Based on Design Thinking & Agile flows.
Not all of these steps can or need to be done for every project. Some may even be missing!
They exist to guide you through the stages of your project, and make it successful.
Project flow
Define
1. Problem Statement
It takes a mere observation to identify a problem statement, that's what kicks off our process flow.
- [ ] Validated the problem statement with PX?
- [ ] Thought through a Project charters ?
- [ ] Checked in with PXL Pre-kick off + kick off meetings on the high level plan and what the finished product could look like?
- [ ] Equipped and tasked Lauren to socialise the project with execs?
2. Planning, scoping, timelines
To work through the detail of the project and visualise it as a timeline, for capacity planning & time against biz milestones.
- [ ] Scoping & sizing the work ahead, inc. launch and embedding?
- [ ] Done a Timeline visualisation so you & the team know how long each phase will last and how it maps against biz milestones?
- [ ] Identified who is in your Squad?
- [ ] Identified your stakeholders? E.g. Legal, finance, etc.
- [ ] Created a project space?
- [ ] Kicked off a slack channel?
- [ ] Invited your squad and stakeholders?
- [ ] Booked in a kick off session with a clear agenda and goal?
- [ ] Identified how often your squad will meet / be communicated with?
- [ ] Created a squad slack handle so you can @ your squad?
- [ ] Validated project steps with your squad?
- [ ] Broken down each stage of the timeline into tasks with your squad?
- [ ] Assigned tasks for the next sprint with your squad?
- [ ] Checked in with PXL on the high level timeline, scope and plan?
3. Research
To make sure the problem statement is relevant, important and urgent. We use this to explore the problem statement at a deeper level.
- [ ] Understood what already exists at BARB?
- [ ] Done some external research?
- [ ] Interviewed PXP/PXL to understand the problem?
- [ ] Interviewed users to understand the problem?
- [ ] Lopped in other teams like legal and/or finance?
- [ ] Reviewed existing data?
- [ ] Iterated on your project plan according to new insights?
- [ ] Defined the baseline and success metrics?
- [ ] Checked in with PXL & your squad on your findings?
4. Proposal
Alignment & validation checkpoint so we move forward as one, and with as much context as possible
- [ ] Validated your timeline, Scoping & sizing against your research findings?
- [ ] Defined what the Minimum Viable Product will look like
- [ ] Checked in on your plan with PXL and your squad on the back of your research?
Design
5. Prototype
To take the insights from our research and use them to build a prototype. We may start here if we need to create something that doesn't exist yet.
- [ ] Built the prototype for your Minimum Viable Product?
- [ ] Built a template?
- [ ] Created a worked example of what good looks like?
- [ ] Created processes across our tools?
- [ ] Made that guidance playful and accessible eg using videos or badges?
- [ ] Reviewed existing builds?
- [ ] Kept PX in the loop with everything going on?
- [ ] Kept other teams like legal and/or finance in the loop too?
- [ ] Checked in on the prototype with PXL?
6. Test, iterate, validate
To iterate before we launch to the world, exactly like we do with our games! You could spend a little while in here going back & forth, and may start here if you’re iterating on an existing product.
- [ ] Created a survey to get feedback on the process?
- [ ] Gathered feedback on the ground?
- [ ] Collected and actioned feedback from the team?
- [ ] Collected and actioned feedback from test users?
- [ ] Gathered and actioned feedback every time you created something, from the team? Your users? PXL?
7. Design & launch review
Alignment & validation checkpoint so we move forward as one, and with as much context as possible.
This is when you have enough clarity on the work to create a comms plan.
- [ ] Checked in on your final product with PXL, your users and your squad on the back of your iterations?
- [ ] Got exec buy-in? Do they know the value add and deliverables of the project?
- [ ] Created confluence guidance?
- [ ] Created video voice-overs for the confluence page?
- [ ] Created 2 slides to pitch the work to the execs?
- [ ] Created Slack comms for managers - leaders - employees?
- [ ] Created SOTW content for launch?
- [ ] Created any other training and/or support materials?
- [ ] Checked in on the comms plan with PXL?
Deliver
7. Change management & Launch
Nothing can live in trial phase forever!
- [ ] Presented the product and launch plan to the Execs?
- [ ] Checked in on your comms with PXL?
- [ ] Pre-launched to managers and leaders first to give them a heads up so they can support their teams when we roll out?
- [ ] Soft launched?
- [ ] Launched with a test user group?
- [ ] Shared all the comms to your users?
- [ ] Trained the users on the product e.g. drop-in session, workshop, AMA, etc.?
8. Embed
Once it’s launched, it needs to then stay live!
- [ ] Aligned with your squad on how we’ll keep this product live?
- [ ] Checked in with PXL?
- [ ] Embedded the new product/experience across the employee journey?
- [ ] Inc. training/refreshers?
- [ ] Is that process as scalable and automated and simple as it possibly could be?
Do a retro
9. Retro & iterate
There's always an improvement that can be made. We live and breathe continuous improvement. It allows us to pivot quickly if a change in direction is needed
- [ ] Done a retro on ways of working with your squad?
- [ ] Gathered and analysed user feedback?
- [ ] Checked in with PXL on the take-aways?
- [ ] Suggested what an iteration MVP could look like, and when it might become a priority?
<aside>
💡 Tip — there are many tools and workshops out there to help projects move forward across any stage.
🔘 How you can turn your project checklist into a project tracker with Notion buttons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX-SHfDagPM