Workshop scheduled at 1:00-4:00 in Room 3 (Ski-U-Mah)

When you begin work on a new project, there are so many unknowns, so many moving parts to get your head around, so many questions you haven’t even thought to ask yet, that it can be hard to know where to start.

In this workshop we’ll explore a range of discovery techniques, from stakeholder and user interviews, to discovery workshops, content analysis, and more. We’ll also look at what comes after you’ve made reams of rough notes, and just before you create deliverables: the part where you start to recognise patterns, clarify ambiguities, and put the pieces together.

This workshop will give participants:
A toolbox full of discovery techniques and tips, as well as recommendations for further learning.
Clarity about which tools to use when and for what purpose, and a basic discovery process that they can use as a starting point when planning out a new project or initiative, or writing a proposal for a new client.
An opportunity to try their hand at several of these techniques. Often the feeling that we haven’t done this before and we’re making it up as we go along is the thing that holds us back from doing our best work, so participants will have a chance to get comfortable with some discovery techniques and gain confidence in their abilities.

Kerry-Anne Gilowey

Kerry-Anne Gilowey lives in Cape Town, South Africa, where she has been working as a content strategist since 2009, first as the owner of a small content development agency, and for the last three years as an independent consultant. She is increasingly drawn to work that allows her to facilitate content-related efforts and help teams develop their own tactics and processes, rather than imposing these from the outside.

Kerry-Anne has spoken at UX and content strategy conferences around the world, including SXSW, Confab, CS Forum, IA Summit, Midwest UX, and the online Content Strategy Summit. In October 2012, she hosted the international Content Strategy Forum conference in her hometown. When she’s not thinking about content strategy, you might find her listening to Pearl Jam, watching Doctor Who, eating embarrassing quantities of cheese, or planning her next American road trip.

Follow @kerry_anne on Twitter