5 Easy Improv Lessons to Boost Your UX Game
I’ve been a UX specialist for 7 years, and an improv actor for more than 20, so it’s no exaggeration to say that I’ve been improvising for over half my life. That includes the trial-and-error process of carving out a career in user-centric engagement and research. Here’s how I did it.
Let’s start at the very beginning… Please, indulge me.
Yes, that young boy with a glimmer in his eye (and ballgown) is me. After four years of rehearsing lines, directing actors, workshopping plays and dancing (while trying to hold a tune), that sparkle started to fade. By the time I earned my Honours Degree in Drama, I realised that the spotlight, like the dress, wasn’t a great fit… for me.
So I took an evening course in copywriting while working at a small digital marketing agency. It was creative, yes, but I was surrounded by egos. And I developed one myself, becoming increasingly precious about my work.
It was then that I decided to take an improv course. This helped me to unlearn some bad habits and understand the beauty of not being the centre of attention. Everything in improv is geared towards making your co-performers look like stars, while creating stories on the fly, together. But improv doesn’t pay the bills.
I took what I learned about co-creation with me into my next job as a content and communications specialist, collaborating with illustrators, animators, art directors, voice-over talent, project managers, web developers, product designers, and (most importantly) clients.
Every day was a new negotiation towards creation.
“It was frustrating, but it helped me to learn that diverse perspectives will provide a better outcome than relying solely on your subjective experience.”
UX & Improv: a shared value system
This gave me a solid foundation for my official move to user experience, because I realised I could leverage the five lessons in the intersection between improvisation and UX:
Lesson 1— Empathy: That human element
Empathy lies at the core of both UX strategy and improvisational theatre. UX specialists strive to comprehend the users’ emotions, needs, and desires to craft seamless and intuitive experiences. Similarly, improvisational actors immerse themselves in the characters they portray. In both worlds, we try to understand their motivations and emotions to create authentic and relatable experiences.
Those who happen to be at the cross-section of these disciplines experience a heightened ability to walk in the shoes of others. In terms of practical implementation, UX researchers can leverage improvisational techniques to embody user personas, enabling them to gain initial insights into the user’s mindset.
Lesson 2 — Collaboration: The power of co-creation
Like any improv performance, a successful UX strategy requires seamless collaboration between diverse team members, and most importantly working on feedback from your audience. In UX, designers, developers, researchers, and stakeholders collaborate to align their efforts towards a shared product vision. Improvisational actors rely on each other’s cues to co-create narratives in real-time, building upon each other’s ideas to craft engaging stories.
Drawing parallels between these disciplines, I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to foster an environment of trust and openness. Incorporating improvisational exercises into UX workshops can stimulate innovative brainstorming sessions, enabling cross-functional teams to pool their creativity and perspectives for exceptional outcomes.
Lesson 3 — Innovation: Embracing the unknown
At the heart of both UX and Improv lies the spark of creativity. UX specialists innovate by thinking outside the box, crafting simple solutions to complex problems. Improvisational actors thrive on their ability to think on their feet, responding spontaneously to unforeseen circumstances. When merged, these creative practices lead to the cultivation of a flexible mindset that is unafraid of the unknown.
UX designers who adopt improvisational techniques (literally, playing games) can encourage divergent thinking, enabling them to generate a wide range of design ideas and refine them iteratively.
Lesson 4 — Agility: Navigating the unpredictable
Adaptability is crucial for both UX specialists and improv actors. We’re skilled at embracing change and pivoting our strategies in response to audience needs and shifting circumstances. UX design relies on an iterative approach, refining designs based on user feedback and changing market trends. Improvisational performances thrive on adapting to audience reactions and altering the narrative in real-time based on the suggestions we receive.
Lesson 5— Risk: Leaving your comfort zone
Improvisers continually push the boundaries by venturing into uncharted territories, experimenting with diverse characters, and navigating some unimaginable scenarios. Similarly, UX practitioners embark on journeys of discovery by daring to explore new design concepts.
We know that each experiment carries the potential for both success and failure. If we win, we’ve cultivated a better experience for our audiences. If not, we cultivate resilience, and an attitude of learning through doing.
Tricks of the trade
Adopting improvisational practices in UX design can lead to more fluid design processes that are better equipped to address changing user preferences in dynamic markets. This isn’t the first article to deal with improvisation in the workplace. And this won’t be the last. Here’s a recent LinkedIn article about the Power of Improv in business.
But how do you put these improv values into action? Here are 3 bonus improvisation tricks that you can already use in your daily UX routine.
Trick 1: Just say yes!
Imagine that you’re improvising on stage and you have an idea, so you throw it out there. If none of the other actors pick up on it there’s no place for the scene to go. So you throw out another idea, but still get no support. This results in ISD: Instant Scene Death.
In the context of user experience, “Saying yes…” means keeping an open mind during conversations and considering all ideas that are presented to you. It’s the bridge between mindfulness and meaningful connection; empathy and engagement. It ensures you move the action forward instead of getting stuck on an idea. We may not think so, but our default mode is often set at “no”. “No” is good for setting boundaries, but you need to break those walls down and be open to playing again if you want to encourage innovation. This is especially important for ideating during workshops and if you want to engage meaningfully with your research data.
Trick 2: Listen up
Improvisers take every idea, and build on that. But in order to do so, you need to be open to receiving them. In UX, listening is a tool we use to make every meeting and research session count.
So be present and hear what everyone’s concerns are. Let’s hear out the engineering limitations. Let’s hear what the client’s objectives are with this feature.
Let’s listen to customer feedback in usability testing or even from Store reviews.
Trick 3: Trust
As with every improviser on stage, it is the UX specialist’s responsibility to create a safe space, a judgement-free zone, whether for stakeholders or customers, so that ideas can surface. This is especially important in the divergent phase of the design diamond.
It’s great to hear all ideas out, but they won’t all be golden. By creating a space of trust, we give each other licence to create, and the power to receive critique without judgement.
In conclusion
By embracing the principles of empathy, collaboration, innovation, agility and risk-taking from the craft of improv, not only can we create exceptional digital experiences but also ensure a more human-centred and responsive approach to problem-solving in a rapidly changing world.
So if you’re looking to upgrade your UX game, try contacting an Improv group near you to see if they hold workshops you can join, or contact my team Improguise directly.
Lead UX Content & Research Strategist
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