Tom Lodge, one of our Pilot Project funding recipients, attended the last ustwo UX Boot Camp that we sponsored on behalf of the Network+

Here’s what he had to say about the event:

We’re starting to flesh out the design of prototype deployments that we’re aiming to put in front of users in high-rise residential communities.  When the IT as a Utility Network advertised a UX Bootcamp at ustwo, in London’s Silicon Roundabout, I was delighted – is seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn how the professionals approach to the design process.   Actually I have to admit, I had no idea who, the ‘professionals’ were until I turned up at ustwo’s studios.  What a place!  This is hallowed ground – a carefully designed space, with all the accoutrements expected of a start-up (table football, juice bar and a variety of comfy places to lounge), but humming with activity.  Most spaces – pillars, walls, cabinets – were covered in examples of ustwo’s successes, or sketches and mock-ups / ideas related to (god knows how many) current projects.

The workshop kicked off in a large room on the second floor.  It was immediately obvious that the ustwo staff cared a great deal about their craft, and a great deal about getting it across to us.  On the wall was a minutely crafted schedule for the day which was kept to with unwavering precision.   The schedule was intended to take us right the way through the design process – and crucially – was a faithful reflection of ustwo’s own way of working.  Everything is geared to failing fast; get the ideas out there as soon as possible, scrutinise, iterate, iterate, iterate (elaborate and reduce in design parlance).  Our task:  to design an app to help users during a tube strike.   We were split into three teams then quickly began the process of creating personas, empathy maps, storyboards and even wireframe prototypes to test our ideas against. We were watched, nudged and gently rebuked by ustwo staff throughout the process.  At the end of the day each team had filled a wall with ideas and designs.  We each presented our final concept (and evolution of our ideas) to the rest of the participants.    Perhaps the most striking part of the day was the final tour of the third floor of the studio, where we saw evidence of the very same processes we’d been though plastering walls and offices.  Quite definitely the most useful and rewarding workshop I’ve been to so far…

Originally posted here: http://upintheclouds.org/blog/

The next ustwo UX Boot Camp will be run on the 16th July: