina.jpg" data-mid="1378202" border="0" /><img width="1680" height="1067" width_o="1680" height_o="1067" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/9df358bfb37dea19ac1f503597bf58bc86458278d47fc8e689d784cdf67c8d38/French-Cobra.jpg" data-mid="1378204" border="0" /><img width="1680" height="1124" width_o="1680" height_o="1124" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/071d2b3ca5a4947e2230e8c397937dc3d2d7b757abb2f65d14e172a433960d1e/Beach-Diamond.jpg" data-mid="1378207" border="0" /><img width="1680" height="1300" width_o="1680" height_o="1300" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e2bf710cabbe3eb2490134b007827ffce44ae6ac30db417b3e08b7a9719ed24d/Aleksandra.jpg" data-mid="1378208" border="0" /> <img width="1280" height="914" width_o="1280" height_o="914" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/1163bbe60d74cc0e1f1fb32720e50f794bbf4ed8021283ff252ffeadf1d5e555/tumblr_l5kzu0cw9i1qzpw8oo1_1280.jpg" data-mid="1378198" border="0" /> Bordo Bello.<img width="1800" height="472" width_o="1800" height_o="472" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/bfe6ab4b07c074f12554688f000d85a790d5c46906f02c04864f496b0d4856d3/deck2.png" data-mid="1378213" border="0" /><img width="816" height="200" width_o="816" height_o="200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/3022f06f994522317657edffb85767e1e74d5b959f5f50caf14cf2d1b468effc/exp_logo.png" data-mid="1378214" border="0" data-scale="14"/> Anthony Nguyen. Work.Side Projects.Say Hello.Archive. A glimpse into work from over 10 years ago, laying the foundation for my evolving design perspective and... http://experiencist.com/Rates Mon, 18 Apr 2022 23:09:57 +0000 Anthony Nguyen 423064 Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. <img width="2311" height="799" width_o="2311" height_o="799" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e4fa1b50efd6d17e571edc58ce1b4b5f83b2a3c60eee24390768d55b197f8e85/Rate-Card.png" data-mid="1183818" border="0" /> If you’re here, we’ve likely spoken about your design challenge and I’ve shared my two cents on what I believe would be an approach to use the power of design to turbocharge your business outcomes.<img width="1030" height="655" width_o="1030" height_o="655" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b437a301bcc202361e44b353b169878078fd0a2dfcc891db4e49a02947d0a6ab/IKHOOR-WEB-2020_8.jpg" data-mid="1183632" border="0" data-scale="95"/> Things we can build together: Digital productsUser research and strategyDesign systemsBranding, logo design, and copywritingLifestyle photographyInteriors and HiFi design Social and marketing campaignsRate: $175/hr (includes 20% F&amp;F discount) My approach to billing is simple. An hourly rate × an estimated time to completion. No hidden fees. No confusing contracts. Just the work. My mantra involves designing the right thing and designing the thing right. I believe in getting your hands dirty—start lean, learn as you grow, then polish with measurable outcomes. Design is a conversation, the right ones can change our world. Let’s bring your vision to life. <img width="780" height="446" width_o="780" height_o="446" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/3e9ca9949c83d25f85ac7b56b902abde1f0ad035fd65d896e31c79cbc0bd6d26/exp_logo.png" data-mid="1379488" border="0" data-scale="10"/> Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. If you’re here, we’ve likely spoken about your design challenge and I’ve shared my two cents on what I believe... http://experiencist.com/Samsung Tue, 18 Feb 2020 23:21:51 +0000 Anthony Nguyen 356789 Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. Samsung. William Gibson, speculative fiction writer and establisher of the subgenre ‘cyberpunk’ recently turned his attention to the ongoing, alarming realm of the present. Why, may you ask? Because only once you’ve deeply understood the present can you build towards a convincing future. On today’s menu, the food experience. <img width="3898" height="2556" width_o="3898" height_o="2556" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b40cc1bdee17d4f68c5009f45d61410f546b3658b61bbd7691d57db1c4da9976/toa-heftiba-Nzxi1S7iFsI-unsplash.jpg" data-mid="866263" border="0" /> Photo Credit: Toa Heftiba Consider how meals have changed over the last decade. Specialty internet devices with sensors, same-day grocery deliveries, boom of social media, millenials with a sustainability mindset. Mash it together and you get a story: a biochemist suddenly needs to go on a week-long business trip to Basel; the refrigerator talks to her and offers up two options, 1) have someone come pick expiring foods up within two hours or 2) use her expiring ingredients together to create a butternut bisque soup. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to make a bisque soup. Let’s give that a go, Bixby,” she responds to the onboard voice assistant on her Samsung Family Hub smartfridge. Let’s go on a food journey. First stop, the bank account. Millenials, by popularly accepted definition, were born somewhere between 1981 to 1996. A bemused, curious bunch, set apart by having grown up in an age of an Internet explosion. Their gentle vibe and mannerisms driven by social media, reinforcing their indepedent and tolerant views. Their bank accounts, in dire condition. “But they can’t buy a house. They don’t have any money—and yet there they are, buying $5 lattes everyday,” says a CNN host, “Why should companies even bother targeting a group with no disposable income?” <img width="982" height="944" width_o="982" height_o="944" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/3e7ebe18fc6c6d228c1df391458a6e4a3f4f0ffc4dfcc3d57680a73a7c54cc56/networth.png" data-mid="868006" border="0" /> Source: Nace During our series of in-home interviews, we found this to be true. Many didn’t have much saved—the data supports this, those born after 1988 have on average have a negative net worth, typically due to student loan debt. So not surprisingly, when Millenials cook for themselves or their families, they’re looking for meal options that are quick and affordable.Other factors influence their everyday decisions: their busy multitasking lifestyles, need for social validation (defined by the things they do, emboldened by the recognition and praise they receive), and sustainably conscious mindset. All actions should be paired with positive change, whenever possible.As the populace skews more and more Millenial (they’ll make up three-quarters of the world’s workforce by 2025✺ ), these values will soon shift the conversation; moreover, pocketbooks that will only open to brands that speak to them. These these findings helped us develop three personas, ranging from experts to newbies looking to improve their cooking chops. <img width="791" height="1215" width_o="791" height_o="1215" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7fd22a613978b039ee12720719e0fc3d30ec48371a367ce13b164a2f38f37b25/steph.png" data-mid="868071" border="0" /> Steph Single, an expert cook with a growing a following on social <img width="801" height="1219" width_o="801" height_o="1219" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/885e73e2cdcda90176efe5e47666938c7544b4c501a14d9f876f83eb8c319b22/adam.png" data-mid="868072" border="0" />Adam ‘DINK’ or dual-income no kids, is an inexperienced cook, mostly dines out <img width="787" height="1215" width_o="787" height_o="1215" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/eacb02286bae99da452ff2e022269af7c98faa268cb09b2aadcc60201e5043b9/jeff.png" data-mid="868073" border="0" data-scale="98"/>Jeff Cooks for his family and works part-time, usually wanting to eat fast Within each’s food journey—from the spark of inspiration, to planning, to cooking, eating, and cleaning up—were areas for improvement. Some struggled to find the right recipes to cook and not losing it on their phone, others dealt with more physical space constraints its practical limitations when it came to cooking for family or friends. Pain points are a great place to start if you’re looking to invent something new. In the practice of service design, we use opportunity mapping to leverage the culmination of knowledge all at once to aid in making meaning and uncovering new opportunities areas.&nbsp; Multiple trend reports on tables. 100’s of Post-its on journey maps. Binders of competitors.It’s messy in practice. But it works. Using those key opportunities, we strung together several storylines of how hypothetical services could be used—value propositions—an easy (and inexpensive) way to get valueable feedback early.So we proposed 4 key propositions, all directly aligned to the values and our personas’ goals:&nbsp; Food as Medicine: Improvement through health and wellness using gut biome dataChef’s Assistant:&nbsp;Connection and recognition through learning and sharing new skillsGood Eats: Transparency and self-definition through giving back and reducing wasteRemind and Save: Empowerment through saving time and money using kitchen sensors<img width="1000" height="665" width_o="1000" height_o="665" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d7fb5090cadcc1f6479224c3444a469cd3bd7c58a96c9811695bc6927c4df81f/Food-As-Medicine.png" data-mid="869296" border="0" /><img width="1000" height="863" width_o="1000" height_o="863" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/186beb5fdd92c307db8ebb5a80e1a835e920494b9d6e0e28768eca2f347c018a/Chef-s-Assistant.png" data-mid="869294" border="0" /><img width="1000" height="1047" width_o="1000" height_o="1047" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d99a1c5d5ea4eb033a3d4eba2edb7a085e028f31c5fbb1712b5e896477dab7e9/Good-Eats.png" data-mid="869295" border="0" /><img width="1000" height="767" width_o="1000" height_o="767" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/00940e362ed421d2e099cac06acc3d9b33b80fb6be17f7e5be90144f6fdce327/Remind---Save.png" data-mid="869297" border="0" /> “To my mind, you shouldn't have to pay to do charity.” – User feedback on ‘Good Eats’ value proposition We asked users in our second round of research to rank each value proposition from first to last. Interestingly enough, ‘Good Eats’ (our donations for credits idea) received first place, followed by ‘Chef’s Assistant,’ ‘Food is Medicine,’ and ‘Remind and Save.’ Excitement for ‘Good Eats’ came from the waste reduction, however, no one said they’d be willing to pay for that kind of service as many felt “you shouldn't have to pay to do charity.” The idea of having access to chefs in ‘Chef’s Assistant’ was attractive, as well as having smart tech features in ‘Remind and Save’ that worked to make cooking easier for beginners. Our ‘Food is Medicine’ concept which introduced the ability to connect your gut biome to recipe recommendations became a polarizing one—while the most innovative by a longshot, this concept also sparked concerns, understandably, regarding data privacy.Using key features of the four initial propositions that resonated with customers, we brought all together under one roof: Samsung Food. <img width="1753" height="2218" width_o="1753" height_o="2218" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c6c6a5d8e812383b446dff1d6e69745a42c47716e6bc8a95e68c53bf859e39a6/008.png" data-mid="871640" border="0" data-scale="58"/><img width="6772" height="2567" width_o="6772" height_o="2567" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/06fbf098cb8930a1fef566f0eaea9955522d8e73c993a620596cedece4d58fef/ia.png" data-mid="871644" border="0" />Introducing Samsung Food. Delicous eats, powered by you.We’ve fantasized about robots cooking for us and gourmet foods from microsized microwavable packages, but reality is food is meant to be experienced—the nuances of memory and identity, tolerance and discovery of different cultures, are bridged by this human need. Samsung Food is that experience, built on their technology and algorithms, to empower people to become better chefs for themselves and the environment. <img width="2464" height="4296" width_o="2464" height_o="4296" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/9e1a7d2bbf6806ba1bb35b8a176605c179f2a5cc3fe2f32739440c8a80cc10d5/samsung1.png" data-mid="874640" border="0" /> <img width="2464" height="4604" width_o="2464" height_o="4604" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b66aa5360963d3e1c2fb20da4524233b9d0edab89b68586155c69c8c9d81bc61/samsung2.png" data-mid="874641" border="0" /> <img width="2464" height="4296" width_o="2464" height_o="4296" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7dc7cee0206841bcccfbf84e6454ffbf37e0e28b2caad8f47d31d8f510673b1a/samsung3.png" data-mid="874642" border="0" /> Learn a new skill in-person or online with professional well-known chefs. Get personalized recipes based on your health preferences. Show off those skills—mash together clips and create slick recipe videos for your social feed. Fast forward a couple years: Samsung’s smart fridges equipped with cameras can now recognize your available ingredients and suggest recipes. Unexpected travel? Don’t let food go to waste! Schedule someone to swing by your home to pick any soon-to-be-expiring items within 2 hours. <img width="2500" height="880" width_o="2500" height_o="880" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/80c50df398c418dd30d23fdea04d9c854c1fb7f37f9a91f692461895f1501b39/blueprint_print_v2.png" data-mid="875075" border="0" />The service blueprint outlines the how Samsung Food’s user journey maps to supporting processes, partnerships, and technology. Samsung’s success relies heavily on their placement on the field; masterful industrial design chops, a foothold in the smart home/mobile markets, and new acquisitions in machine learning and AI technologies. In order to leverage these strengths, it’s important to acknowledge things that aren’t working currently—namely an old school manufacturing way of working with lots of silos, making the scaling process of complex, cross-system services a bit of an impossibility. <img width="8204" height="4254" width_o="8204" height_o="4254" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/279dd9dddc59f8f863b6965a6eb6cb462b52f2cd8795e859739fc63bd60c53d6/app.png" data-mid="877770" border="0" />And to help cut through the political tape, we helped prioritize new areas for research and development, by creating a technology roadmap to help with coordination amongst the disparate Samsung teams. <img width="3388" height="2483" width_o="3388" height_o="2483" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/97298305ab973e9b38a00f670c961b898797ec8c947aae02efb2a63da9831c62/product_tech_evo_map_v5.png" data-mid="874993" border="0" />Tech evolution map for near term (now) to long term (3+years)To build a community is to understand what people care about. Similar to Maslow’s heirarchy of needs, the foundation of community-establishment is simple: start with utility. By giving people with tools to become better cooks, you can slowly start to create a safe, trusted place for collaboration and sharing. Eventually, this can lead to improved self-esteem and that ever sought after holy grail, the sense of true belonging.<img width="2457" height="1341" width_o="2457" height_o="1341" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6a0ac360fa365b9c67b120bdf7e122005e858707704a1b74ed297a472dbe1700/samsung_food.png" data-mid="875643" border="0" /> ✺EY, Global Generations: A Global Study on Work-Life Challenges Across Generations (2015) <img width="816" height="200" width_o="816" height_o="200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/889428d0f633091842d80c2bcad12bfae300abfdcc4b5f54242d30b8a37b1240/exp_logo.png" data-mid="1184136" border="0" data-scale="14"/> Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. Samsung. William Gibson, speculative fiction writer and establisher of the subgenre ‘cyberpunk’ recently turned... http://experiencist.com/Amazon Tue, 11 Dec 2018 04:22:08 +0000 Anthony Nguyen 302194 Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. Amazon. Envision the ‘Future of Search’ the largest e-retailer on the planet. Now, that’s one heck of a design brief.<img src="https://cdn.dribbble.com/users/2700365/screenshots/5738856/artboard_7_copy_3.png"> When it comes to e-commerce today (and upon writing this, the latter part of 2019), many experts in the field will explain the shift from brick and mortar to online sales via a simple equation: purchases = price + selection +&nbsp;convenience Consider Amazon using this formula and&nbsp;their flywheel model starts to make perfect sense. Drive sales with lower prices, which leads to more customer visits, which attracts more sellers and, in turn, increases their volume and product selection. <img width="397" height="299" width_o="397" height_o="299" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/744475846b37c34cf674ac8e11ea09aca2f5440da75c30e3c635a265519cf77b/box.png" data-mid="839682" border="0" />The underlying problem with approach, however, is once the competition catches up and offers similar offerings (same-day delivery, a large selection, and lower prices), Amazon would be quick to lose the upper hand. <img width="1492" height="1590" width_o="1492" height_o="1590" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/5875557dc2e13838ba6ebc162dbfa6d16e3f9c26d693caa2376a381415d423e5/amazon_woman_dark.png" data-mid="839708" border="0" /><img width="1486" height="1650" width_o="1486" height_o="1650" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/1ee0ea442f68e5335a9f5b3aafbba5ac85187505c6257e23c9cf4a77f5f8af48/amazon_man_dark.png" data-mid="839707" border="0" /><img width="1358" height="1548" width_o="1358" height_o="1548" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4777ce169252c7d4a38461907f0dd9c0eb05a7cd93ee47534f28993e4c291819/amazon_woman2_dark.png" data-mid="839709" border="0" /> Let’s take a step back.Why do people&nbsp;purchase things today in the first place? Is it for utility? To showcase a skill? We prodded around to understand more:12 stakeholders: interviews with science, engineering, design, and PMs 3 countries:shop-alongs in France, Spain and US 100 articles:covering over 50 retail competitors Shopping journeys today vastly differ from 4-5 years ago. The explosion of information and product availability also means a mountain of choices and decision-making moments, even for the smallest purchases. A person may go from getting inspired to going to the store, then go back to researching for something better, drop off again, then a few months later purchase the item once they’ve decided they ‘know enough.’ <img width="1920" height="729" width_o="1920" height_o="729" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/84fe4b53bbfc30fe2cdcc6de14e5e19466a6f0848ccd8de433c550e17e747fa0/shopper_j.png" data-mid="839602" border="0" />A shopping journey for someone looking to buy a new TV. Fortunately, there’s a pattern behind this madness, much of it based on basic human behavior. We found people to be innately curious, not only learning about the worlds they enter and enjoying richer product information, but learning about themselves as they continually question and evolve who they are and how they live. We learned a level of “white glove” service isn’t too much to ask for. That people want to be with like-minded people, to feel like they belong. For next-gen retailers to be successful, they must realize the importance to have credibility,&nbsp;authenticity&nbsp;and built trust, one customer at a time.The way customers make purchase decisions today is more complex and nuanced than the traditional “sales funnel” model. Each of the phases they actually move through—motivation, information processing, implementation, and experience—are associated with different cognitive mindsets, needs, and goals. Understanding these core drivers of customer behavior, and helping customers reach each of these phase-specific goals, is imperative to provide a personally rewarding shopping experience. <img width="1920" height="808" width_o="1920" height_o="808" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/efdbbcd805a24cbbb47b820865e27beb1e297cd8d1650461289544824fcba9f0/behav_model.png" data-mid="839605" border="0" /> Decision Making Model (2018). In our Decison Making Model, co-developed with Linda Couwenberg (our staff behavioral scientist), we broke down these shifting mindsets during the shopping journey into 4 distinct phases: Motivation.A variety of intrinsic or extrinsic triggers can motivate a hedonic or utilitarian shopping intention. Information Processing.Customers process information by search and refinement, to reach a level of satisfaction or satiation (hedonic), or a level of confidence to make a decision (utilitarian). Implementation.Customers feel ready to commit to their choice, and go from an intention to action mindset: How, when, and where am I going to make a purchase? Experience.Post-purchase feelings of satisfaction or regret can lead to a variety of short-term (e.g., sharing) and long-term (e.g., habits, loyalty) behaviors. From here, Amazon can orchestrate different initiatives to solve for the customer needs (and jobs to be done) depending on the context in their target customer’s shopping journey. These efforts can range from providing people with new ways to gain inspiration, to empowering confidence in the product search results, to improving the recycling process at the end of a product’s lifecycle.&nbsp; What I found most intriguging was how people express themselves through the things they own in order to imagine a brighter future through a product’s possibilities (or at least its promise). And the tools we build to help with that product search, in a way, are tools to help people find themselves.&nbsp; <img width="542" height="1080" width_o="542" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/380c61f6c37dfb46d042f76b253ee3614ca9349e6308603dae182238955ee8cf/curator.png" data-mid="839615" border="0" /> <img width="913" height="991" width_o="913" height_o="991" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/1d626d81cd702edf27c5606463d3720f3f560d669274f4388882434b4d9f10b0/cast.png" data-mid="839623" border="0" /><img width="1162" height="766" width_o="1162" height_o="766" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/acb0a427ff766364c504ea6db4d6ad13df5c80a4316b594e88cde59218ff3063/chat.png" data-mid="839622" border="0" /> <img width="1223" height="766" width_o="1223" height_o="766" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/63a012e54448ad81fc6a07a4cac73c626ef8d370463f81f6fc50a9e64e054c71/living.png" data-mid="839619" border="0" /><img width="1101" height="1057" width_o="1101" height_o="1057" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e7d0c23e4dbd9d77dd396fd56a648ab24e8f98e33cbb8847f7dafdab0ba4f4b4/budget.png" data-mid="839620" border="0" /> So what’s my recommendation to Amazon and any next-gen retailer interested in the ‘Future of Search?’ Try pivoting from a brand that delivers material goods to a brand that enables lifestyles. Do this through empathy with your customers, by showing them the world of possibilities of what you can offer. Do this knowing that it’s ultimately the shared experiences and relationships that people value, which in turn informs the things they carry. I’ll leave with a final word from one of my favorite poets, David Whyte. We shape our selfto fit this worldand by the worldare shaped again.The visibleand the invisibleworking togetherin common cause,to producethe miraculous. I am thinking of the waythe intangible air passed at speedround a shaped wing easilyholds our weight. So may we, in this lifetrust to those elementswe have yet to see or imagine,and look for the true shape of our own self,by forming it well to the greatintangibles about us. —David Whyte from ‘Working Together,’ The House of Belonging <img width="816" height="200" width_o="816" height_o="200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2152a59eeab2efc1af3d882582605cfb19f77889a3d125c7304b57274f43ede8/exp_logo.png" data-mid="1184135" border="0" data-scale="14"/> Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. Amazon. Envision the ‘Future of Search’ the largest e-retailer on the planet. Now, that’s one heck of a design... http://experiencist.com/LG Tue, 26 Jun 2018 01:33:18 +0000 Anthony Nguyen 277237 Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. LG. Home to the coolest logo on the planet. We set out to fix what Google’s Jamboard and Samsung’s Flip failed to do—to facilitate truly seamless creative meetings. Present. Feedback. Ideate. Conversations like butter.<img width="1800" height="600" width_o="1800" height_o="600" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f45d5b8594494b1c6b573879b824b1c2ec0ec2d928d395353ce4ad038f829820/LG_Samsung_Mock_v1-AN.png" data-mid="505801" border="0" /> “Our launch screen will be 86 inches.” “Wait, what?”Yeah, we know. It’s big, but that’s the target. Large meeting rooms.“We’re going to need to rethink the navigation.” Most all-in-one digital whiteboards on the market are 55-inches. It’s amazing how an extra 30-inches completely changes the game. How do people stand in front of it? What’s their workflow going from laptop to accompany app to presenting?&nbsp; We wanted to set ourselves apart by building an experience that matched how real people♦ collaborated and shared ideas today.Step one. Establish a set of principles based on great meeting experiences. Co-written and inspired by previous work with the client. <img width="1631" height="549" width_o="1631" height_o="549" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0ab82b79602d25a7e3c99e89557e052776c486d762cd5c9710d56cdc1ec4a3e3/LG_MeetingBoard_Meeting_History_USB_v7-AN.001.png" data-mid="498965" border="0" /> Step two. Explore and push forward a number of concepts that challenges and nudges the client team towards bolder ideas, modern architecture paradigms, and new ways of working. <img width="9508" height="6011" width_o="9508" height_o="6011" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2f5ce81f053497653f64b6eb560bd59a07e14bce469ad0295253cbe4002c9be4/a_concept.png" data-mid="498981" border="0" /> <img width="6494" height="4361" width_o="6494" height_o="4361" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/df8f0afa44a4a0c4bd708cd6e73ed468ba520695ecd294eb08737b338e978e23/b_concept.png" data-mid="498983" border="0" /> <img width="8501" height="5631" width_o="8501" height_o="5631" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/5101fd1d3904daa1224c8fcbad8dadfceecb3a975bd58ae9706bd6364e9069f0/c_concept.png" data-mid="498985" border="0" /> <img width="10308" height="6861" width_o="10308" height_o="6861" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/606125005d92b39f82f1f99670ba633e38972f4ecbab14873137606cade5ce35/d_concept.png" data-mid="498986" border="0" /> Concepts require a trust fall from both the client and designer. It requires understanding that bold ideas require breaking existing paradigms and potentially starting from scratch — a good thing worth pursuing as a means of mitigating risk and expensive changes later on. It’s also important we test these ideas, early and often, with real people to garner truly unbiased validation.Step three. Listen. Be flexible. Lead process, not decisions. I worked closely with product, engineering, and design daily, continuously fine-tuning our approach based on shifting business and tech needs as we prodded our way towards a hard transition date with their LG headquarters team in Korea. <img width="1220" height="1220" width_o="1220" height_o="1220" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7b78fe7787f02e7568ab35d63c1568731440bedc83998354ed2e6e9c9c2a271e/testing.png" data-mid="517097" border="0" data-scale="84"/> <img width="3060" height="1092" width_o="3060" height_o="1092" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4cdd030172cf2450f3c0c3b22cae47fbce608270c445117cc5bb7146efcac330/LG_MeetingBoard_IA_Elevation_v0.9-AN.png" data-mid="521781" border="0" /> <img width="576" height="991" width_o="576" height_o="991" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/a2c4b4787a739641152e2df01b683859863ef8e0721dd1ab9aa147a2ec516d4a/ReferenceToolMenu5.png" data-mid="517094" border="0" /> <img width="752" height="929" width_o="752" height_o="929" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8bf42f6b5b47051e239084f633b939bae347ed085b9028d47d0169addd9b6270/image.png" data-mid="517091" border="0" /><img width="1578" height="1355" width_o="1578" height_o="1355" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0d852351e104e217b3ade03c08cd284b247e685da05cea2ce82c0db98945638c/toolbar.png" data-mid="517092" border="0" /> <img width="800" height="450" width_o="800" height_o="450" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/36cfc27baeb4ee971976f0819294bd52bea759eddc0438e9346dcab764744d69/ezgif-2-fbf1455e7b.gif" data-mid="517088" border="0" /> The best kind of project is one that can clearly articulate its needs and constraints, as well as understanding the value of Design as a problem-solving tool (even really complex ones) with a perspective based on best practices. Even better when championing their needs in other parts of the organization. Mix in some personal ownership and trust, and hey, we’ve got some next-level sh*t. &nbsp;♦Based on a series of user interviews on version 1.0 of MeetingBoard <img width="816" height="200" width_o="816" height_o="200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/afd8e73e1993fcc9f36354a827dc077acb37ad96f27f5745666717441a2023d9/exp_logo.png" data-mid="1184113" border="0" data-scale="14"/> Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. LG. Home to the coolest logo on the planet. We set out to fix what Google’s Jamboard and Samsung’s Flip failed... http://experiencist.com/Cisco Thu, 05 Oct 2017 21:14:12 +0000 Anthony Nguyen 218971 Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. Cisco. Apply design transformation to a company of 70,000† people distributed globally. Now that’s a lot of people. Like any movement, it starts with a lone nut, joined by its first follower. When the masses arrive, you’ll know you were onto something. <img width="1024" height="293" width_o="1024" height_o="293" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6bdd1d4303bc1a641104f3366c5ba3d66e048933623a39310ba252481282cc93/process.png" data-mid="302385" border="0" data-scale="95"/>First off, why do this? A well-known CEO once declared: “Good design is good business.” – Thomas Watson Jr., IBM CEO Jeneanne Rae proved this to be true. The Design Value Index (DVI)✤ found that design thinking-integrated companies outpace industry peers by as much as 228%. Additionally, the companies that embrace design understand their customers better than those that don’t; as a result, they grow quicker and have higher margins. When embarking on a journey, it’s important to start somewhere familiar. The work of IBM Design is a great modern case study at implementing design expertise at scale.At its core, the program is composed of: People: your most important assets Places: that nurture creativityPractices: to sustain and deliver <img width="1024" height="264" width_o="1024" height_o="264" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/9464feb1d41806c6164649f28a0c137dab7919d80a25773a85667a9c6c346ac6/amoebas.png" data-mid="302387" border="0" data-scale="95"/> Let’s start with people. People are stubborn. They have dirty old habits. Some even carry vendettas. But they also have dreams and aspirations. At the end of the day, people just want to be heard and part of the process. Because Cisco lacked a user-centric culture, we naturally started with interviews. <img width="512" height="768" width_o="512" height_o="768" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/bcb68ea1f4b8504bc0886482f405dff24bc7374bd63d4b27b3f593b0753c2d85/learn.png" data-mid="302386" border="0" /> Common pain points we heard: Designers are not empowered. •&nbsp; &nbsp;Designers feel like second class citizens. •&nbsp; &nbsp;Design involved too late in the process. •&nbsp; &nbsp;Difficult to hire new talent or retain existing talent.Scarce design resources.•&nbsp; &nbsp;Design is understaffed (at worst a 2000:1 ratio).•&nbsp; &nbsp;Designers are kept busy with tactical work.•&nbsp; &nbsp;No time to innovate.Lack of research and exploration.•&nbsp; &nbsp;No culture of experimentation.•&nbsp; &nbsp;Zero user involvement.•&nbsp; &nbsp;Focus on incremental and marginal feature improvements. No common vision or design culture.•&nbsp; &nbsp;No shared purpose or sense of community.•&nbsp; &nbsp;No way to share learnings and practices between business units.•&nbsp; &nbsp;Unclear vision for Cisco portfolio. While design thinking won’t fix the problem overnight, it takes steps in bridging the gap to get there. Adoption only works when information is kept simple and familiar☯. So we incorporated the way teams were already working at Cisco and broke them into 3 core phases (Discover, Define, and Explore), all of which encourage the making of things and validation of users throughout the process. <img width="1200" height="720" width_o="1200" height_o="720" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/acde2f644288bfc7d37a73d111348d428a0a055a765b370ad995f2e9c3c0554a/FRAMEWORK.gif" data-mid="565572" border="0" />Cisco Design Thinking Framework (2017) This method of working requires everyone including PM’s, engineers, and designers to have a seat at the table and to speak up to ensure the right opportunities are answered with appropriate solutions. In many ways, this approach breaks down the silos, adds a layer of accountability, and encourages cross-collaboration between teams.And you know, work can be fun too&nbsp;– if you do it right. <img width="1920" height="1080" width_o="1920" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/3e647bd8630f05cc501832fd72b18c7f640c1ff346815c96376d20600636143c/Cisco_Design_Summit_Day01_061.png" data-mid="565576" border="0" /> <img width="1920" height="1080" width_o="1920" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/9501eadc24a4bc4dd896bb451710a343a9c4a05304783ef8affb95b57514f7f8/Cisco_Design_Summit_Day02_06.png" data-mid="565574" border="0" /> By iterating quickly, we were able to learn and recalibrate our efforts throughout the project. With momentum, comes inevitable change. “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” – George S. Patton In order to empower the people, we needed to conduct workshops and training for product and executive teams. Hey, you need a place to do this. <img width="1920" height="1080" width_o="1920" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/a98c87308637836f323a9c9ff66f9bdc8e779b804d58c9ccdc0b574e7ddbb156/P1020821_1920x1080_HS-Fixed.png" data-mid="302389" border="0" />Cisco Design Lab at CXC in San Jose, CA (v 1.0) Furthermore, you’ll likely need a field guide filled with practices that people can hang their hat on. You want something tangible so folks walking by say, “Hey, that’s a really nice book. Wait, it’s our book? I didn’t realize we were doing this kind of thing.” Build awareness. Then desire. <img width="1542" height="908" width_o="1542" height_o="908" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/65a18d9536c1cff164ec001c9e576c3ecf149c4f15b9c9b591bf8257f18e839a/books.png" data-mid="302390" border="0" /> <img width="2000" height="1220" width_o="2000" height_o="1220" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8fbf5cad67927adba1c8209a166824d816c9fc19e1e959e1d78627767b9cc659/mockup.png" data-mid="302391" border="0" />Design explorations of the Cisco Design Thinking Playbook (v 0.7 - 0.9) Now I know what you’re thinking. This seems like a lot of work. Because it is. Endless hours at the printer. 20+ copy revisions. We weren’t fucking around.And you shouldn’t either. “Discovered this morning that a good friend of mine knows the two founders of IDEO quite well ... I gave my friend a copy of the book … which he loved and then asked for three more copies so he could send them to David Kelly, Tim Brown, and Keith. 😲” – Matt Cutler, Evangelist of Cisco Design Thinking Because it’s a small world and you never know where your work will end up. <img width="958" height="1080" width_o="958" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6c9cfe8537b4037ff93fd463d031b920216cf967c28f7c86a3c0c94bc0cf6edf/Resource_Foundry.png" data-mid="302392" border="0" /> <img width="953" height="1080" width_o="953" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/fae8a920eef70eb69b86e51e614ceba46d9740d61844b8df4ffe84130bbfcdc9/Spark_Grid.png" data-mid="302393" border="0" /> <img width="1800" height="1012" width_o="1800" height_o="1012" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/a4cc33aedb2894a9c7adc952f747a953d031bb26d7c722b9a54eeb121a8ea49a/resize.png" data-mid="462699" border="0" /> <img width="1800" height="1209" width_o="1800" height_o="1209" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/242aa38d4b21b36894496cc472780039c8c53a04a5419f5a2aff2db5875b34f3/resize-1.png" data-mid="462700" border="0" /> <img width="3000" height="1648" width_o="3000" height_o="1648" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/3f3757f9ab6144e9c77c82f6d017abeb9fc2147cd7b1d898799224f9ff3daa31/booth.jpg" data-mid="590569" border="0" /> A year in, design thinking is now a practice shared by thousands of Cisco employees across the org, including product, sales and services teams. 3,000 copies of the book distributed. 20+ projects incorporating the design methods taught. All in all: A molotov cocktail formula for success, if you choose to use it:&nbsp; success = people + timing + talent + emotion(a happy client and fulfilled team) = (getting the right folks excited) + (speedy execution) + (impeccably crafted details) + (that builds up excitement and trust) When dealing with change and specifically, leading that change, it’s important to acknowledge that leadership isn’t a heroic thing nor is it something that only comes from the top. To lead a movement is to change the individual. To sustain, is to turn that movement into an all-out party. <img width="1920" height="1080" width_o="1920" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/ef4e196bf6c643b555084c63fc79cc6fcba9383c7fd5b6bb86e6cb9afc342e23/CDT.gif" data-mid="462702" border="0" /> †Cisco Newsroom✤Design Management Institute Design Value Index ☯ADKAR Change Management Model <img width="816" height="200" width_o="816" height_o="200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c8c3fd9cb76af080c063f37aea620cbd208440eccb197638e85d2ec724137ba4/exp_logo.png" data-mid="1184111" border="0" data-scale="14"/> Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. Cisco. Apply design transformation to a company of 70,000† people distributed globally. Now that’s a lot of... http://experiencist.com/VSCO Sun, 21 Aug 2016 05:29:50 +0000 Anthony Nguyen 97633 Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. VSCO. A case study of one of my favorite photo editing apps.<img width="1600" height="639" width_o="1600" height_o="639" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7b8c727d625294ce5a0060524350b83a8ca971c6aa54897ed66c321750c035f6/VSCO_HERO.png" data-mid="93135" border="0" /> I have a love/hate relationship with VSCO. Its new design language and recently redesigned mobile app screams exclusive hipster appeal, but while coveted by artists, musicians and creatives alike, the app itself is littered with so many usability issues that it’s polarized a community of loyalists who have long used their products from the beginning. VSCO means Visual Supply Company. <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/69850b9c4ff7ecd66fde03c30807cf67a73ecdff8547583745747f5bc8fdd382/CURRENT_VSCO.png" data-mid="93136" border="0" />Current state of the VSCO iOS app (2016) I decided to do a 5-day case study of the VSCO app as a design challenge. Can you go through an entire design process in 5 days? If there’s a will, there’s a way—and no better place than to start with the user: Speak. Human behavior is often diverse, unpredictable and variable. To start, I conducted a task analysis with 12 individuals from varied demographics to test general usability. Survey.Using insights from my interviews, I distributed surveys through social media regarding VSCO app’s top usability issues. Evaluate.Don Norman and Shneiderman have always been my go-tos for heuristic evaluation. I tested the app against these criteria and noted areas of great, okay and not-so-good. Is it a sausage? A party invitation? An AR code? <img width="1066" height="1050" width_o="1066" height_o="1050" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/1f3b31a499861f525ca9922149a789958a536990c7a9c1f34d176355106aec30/interview.png" data-mid="93137" border="0" /> Interview notes. <img width="1537" height="1352" width_o="1537" height_o="1352" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/745ba41b3a25997758453daf47419b7b3a8a297385782bbfb1bbc654acf1d887/d6ea3353-f946-4362-acd8-84dd9e94afc7.png" data-mid="93138" border="0" /> Screenshot of VSCO’s Grid. Findings: 75% of users said navigation to be the biggest usability challenge for the app.83% of users had difficulty understanding the main ‘joystick’ UI that controls navigation.Many described the ‘joystick’ to be ‘clunky’ and ‘slow,’ while others described it as ‘interesting’ and ‘looks cool.’92% of users understood how to edit photos (a feature that didn’t utilize the ‘joystick.’)75% of users didn’t understand what ‘O’ represented (it means save within the app.)Save/Exit location varied from screen to screen (sometimes on top, sometimes on the bottom).Despite its issues, iconography and language was thorough and consistent.Users felt there was little value/reward in participating in VSCO’s Grid, Journal, or collecting images.Users enjoyed the niche aesthetic, many comparing it to competitors such as Snapchat and Facebook. Opportunities: Introduce a more familiar navigation paradigm to move to different areas within the app.Provide more affordances to indicate which space you are in and how to return the previous screen.Keep photo editing paradigms intact since that seems to be working for users.Consider replacing the ‘O’ with a more familiar ‘check’ icon for Save.Give more immediate/obvious reward for participating in VSCO’s Grid.Retain the brand as much as possible since it is a market differentiator. While tempting, the goal was not to redesign the whole app. It was to improve on the single largest problem plaguing the app: Navigation. More specifically: First time and repeat users of VSCO’s iOS app become confused by ambiguous navigation controls and icons on the home screen, causing an overall lower usage of photo capture and uploading to services such as VSCO Grid. How can we improve so that VSCO can retain their new brand while being more successful at driving users to these core areas of the app and increasing engagement with VSCO Grid? <img width="3725" height="2791" width_o="3725" height_o="2791" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/15aef7c31e61b99f4912bd6e5c3c86b1b7c839d9c50019865448eff525373dd6/2016-08-24-11.14.19.jpg" data-mid="93142" border="0" /><img width="3839" height="2878" width_o="3839" height_o="2878" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/ce2a5fab869e530d710cf07a51c168dc733578789cbb1d46d5f026094ed0c42a/2016-08-24-11.14.40.jpg" data-mid="93144" border="0" /> <img width="3299" height="2477" width_o="3299" height_o="2477" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/059cd73ab8e3b16ad57696ad69106f7805cf9ce33f12bcebe4bb5a8280c57eb3/2016-08-24-11.14.31.jpg" data-mid="93143" border="0" /><img width="3606" height="2702" width_o="3606" height_o="2702" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/1b44bd90a81402b1bbc3a3d26febd8346f90e6dc1266580f8d422c2922cb03d4/2016-08-24-11.14.50.jpg" data-mid="93145" border="0" /> Home screen. After doing an inventory of the app’s architecture and UI patterns, it was apparent the ever-confusing ‘joystick’ had to go (or at least its intended usage had to). Since most users I spoke with understood the icon to be a camera (myself included), it felt appropriate to treat it as one. I also decided this was an opportunity to place the camera roll as an icon right below it for 1) closer proximity to photography controls and 2) to free up space on the top portion of the screen for additional UI controls previously hidden within the ‘joystick.’ Additionally, the size of the hero Profile module at the top of the screen was reduced to allow more room for photos at a glance and a subtle gradient was added to the bottom each screen to improve visibility of the bottom navigation. Interaction. I borrowed heavily from popular social media paradigms which resonated with users. Snapchat, being popularized by a similar group of highly active social media millenials, felt like an appropriate source to lean on for inspiration. Moving from different areas of the app should be done via swiping of the entire screen canvas, not just reserved to a button. Though after some consideration, having both options available (gesture and an explicit button) made the most sense ensure proper wayfinding and discovery. Iconography. The most ambiguous icons were the ‘face,’ ‘joystick’ and ‘o.’ The ‘face’ icon felt more representative of a personal profile than a camera control. As mentioned earlier, the ‘joystick’ felt more appropriate as a launchpad to take a photo. The ‘o’ was replaced by a more reliable check icon.Generally speaking, the lack of affordance to move back to a previous screen was alarming. After seeing so many users struggle to get back to the Home screen from the Grid view, I felt adding more familiar ‘back’ arrows would help with navigation and give a more obvious orientation to which part of the app they were in. <img width="2975" height="1399" width_o="2975" height_o="1399" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/75eb930a913a3fed9dacd50e100fd987f40a4a5837ac9b1812f63f28d98d4909/icon_upgrade.png" data-mid="93141" border="0" /> Orientation. The current direction in which the canvas planes animate makes sense for the exception of Profile. If we use Home screen as the main centor anchor, other planes to the left (Grid) and right (Profile) can flow linearly (similar to Snapchat), and temporal states such as Filter, Store, Take Photo, Import Photo, and Edit Photo can continue to animate as modal states from the bottom. <img width="3528" height="4975" width_o="3528" height_o="4975" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/1b2aaae525e4c94d818dc00dac6aa7af0cb371908bf586f0bc91b41d5152831d/vsco_redo.png" data-mid="93139" border="0" /> Invision: ahoy, it’s a prototype! (Load on your phone for a sweet clickable, swipable prototype!) Measuring success: VSCO is in a phase now where optimizing growth is at its upmost importance. An increase in users means an increase in potential revenue and individauls to market their brand/products to.A/B test the current app and prototype side-by-side and compare task success rates, with a specific lens on navigation.Measure usage post-launch for overall photo capture and uploading to services such as VSCO Grid. Potential future areas of improvement: Give users more control (provide different view and filtering options) and ways to interact with VSCO Grid in a meaningful way.Consider mixing in personalized&nbsp;VSCO Grid content based on the types of images a user has added to his/her Collection.Consider teaming with mirrorless camera manufacturers to build the capability of sending photos wirelessly directly to the VSCO app.Consider building into iOS 10 extensions for users that wish to use the native camera roll to manage photos. <img width="816" height="200" width_o="816" height_o="200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c8afaf747138243b48885600bf71d0fcc23881f58e4d3be4e8cb8cf34f9aab70/exp_logo.png" data-mid="1184110" border="0" data-scale="14"/> Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. VSCO. A case study of one of my favorite photo editing apps. I have a love/hate relationship with VSCO. Its new... http://experiencist.com/Tote Mon, 09 May 2016 05:16:02 +0000 Anthony Nguyen 68319 Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. Tote.In-store shopping is outdated. A one-sided sell, a one-sided purchase. Add some display curation and a few gaudy sale signs sprinkled in between and you have the modern day mall experience. “We’re going to change that,” we decided.<img width="2048" height="1363" width_o="2048" height_o="1363" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/701ea3007200a02667097de95d61cac545133e5bad3a4be73afc59190afe41c4/IMG_2946.jpg" data-mid="56140" border="0" />Photo Credit: Liv Lo Given not much has changed over the years despite the thriving growth of online marketplaces like Amazon and Zappos, our team (consisting of stars from Apple Pay, Yammer and Living Social) knew sooner or later there would be a need for a more integrated and personalized in-store experience to match the richness of online shopping. It’s a tad ironic that online, you feel empowered while the feeling is quite the opposite when you’re shopping at a mall.<img width="5000" height="3336" width_o="5000" height_o="3336" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8d492ab9fdeebdd3362c05ed2e2f26d0e23d196ac78992a767760d2e17b2f2f6/photo-1441984904996-e0b6ba687e04.jpg" data-mid="56141" border="0" /> Photo Credit: Clark Street Mercantile Problem Space.Consumers continue to shop at stores, though studies show that 51% will use their mobile devices to compare prices and get more product details†. Moreover, consumers who connect with social media during their shopping process are also 4x more&nbsp;likely than non-users to spend on purchases. In the consumer's mind, different ‘channels’ do not exist—mobile, web and store are one extended, interwoven interaction*. They simply want to engage when, where and how they want. How do we create a more aligned experience to modernize in-store shopping for the digital age? Research. We polled a national sample of 40 random consumers at airport terminals, shopping malls and boutiques stores who used digital devices to shop. Our questionaire consisted of behavioral questions to learn about their shopping habits and to gauge their willingness to embrace new platforms.A rough iOS prototype was built with the hypothesis: “Consumers who shop in-store will be interested in scanning products to find the best deal and learn more about the product.” We user-tested the prototype with 20 consumers for general usability and to check our initial assumptions. Insights.We learned quickly why most apps the Apple App Store go to the graveyard after a single use: Utilitarian apps only work when you use it everyday; unless consumers have a reason to come back, the app, no matter how beautifully-designed, will be quickly forgotten. We learned most people gravited towards our ‘Discovery’ tab, because the content was fresh and new. It also functioned as a way to learn how to use the app without going through a first-time experience (FTE) tutorial. Tote quickly shifted from solely an in-store experience towards becoming fashion content hub with collections curated by influencers with a heavy emphasis on social. <img width="1029" height="1111" width_o="1029" height_o="1111" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/a21390cb19cab0524e8b215990ec8d304c30d126378623b98edbb959d9bc586c/flow.png" data-mid="56143" border="0" /> Our workflow reflected that of a Snapchat addict. As you shop, you scan. You engage both online and within the store, all at your own convenience. It mapped towards consumers’ pre-existing tendency to look up items in a store, thus introducing social engagement and building in perks felt like a natural evolution. <img width="5000" height="1663" width_o="5000" height_o="1663" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/965cf815be9bd995485c0b66c1672687e2240f8a256943f456395accfd090dfa/scanwconceirge.png" data-mid="56145" border="0" /> After the initial rollout, we interated on small usability issues throughout the app. This included: how to illustrate the magical processes that happened in the background when you snap a photo of an item in-store, find its exact price and URL online, then add it to your profile. Voilà! The Tote Concierge Dot&nbsp;was born.&nbsp; <img width="3000" height="865" width_o="3000" height_o="865" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2d2a6e14eb063a6694db635444b72d09d37204c2361dfaa875ea2fe774b85e9a/evolution.png" data-mid="56144" border="0" /> Other tweaks included a call-to-action color study which eventually led to a design language overhaul (people found the purple a bit much) and a new web experience to support collection curation and discovery. <img width="2000" height="1641" width_o="2000" height_o="1641" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6b4fa0d50448328963483a7d525e58ef16d06f81074bb774cdf5dfb016bd7e9f/DESKTOP.png" data-mid="56146" border="0" /><img width="1350" height="910" width_o="1350" height_o="910" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/09ca97e0a1c3bc36a5a8e376baa3c85c143e960dcccb1d5a154c01678eddbbd4/7h4lox6vmf70pdxfcgky2h2qv7bi2t_1350.png" data-mid="56148" border="0" /><img width="2500" height="1358" width_o="2500" height_o="1358" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8c439788301bbf6e5341a676d07b7b426cbb0b45a408d2b6d31d13b149538933/i45s9jxcs6hmlt3uka6poawcixlg6q.png" data-mid="56147" border="0" />Tees and tote bags came naturally, but what still impresses me to this day is what we were able to accomplish in a short&nbsp;6-month timeframe. An iOS app. A website. A launch campaign. With research, design and development collaborating every step of the way, we were able to share our diversity of ideas, both driving and navigating as a collective. Rare shit. And the result was damn beautiful. We created a place for you to follow your fashion influencers, shop your favorite finds and curate your own collections to get featured on Tote. Now, where you at? Tote was acquired by Pinterest in November 2016. <img width="2500" height="1700" width_o="2500" height_o="1700" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b0efefdc5c74967b0c10899365aa1e68464f40b49d02b2f2c7c89ccbbe9e9ba6/MOC.png" data-mid="56149" border="0" /> <img width="1555" height="1127" width_o="1555" height_o="1127" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/71ca5dab088af1a7b7a19041b7ac65794e37f378af42a51a2a392ed77e950bc7/persona.png" data-mid="56142" border="0" /> †Foresee Experience Index (FXI): 2015 Retail Edition *Deloitte Digital: Navigating the Digital Divide (2015) <img width="816" height="200" width_o="816" height_o="200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/620b437eb0babac728353b0aa93443bce4a8e9761b9a8147e38e5e24e31b6e26/exp_logo.png" data-mid="1184036" border="0" data-scale="14"/> Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. Tote.In-store shopping is outdated. A one-sided sell, a one-sided purchase. Add some display curation and a few... http://experiencist.com/CA-Technologies Mon, 02 May 2016 06:01:34 +0000 Anthony Nguyen 65826 Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. CA Technologies.How do you make a 30-year-old technology brand show up like a breakthrough startup? The secret is in the sauce; brand principles, messaging and visual overhaul. Building from this primer, we developed one heck of a strategy to inform how the new face of CA.com would manifest itself. <img width="2064" height="1199" width_o="2064" height_o="1199" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0c1a8c0b059c7d099ef499af0015447761353f848725c881eb3220336205ee31/CA_Staging_Overview.png" data-mid="53271" border="0" />There was a point in time when I had no idea who ITDMs (IT decision makers) and BDMs (business decision makers) were. Several months later, these acronyms (and eventually personas) would be fully ingrained into the team’s psyche that no page would go unturned without the lens of ‘Cloud Cassie’ or ‘IT Imran’ having been taken into account. “People get easily lost when looking for products and solutions. The product hierarchy in the main menu is too deep and contains redundancy and ambiguity. Does “Mobile Security” go under Mobile or Security? Is that a solution or a type of product? Users don’t know.” <img width="801" height="773" width_o="801" height_o="773" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/992042d9b0e5a58057068692720950b97f80ba56c7c8ed70b14a286e8495ef31/Z-1-Edit.png" data-mid="53273" border="0" /> Yes, there were problems with the current site. Dead links. A bloated global navigation. An inundated, overpriced, titan of a content management system. But the biggest problem was not only the messaging or the inconsistent design language, it was the simple fact that people were getting lost when looking for products. People who were looking to buy. We took a look at each pain point, broke them down into opportunities and looked towards the best industry examples. Any migrated content within the several tens of thousand of pages on the current site met their maker in a keep, fix or kill matrix. Then, persona-based workflows were developed, a strategic narrative was put into place and wires were developed based on all of the above. <img width="1000" height="977" width_o="1000" height_o="977" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7561cf8373553fa07fc1be2cfe0fcd2e800dd2e27e26e0746a2376d26dd0e9d1/xemqshioj74dgv5t9oqwekldq3lw55.png" data-mid="53274" border="0" /> <img width="1500" height="5826" width_o="1500" height_o="5826" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/25fb26d30b997b62154205049b5419816d5077cd42b1163a092b64505db64657/Why_CA_T1_Desktop_v2_1500.jpg" data-mid="53278" border="0" /> <img width="1403" height="637" width_o="1403" height_o="637" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7e74f5f46e1201819e69f001e240f7e9dd126a29ce429f5bfba1e8965cbc7ab8/why-ca-api-desktop.jpg" data-mid="53276" border="0" /><img width="1600" height="4183" width_o="1600" height_o="4183" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/bd6116369228bf9803b5901f2611f43909c986f9aae0b46c1f7dd440854cce4f/Products_T1_Products_Landing_Desktop_v13.jpg" data-mid="53277" border="0" /> Mobile-first, of course. Working closely with the creative teams, we integrated our designs into the Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) framework that would eventually do away with the need for Photoshop comps or wireframes altogether when building new pages.<img width="800" height="787" width_o="800" height_o="787" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/78aec4466219c4d5fc4a022dc8f011df9081c49f8734e96446a2484391ddecf4/9k.jpg" data-mid="53272" border="0" /> Slowly, but surely, we migrated a site the size of Texas if every page were a house* to its new home, going through an extensive process of vetting with internal stakeholders, our partners and working in agile to lay out a modern experience we all felt even our mothers could use. Whether or not they understood what API management was, is another question. *Okay... okay, this might’ve been a stretch. In 2014, there were 10,426,080 housing units in Texas. Texas is pretty damn big. We migrated nearly 10,000 pages, which wasn’t bad for a small team’s effort. <img width="816" height="200" width_o="816" height_o="200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/675236a94ee489605369d40709fb6f7b44f981ed7aaf416bf4fec205c3d47c62/exp_logo.png" data-mid="1184108" border="0" data-scale="14"/> Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. CA Technologies.How do you make a 30-year-old technology brand show up like a breakthrough startup? The secret is in... http://experiencist.com/General-Electric Mon, 02 May 2016 05:54:41 +0000 Anthony Nguyen 65823 Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. General Electric. Build the Industrial Internet of Things. Smart infrastructure used to be a pipe dream, but working with some of the best in the industry, we set out to redefine what it meant to connect the very world we live in. <img width="1000" height="667" width_o="1000" height_o="667" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/450a49494b218077c45bf674aef2b0474b9ffe8e0f8c7629a24dd55fd5a09b03/GE_Reader_Hands.jpg" data-mid="53254" border="0" /> One of my first projects at GE was to imagine the future of their mobile experience ecosystem. The original concept came from a prototype for health care field engineers who fixed MRI machines at hospitals. Our goal was simple—everything you need, exactly when you need it. The problem was we how to scale this concept to the tens of thousands of field engineers employed by the company. Step 1. Go there. Next stop, Paris. <img width="2048" height="1365" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/801a5f6d9d17885db6bf152c6ebc480a9ee4815f92dccbf895f879b0cf0600d4/GE1-superJumbo.jpg" data-mid="53255" border="0" /> I left at 10 in the morning from San Francisco, and 11 hours later, arrived in Paris the same day: 10AM. But without my research team who would come 24 hours later, I spent time reviewing our assumptions up to this point (over a few glasses of wine at a cafe outside the Sacré-Cœur, of course). We’ve spent a year designing an app based on so few personas, how could we possibly have predicted all the pain points and design opportunities without ever having gone there? In order to be successful—to have the app be ‘sticky’—we’d have to:Understand the context of use within an engineer’s work and his/her environment.Identify common issues the engineers run into.Understand the critical moments that needs potentially mobile support.Know who engineers collaborate with the most.Understand how human-machine interface (HMI) screens could be potentially used in tandem.Identify characteristics of users that would accept or refuse the mobile devices. In general, the process we use is as follows (it’s a mix of traditional user research, lean startup, and agile methodology): <img width="2000" height="1120" width_o="2000" height_o="1120" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/830f02b4b5ba9bda6c8e9de3873b5b0f0a6f8142b9fc1721cb2b60f85db8c13b/CUSTOMER.png" data-mid="53266" border="0" />Returning from two week field study, what we found was fairly simple: people don’t want distractions. Especially when operating machinery that powers 25% of the country. The exchange value of adding yet another item to someone’s list of things they carry needs to be more than greatly obvious. It must augment their life. It must blend into their workflow. It must fit into a coat pocket. However, we didn’t expect the how absolute and strict regulations were when it comes to industrial applications and the environments they live in. For instance, why aren’t smartphones allowed at gas compression plants? One word. Capacitance. Who would’ve thought the charge between a human finger and a computer touchscreen would be enough to set off a plant explosion. Yikes. <img width="2500" height="3636" width_o="2500" height_o="3636" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/ced9ead3e8399efd8a135d800fde3d69c9e6e85abf142d2093a1f1243b6858f6/lhmtryf68awwrm7i6sq989130eicux.png" data-mid="53259" border="0" /> And so we iterated. Again. And again. At one point, we took every element apart and put it back together. The more we learned, the more refined and powerful the app became. <img width="549" height="401" width_o="549" height_o="401" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d6117e1df53994afc3299ed49bedde3d1672bd72d6febe64985cbae30eebb962/ASSET.png" data-mid="53264" border="0" /><img width="1260" height="893" width_o="1260" height_o="893" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8d0cbf4ef05d0e86b51c71ef4890db50da013199db1874af9c5937b941d8521f/WINDOWS.png" data-mid="53265" border="0" /> <img width="612" height="949" width_o="612" height_o="949" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/08736821afa3a40b5be1c40ea439806459e7f481755de4c66e7abd431b838dc8/LINK.png" data-mid="53267" border="0" /> While doing all this, I also helped architect the framework for which the ecosystem would live on. Predix Asset would map a machine’s layout and monitor KPIs. A design template tool generated ‘Cards’ that would feed into Predix Mobile; this allowed field engineers to receive assignments on mobile devices, connect to machines to troubleshoot and monitor them, and fix problems without ever having to go on site. <img width="2000" height="1334" width_o="2000" height_o="1334" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/24f25076fff426ff37029d4d87cca41dfa83def00923861be22a3096dd333c1c/2.png" data-mid="53258" border="0" /><img width="1600" height="1200" width_o="1600" height_o="1200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4b7e55b3566a238909e22a97844635ae4faa18e123d7be23de843e82feaa02b4/3.png" data-mid="53257" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1533" width_o="1200" height_o="1533" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/eaadf0aee59b0ecb1d4a10aaf339de5412ee50c2c7b9c356b3ae04fb5f935a7b/nv4nov7citxam70y3yqjvxiarzotmi.png" data-mid="53269" border="0" /> The end result was a rich and powerful experience, blending visualization, modern UI design and data science for the boots on ground; our beloved field engineers who work to keep our lights running through the night. Oh, and I also made monthly birthday posters for the studio and bought everyone cronuts and beer. <img width="1200" height="1916" width_o="1200" height_o="1916" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0b72dfefeb66c926d32bca15efdb779cf3ae7aa3046814e7ef2bfcbf6a13a96b/xsexisbqqizf72zle3v183tawcvp9i.png" data-mid="53263" border="0" /> <img width="816" height="200" width_o="816" height_o="200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/078ef9abde6935fc6059fce0ab01704e5c69bfd4c870da96658dd5354e98557e/exp_logo.png" data-mid="1184034" border="0" data-scale="14"/> Anthony Nguyen.Work.Side Projects.Say Hello. General Electric. Build the Industrial Internet of Things. Smart infrastructure used to be a pipe dream, but...