Blink's design workshops bring cross-functional teams together to collaborate, share knowledge, and solve a problem. Workshops create an opportunity for teams to consider a diverse set of perspectives, set priorities and align on an action plan.
Workshop activities are driven by the desired outcomes and goals. Blink regularly conducts workshops for a variety of purposes: to synthesize research findings and align on the most critical insights, collaboratively prioritize pain points, identify risks and unknowns, create concepts or rapid prototypes, and establish the foundations of a design language.
Diversity of thought is one of the biggest benefits of a design workshop. A Blink workshop team generally includes participation from designers, researchers, strategists, and engineers. We encourage our clients to include a broad team as well.
Workshop outcomes are captured in meeting notes, photos, and presentation decks, but we find the bulk of the value is in the process itself. Teams leave workshops aligned on goals, excited about the future, and informed on how they will get there.
What Is a UX Design Workshop?
Many UX design firms hold workshops with clients and their key stakeholders. These workshops lay out specific outcomes to arrive at from their conclusions;objectives vary by client and stage of the development process. The goal might be to reach an agreement on the direction of the project or inform all team members about current project knowledge. The intention might also center on generating ideas or forming relationships within the new team.
A cross-section of UX experts and the client stakeholders allows the workshop to draw out the most useful information. Usually, the UX teammates will each have their own questions to ask clients. The clients act as experts on their industry, target customers and, of course, their company. Their knowledge drives projects toward the right research and design strategies.
The topics covered in UX design workshops depends on these goals and what the design firm learns from the client throughout the meeting. If the goal is to reach a consensus on direction, the workshop might start with a discussion about possible approaches. Next, the client's team members might use a forced ranking exercise to decide which options to move forward with. If the goal is to generate new ideas, they might use several brainstorming activities. At the workshop's conclusion, team members will have a better understanding of what comes next.
Benefits of UX Design Workshops
At Blink UX, one of our favorite ways to kick off a new client project is with a UX design workshop. It helps us figure out what our clients want and what their company looks like. We also recognize how beneficial it is for our clients. Through our in-person or remote workshops, you can gain:
1. Professional perspective: After years in the business, our UX designers know what works and what doesn't. They know the pitfalls to avoid because they've been there before. More importantly, they know how to do things right. While even our expert opinions can't beat the evidence and research we'll gather as the project progresses, it's a great place to start.
2. Team orientation: Sometimes, it helps to know the names and faces of those who will bring your project to life. At Blink, we consider empathy a crucial skill, central to the design process. The goal is to build an emotional connection with your target audience. That process starts by connecting with our clients to understand their needs.
3. Early-stage planning: High-level planning comes before the tiny details. To get every touchpoint just right, we start with a grand strategy. Of course, that strategy must involve our clients and take their ideas into account. At the end of our initial workshop, you'll have a better idea of where you want the project to go, and so will we.
4. Clarity for the future: Designing a new product with UX in mind can sometimes mean creating something never-before-seen. Even in the seeds of development, you'll be able to imagine what your end-product looks like, thanks to our workshop process. We often do this through an exercise called future state storyboarding, which shows the ideal user experience for your product. Once the team agrees on what the future will look like, we can create a roadmap for how we'll get there.
Convene, Collaborate, and Get Inspired
Blink UX offers in-person and virtual UX design workshops to help you and your colleagues work through ideas with experts by your side. The UX design process is inherently team-based, and our workshops help you get there. Together, we'll create something meaningful.
Who's on your team? Tell us about your project and your team, so we can introduce you to ours at our first workshop.