AI and Machine Learning Are Not a Panacea for Underused Analytics Services Ears, Eyes and Empathy Guide the Best MVPs Since AI, predictive, and prescriptive analytics are big right now, there is a tendency for companies to “want” to use this technology and throw it into their marketing jargon as well. Boards and executives are … Read moreKeeping Analytics Solutions in Check with Customer Needs
Author’s Note: This article was originally published to my mailing list, hence the reference to previous emails and published podcast episodes. Before I jump into this week’s article on MVPs for custom data products, just wanted to address one listener’s response to the new podcast in case others had the same experience. Re: the audio … Read moreDesigning MVPs for Data Products and Decision Support Tools
I recently started playing percussion in a new Celtic ensemble in Boston called Ishna, and we were recently invited to be a guest artist with Symphony NH (New Hampshire). After our concerts concluded, the executive director invited Ishna to a dinner with some of the symphony staff and board members. This is pretty typical: board members … Read moreDoes your data product enable surgery, or healing?
This is recording of my presentation at the O’Reilly Strata Data Conference in New York City in 2018. Gartner says 85%+ of big data projects will fail, despite the fact your company may have invested millions on engineering implementation. Why are customers and employees not engaging with these products and services? Brian O’Neill explains why a … Read moreVideo Sample: 2018 O’Reilly Strata Conference (NYC)
Good design happens at the intersection of discovering real user needs/wants and business goals that are ACTIONABLE (by design and engineering). Yes, there’s a little magic/instinct that creeps into good design too, but you can get far without a lot of this magic. It’s really more about nailing the problem set, and having really clear … Read moreReasons your next sprint, product, or project might fail
I am guessing if you’re reading this, it’s because there’s room for your analytics service or data product to get better, and maybe you know that simply adding more data sources, algorithms, bug fixes, or [insert today’s hype cycle tech], isn’t necessarily all there is to making it better. Like some of my clients, you … Read moreThe difference between design and Design
I know to a lot of software teams, getting features/fixes/releases out the door feels like improvement. However, did you actually create or improve the value of your service? To to that, you have to understand what your users actually value, so you can align your efforts accordingly. Most of the time, these nuggets of useful … Read moreDesign KPIs – what improvement did you celebrate in your last analytics software release?
Should maximum simplicity dictate success? We all love usability these days right? “User experience is important.” Of course it is! But, it doesn’t mean that every user you show the design to is going to, or should immediately be able to, understand fully what you’re showing them. Why? Most valuable things in life take a … Read moreDashboard Design: Is Maximum Simplicity the Goal?
Readers of DFA know that I’m big on not immediately giving customers what they asked for, and instead asking the question “why” to learn what the real latent customer needs are. And for you internal analytics folks, remember your employees, vendors, etc. are your “customers” whether you think of them that way or not! Anyhow, … Read moreHow to solicit *real* needs from users via UX research interviews
Ok, you probably know this one, but let’s dig in a little farther. I recently started to explore using the TORBrowser when surfing on public wi-fi for more security (later finding out that using a VPN, and not TOR, is what will enable safer surfing). However, in the process of downloading and trying the TORBrowser … Read moreThe Easiest Way to Simplify Your Product or Solution’s Design