Requirements deep dives

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What it is: A read-me for partners as you transition from the idea to the execution.

When to use it:

• When your are working through the details of how an idea is going to become real

• As you go from rough examples to more detailed, high fidelity versions, this can help document the decisions

How to use it:

• You can use this as early in the process as makes sense for you.

• Use this as a place to brain dump as you have meetings and team work sessions

• Bring others into it; this is not a single authorship undertaking

I’ve used these pages as “read me” pages as the first page in a hand off file.

This works great with

• Assumption maps

• Design Decision placemat

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Design strategy check in

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What it is: A placemat that helps you keep the bigger picture in mind, while you look at the specific things you’re working on across the team.

When to use it:

• To keep team leadership focused on bigger goals at a craft

• To find a balance between the urgent and the meaningful

• To support identify the 80/20

How to use it:

• Establish the organizational signals of what good design strategy looks like

• Set up a baseline - initially, it can be a gut sense (or the read out from a round of internal interviews)

• The more you actively use it in your reflections, the more powerful this tool becomes

Great for check ins, team retros, and inputs to use as you put together bigger organizational visions.

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This works great with

• Department wide objectives

• 1:1 placemats

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