Design Thinking is one of the best tools we have to create products and services that satisfy people’s needs. Since it is a human-centered process, empathy interviews are the most common technique for collecting data.

But there is a problem. Books, papers, articles and essays on qualitative research present examples of questionnaires and interviews full of leading questions, and interviewer’s own metaphors, interpretations, suggestions, mind-reading, references or unwarranted assumptions.

INTERVIEWEE: "I feel strange." INTERVIEWER: "I know this can be uncomfortable.” “Are you sick?" "Do you want to feel normal?” “What would happen if you didn't feel that way?"

Moreover, as interviewees, we unconsciously look for cues about how to answer a question. It’s difficult to escape from the consistency effect (tendency to answer in ways that are consistent with questions), the acquiescence bias (tendency not to challenge an assumption implicit in a question), and the friendliness effect (tendency to answer how an interviewee thinks the researcher wants them to answer).

INTERVIEWER: “We know change is hard and transitions are always tough. What kind of impact has the new system had? How this has impacted your daily life?” INTERVIEWEE: “I thought the new system was awesome, but now that you mention it, it definitely has had a very large impact...”

Are we influencing the question-response process? Are we compromising data authenticity? How can we minimize bias? How can we maximize the reliability of the information collected? By using CLEAN LANGUAGE.

It’s not a language and it’s not about language. It’s not about speaking clearly, using fancy jargon or swearing. But it’s an impressively versatile tool.

If you’re interested in understanding people, how they think and feel, their emotions, frustration, challenges and dreams, do not miss this workshop. You will have an opportunity to learn, practice and also have fun.

We have heard several definitions of user stories. We have used the INVEST formula countless times, and most likely used 1,000+ sticky notes.

Books, essays and the Internet are good sources for the basics. After some failures and a lot of practice, we might be able to write acceptable stories and deliver decent products.

However, delivering valuable, remarkable software requires much more. To make sure the right stuff is delivered, the right conversations between development teams and business stakeholders need to take place. This is where the ability to write user stories like a pro comes into play.

In this talk, you will learn seven ideas and techniques to improve your user stories. You will learn concepts such as “prioritize according to stages of growth,” rules like “budget instead of estimate,” and techniques such as “best by” and “narrow segments.” Bring your notebook and be ready to practice!

Agile has proven its business value: product quality, time to market, and team satisfaction are the order of the day. Scrum, for instance, became a great framework for Product Development: planning in small chunks, getting rapid feedback, delivering continuously, and pivoting as necessary. When done correctly, it’s like a Smart Factory: if we feed the system with a good “product idea,” chances are we will end up with an outstanding product.

However, have you wondered where that “product idea” is coming from? Maybe from the product manager? The executive team? Some stakeholders? A couple of sponsors? The product owner? A client’s whim? All of the above? With what exactly are we feeding the system? Guesses, assumptions, gut calls, extrasensory perceptions, the magical wisdom of marketing departments, historical data projected into the future?

If “yes” is the answer to any of those questions, then Design Thinking should come into play –in order to create an intimate connection with people, uncover true needs and problems and propose less risky solutions.

In the first part of the talk, you will take a quick trip through the framework. In the second part, you will learn 11 secrets that only the Pros know. You will walk away with a graphic organizer, filled out by yourself, with the most relevant tricks ready to be used in your context.

We have heard several definitions of user stories. We have used the INVEST formula countless times, and most likely used 1,000+ sticky notes.

Books, essays and the Internet are good sources for the basics. After some failures and a lot of practice, we might be able to write acceptable stories and deliver decent products.

However, delivering valuable, remarkable software requires much more. To make sure the right stuff is delivered, the right conversations between development teams and business stakeholders need to take place. This is where the ability to write user stories like a pro comes into play.

In this talk, I will propose 7 ideas to improve your user stories. You will learn concepts such as “prioritize according to stages of growth,” rules like “budget instead of estimate,” and techniques such as “best by” and “narrow segments.”

With the rise of Agile, rewards and recognition have become more important than ever: “influencing rather than demanding desired behaviors” is the new rule for leaders.

While money is important, research shows that what motivates teams to perform at higher levels is the thoughtful, personal kind of recognition that signifies true appreciation for a job well done.

The creativity and variation that tech companies bring to the “reward-and-recognition” table continue to be impressive. The simplest and least expensive options often work best to make team members feel valued and important. The reason is simple: their true power comes from how they are used –timing, context, symbolism, modeling and leveraging.

In this interactive session we will share proven strategies and best practices. You will walk out with at least 30 low-cost ideas to reward team members. To make it spicier, bring what you consider to be the most creative way to reward teams –you’ll have 30 seconds to share it. The winning idea receives a prize!

As leaders, team members or facilitators, we all attend tons of formal and informal meetings every year –brainstorming sessions, kickoff meetings, feedback and retrospective sessions, status update reports, planning discussions, demos, and meetings without agenda.

Truthfully, during a few of those meetings I’ve become paralyzed –especially if I wasn’t in a facilitation mode. Have you ever found yourself frozen or simply speechless during one of your meetings? Or hesitant about how to start one of them?

Although it is normal to run out of words now and then, we still need to get and maintain people engaged, interested and excited. There is where a JOLT come into play! In those hard times, a short, yet powerful short activity can rescue us.

In this high-energy session, you will learn at least seven of them –from icebreakers to brainstormers, meeting openers, retrospective engines, and creativity boosters. It would be like a marathon of learning, making connections and having fun.

Agile has proven its business value: product quality, time to market, and team satisfaction are the order of the day. Scrum, for instance, became a great framework for Product Development: planning in small chunks, getting rapid feedback, delivering continuously, and pivoting as necessary. When done correctly, it’s like a Smart Factory: if we feed the system with a good “product idea,” chances are we will end up with an outstanding product.

However, have you wondered where that “product idea” is coming from? Maybe from the product manager? The executive team? Some stakeholders? A couple of sponsors? The product owner? A client’s whim? All of the above? With what exactly are we feeding the system? Guesses, assumptions, gut calls, extrasensory perceptions, the magical wisdom of marketing departments, historical data projected into the future?

If “yes” is the answer to any of those questions, then Design Thinking should come into play –in order to create an intimate connection with people, uncover true needs and problems and propose less risky solutions.

In the first part of the talk, you will take a quick trip through the framework. In the second part, you will learn 11 secrets that only the Pros know. You will walk away with a graphic organizer, filled out by yourself, with the most relevant tricks ready to be used in your context.

Design Thinking has been developed as an approach to resolve issues outside of professional design practices -business and social contexts are great examples. Since the framework integrates classic creative problem-solving with art and design methodologies, it matured as a flawless and flavorful strategy for innovation.

Nowadays, even large bureaucracies like the Veterans Administration and IBM use Design Thinking to explore the experiences of key stakeholders and search for insights that allow them to improve product, services and processes.

Not every design thinking project is a success, of course, but as a risk management approach, few innovation methodologies compete with this strategy. As companies continue to adopt agile, Design Thinking gains traction as the right tool to create an intimate connection with final users, uncover the true needs and problems, and propose less risky solutions.

In this interactive talk you will be walked through the 12 steps we followed -for 12 weeks- to understand homelessness, uncover the real issues and propose new concepts. You will be surprised, not only by the insights we found but also by the power of the framework. After listening to this real-life example, you will leave the room looking for opportunities to apply the framework on a daily basis.

Design Thinking has been developed as an approach to resolve issues outside of professional design practices -business and social contexts are great examples. Since the framework integrates classic creative problem-solving with art and design methodologies, it matured as a flawless and flavorful strategy for innovation.

Nowadays, even large bureaucracies like the Veterans Administration and IBM use Design Thinking to explore the experiences of key stakeholders and search for insights that allow them to improve product, services and processes.

Not every design thinking project is a success, of course, but as a risk management approach, few innovation methodologies compete with this strategy. As companies continue to adopt agile, Design Thinking gains traction as the right tool to create an intimate connection with final users, uncover the true needs and problems, and propose less risky solutions.

In this interactive talk, you will be walked through the 12 steps we followed -for 12 weeks- to understand homelessness, uncover the real issues and propose new concepts. You will be surprised not only by the insights we found but also by the power of the framework. After listening to this real-life, fresh example, you will leave the room looking for opportunities to apply the strategy on a daily basis.