Remote Content Design

Transcript

1. Lunch and learn
   Remote Content Design
   Helping from afar
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2. Housekeeping
   • Mute your microphone and camera
   
   • This presentation is being recorded
   
   • Recording included in the next content community newsletter
   
   • Use the chat box to ask questions
   
   • The presentation should last 45 minutes
   

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3. Laura Parker
   Content Designer
   Service experience design team
   API Platform
   @LauraParkerUX
   

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4. What I’ll talk about
   • Content design at home
   
   • Tips for working better remotely
   
   • How to stay productive wherever you work
   

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5. Q1 How do you feel right now?
   

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6. Content design at home
   The challenge
   • Content design is collaborative
   
   • Isolation is a creativity killer
   
   • Thinking is harder to do
   
   • Tech gets in the way of conversations
   
   • Video calls are exhausting
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7. Tips for working better remotely
   

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8. Get to know your team (again)
   • Have a look at your roles and responsibilities
   
   • Identify new areas you can help others
   
   • Review working methods/order of things
   
   • Be aware of roughly how long it takes others to work through a project
   
   • Schedule 1 to 1 chats
   

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9. Have empathy
   Collaboration starts with empathy
   • It’s easy to ask questions, it’s harder to listen
   
   • “Can you explain your perspective to help me to understand?”
   
   • You might not be the cause of someone’s frustration, even if you’re the
   recipient of it
   
   • Self reflection is a good idea
   
   • You’re wrong sometimes
   

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10. Write better meeting invites
    • Call your meetings a decision making session instead
    
    • Tell your invitees what the plan is
    
    • Make it clear that your meeting will end in a decision
    
    • Use the user story to guide the conversation
    
    • It’s ok to decline meetings to avoid burnout
    

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11. Three amigos call
    • 3 people with opposing views join a call
    
    • The meeting organiser spends 2 minutes laying out the problem
    
    • The problem is discussed and the group attempt to reach a decision
    
    • The meeting should be no longer than 15 minutes
    
    • Notes are taken and shared with the wider team
    

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12. Fika!
    Take a break
    • Fika is a Swedish word meaning “to have a break”
    
    • 15 to 30 minute conversation
    
    • No work talk allowed
    
    • Usually includes coffee/tea and biscuits
    
    • Host a Fika in the morning
    

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13. Bored of quizzes?
    Try something different
    • Through the keyhole
    
    • What’s on the bookshelf
    
    • Hangman (works better with fewer people)
    
    • Name the movie quote
    
    • Lightening talks
    

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14. Ways to collaborate better
    Thanks to Mia O’Donoghue
    • Demo smaller things - don't wait for the big reveal
    
    • Keep sessions to the minimum number of team members - share the output
    with the wider team
    
    • Keep presentations short and to time - use props to keep on track
    
    • Use GoToMeeting for card sorts - you can hand control of the mouse to
    participants
    
    • Use Google Docs for individual feedback - you can refer back to comments
    after you 'delete' them
    

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15. Q2 Share a remote working tip
    

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16. How to be productive anywhere
    

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17. Be productive anywhere
    • Recognise when you work best
    
    • Use flexible scheduling to your advantage
    
    • A/B test different productivity methods
    
    • Track your activity and productivity
    
    • Try time blocking and colour code your diary
    
    • Have a bottle of water nearby and a designated snack jar
    

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18. Be productive anywhere
    How does a user researcher stay productive?
    • Regularly change your workspace
    
    • Accept that there are some things you can't change
    
    • Have a goal that's unrelated to work
    
    • Remember to be silly and have fun
    
    • Exercise and eat a healthy diet
    

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19. And remember
    • Inaction is a roadblock for remote collaboration
    
    • Don’t worry about whether you’re doing it right or not
    
    • Design is a journey, remote work is ‘work in progress’
    
    • Respect your team and have empathy
    
    • Stay professional and get dressed
    

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21. Q3 Recommend any book/
    website/podcast
    

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22. Thank you
    Any questions for me?
    

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23. • https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/collaboration-begins-with-empathy/
    
    • https://www.toptal.com/designers/ux/mastering-remote-ux-workshops
    
    • https://everythingsweden.com/what-is-fika/
    
    • https://theblog.adobe.com/wfh-101-tips-to-stay-productive-wherever-you-work/
    
    • https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/remote-work-problems-solutions/
    
    • https://twitter.com/trishgreenhalgh/status/1260642836921401348?s=20
    
    • http://www.tomatotimers.com
    
    • https://www.agilealliance.org/glossary/three-amigos/
    
    • https://zapier.com/blog/productive-remote-work/#test
    

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