IA Summit 2010: This One Goes to Eleven -- The Best Conversations Happen in the Hall

This will be an activity in which we learn about and then do a bodystorming
exercise. A bodystorm is a live presentation (think: a short play) in which
user experience people improvise several scenes and also has the audience
asking questions. It leads to a better understanding of the problem and
solution space. I will go over best practices as well as techniques and tools
for bodystorming (one for idea generation to prepare for bodystorming and
another for analyzing a bodystorm.)

Use Case Theater (Prototyping the Space/Place your product will be used in
using “actors” and “props”.) Let’s say you have been hired to build a
new hot-dog vendor stand. Bodystorming Type III says you should get a perhaps 3
or 4 of your co-workers and have them act-out the the different roles. So you
have one person be the vendor. Another person ordering their hot dog. The other
people waiting in line to order. Perhaps you have them run through it for a
couple of takes and you can watch and see what happens and perhaps change
things up to explore different options. Such things as how long it take to
service 10 people with one vendor versus two vendors, or if you add a form for
people to fill out instead of telling the vendor their order.