11ef
11ef Do you end up designing 11ef screens with solely a obscure 11ef thought of how the issues 11ef on the display relate to 11ef the issues elsewhere within the 11ef system? Do you allow stakeholder 11ef conferences with unclear directives that 11ef usually appear to contradict earlier 11ef conversations? You 11ef know 11ef a greater understanding of 11ef person wants would assist the 11ef workforce get clear on what 11ef you might be really making 11ef an attempt to perform, however 11ef time and price range for 11ef analysis is tight. Relating to 11ef asking for extra direct contact 11ef along with your customers, you 11ef would possibly really feel like 11ef poor Oliver Twist, timidly asking, 11ef “Please, sir, I would like 11ef some extra.”
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11ef Article Continues Under
11ef
11ef Right here’s the trick. You 11ef must get stakeholders 11ef themselves 11ef to establish high-risk assumptions 11ef and hidden complexity, in order 11ef that they turn out to 11ef be simply as motivated as 11ef you to get solutions from 11ef customers. Mainly, it’s essential to 11ef make them suppose it’s their 11ef thought.
11ef
11ef On this article, I’ll present 11ef you the best way to 11ef collaboratively expose misalignment and gaps 11ef within the workforce’s shared understanding 11ef by bringing the workforce collectively 11ef round two easy questions:
11ef
- 11ef What are the objects?
- 11ef What are the relationships between 11ef these objects?
11ef
11ef A gauntlet between analysis and 11ef display design 11ef #section2
11ef
11ef These two questions align to 11ef the primary two steps of 11ef the ORCA course of, which 11ef could turn out to be 11ef your new greatest buddy in 11ef relation to lowering guesswork. Wait, 11ef what’s ORCA?! Glad you requested.
11ef
11ef ORCA stands for Objects, Relationships, 11ef CTAs, and Attributes, and it 11ef outlines a course of for 11ef creating strong object-oriented person experiences. 11ef 11ef Object-oriented UX 11ef is my design philosophy. 11ef ORCA is an iterative methodology 11ef for synthesizing person analysis into 11ef a chic structural basis to 11ef assist display and interplay design. 11ef 11ef OOUX 11ef and ORCA have made 11ef my work as a UX 11ef designer extra collaborative, efficient, environment 11ef friendly, enjoyable, strategic, and significant.
11ef
11ef The ORCA course of has 11ef 4 iterative rounds and a 11ef whopping fifteen steps. In every 11ef spherical we get extra readability 11ef on our Os, Rs, Cs, 11ef and As.
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11ef
11ef I typically say that ORCA 11ef is a “rubbish in, rubbish 11ef out” course of. To make 11ef sure that the testable prototype 11ef produced within the remaining spherical 11ef really checks 11ef nicely 11ef , the method must be 11ef fed by 11ef good 11ef analysis. However in case 11ef you don’t have a ton 11ef of analysis, the start of 11ef the ORCA course of serves 11ef one other function: it helps 11ef you promote the 11ef want 11ef for analysis.
11ef
11ef
11ef In different phrases, the ORCA 11ef course of serves as a 11ef gauntlet between analysis and design. 11ef With good analysis, you may 11ef gracefully experience the killer whale 11ef from analysis into design. However 11ef with out good analysis, the 11ef method successfully spits you again 11ef into analysis and with a 11ef cache of 11ef particular 11ef open questions.
11ef
11ef Getting in the identical curiosity-boat 11ef #section3
11ef
11ef What will get us into 11ef hassle will not be what 11ef we don’t know. It’s what 11ef we all know for positive 11ef that simply ain’t so.
11ef Mark Twain
11ef
11ef The primary two steps of 11ef the ORCA course of—Object Discovery 11ef and Relationship Discovery—shine a highlight 11ef on the darkish, dusty corners 11ef of your workforce’s misalignments and 11ef any inherent complexity that’s been 11ef swept below the rug. It 11ef begins to reveal what this 11ef traditional comedian so superbly illustrates:
11ef
11ef
11ef That is one motive why 11ef so many UX designers are 11ef pissed off of their job 11ef and why many tasks fail. 11ef And that is additionally why 11ef we frequently can’t promote analysis: 11ef each decision-maker is assured in 11ef their very own psychological image.
11ef
11ef As soon as we expose 11ef hidden fuzzy patches in every 11ef image and the variations between 11ef all of them, the case 11ef for person analysis makes itself.
11ef
11ef However how we do that 11ef is vital. Nonetheless a lot 11ef we’d need to, we will’t 11ef simply inform everybody, “YOU ARE 11ef WRONG!” As an alternative, we 11ef have to facilitate and information 11ef our workforce members to self-identify 11ef holes of their image. When 11ef stakeholders take possession of assumptions 11ef and gaps in understanding, BAM! 11ef Immediately, UX analysis will not 11ef be such a tough promote, 11ef and everyone seems to be 11ef aboard the identical curiosity-boat.
11ef
11ef Say your customers are medical 11ef doctors. And you haven’t any 11ef thought how medical doctors use 11ef the system you might be 11ef tasked with redesigning.
11ef
11ef You would possibly attempt to 11ef promote analysis by truthfully saying: 11ef “We have to perceive medical 11ef doctors higher! What are their 11ef ache factors? How do they 11ef use the present app?” However 11ef right here’s the issue with 11ef that. These questions are obscure, 11ef and the solutions to them 11ef don’t really feel acutely actionable.
11ef
11ef As an alternative, you need 11ef your stakeholders themselves to ask 11ef super-specific questions. That is extra 11ef just like the form of 11ef dialog it’s essential to facilitate. 11ef Let’s hear in:
11ef
11ef “Wait a sec, how usually 11ef do medical doctors share sufferers? 11ef Does a affected person on 11ef this system have major and 11ef secondary medical doctors?”
11ef
11ef “Can a affected person even 11ef have a couple of major 11ef physician?”
11ef
11ef “Is it a ‘major physician’ 11ef or only a ‘major caregiver’… 11ef Can’t that position be a 11ef nurse practitioner?”
11ef
11ef “No, caregivers are one thing 11ef else… That’s the affected person’s 11ef household contacts, proper?”
11ef
11ef “So are caregivers in scope 11ef for this redesign?”
11ef
11ef “Yeah, as a result of 11ef if a caregiver is current 11ef at an appointment, the physician 11ef wants to notice that. Like, 11ef tag the caregiver on the 11ef observe… Or on the appointment?”
11ef
11ef Now we’re getting someplace. Do 11ef you see how highly effective 11ef it may be getting stakeholders 11ef to debate these questions themselves? 11ef The diabolical aim right here 11ef is to shake their confidence—gently 11ef and diplomatically.
11ef
11ef When these sorts of questions 11ef bubble up collaboratively and are 11ef available instantly from the mouths 11ef of your stakeholders and decision-makers, 11ef all of a sudden, designing 11ef screens 11ef with out 11ef understanding the solutions to 11ef those questions appears extremely dangerous, 11ef even foolish.
11ef
11ef If we create software program 11ef with out understanding the real-world 11ef data surroundings of our customers, 11ef we are going to probably 11ef create software program that doesn’t 11ef 11ef align 11ef to the real-world data 11ef surroundings of our customers. And 11ef this can, palms down, lead 11ef to a extra complicated, extra 11ef advanced, and fewer intuitive software 11ef program product.
11ef
11ef However how will we get 11ef to those sorts of meaty 11ef questions diplomatically, effectively, collaboratively, and 11ef 11ef reliably 11ef ?
11ef
11ef We are able to do 11ef that by beginning with these 11ef two huge questions that align 11ef to the primary two steps 11ef of the ORCA course of:
11ef
- 11ef What are the objects?
- 11ef What are the relationships between 11ef these objects?
11ef
11ef In follow, getting to those 11ef solutions is simpler mentioned than 11ef accomplished. I’m going to indicate 11ef you the way these two 11ef easy questions can present the 11ef define for an Object Definition 11ef Workshop. Throughout this workshop, these 11ef “seed” questions will blossom into 11ef dozens of particular questions and 11ef shine a highlight on the 11ef necessity for extra person analysis.
11ef
11ef Prep work: Noun foraging 11ef #section5
11ef
11ef Within the subsequent part, I’ll 11ef present you the best way 11ef to run an Object Definition 11ef Workshop along with your stakeholders 11ef (and full cross-functional workforce, hopefully). 11ef However first, it’s essential to 11ef do some prep work.
11ef
11ef Mainly, search for nouns which 11ef might be explicit to the 11ef enterprise or business of your 11ef mission, and do it throughout 11ef a minimum of just a 11ef few sources. I name this 11ef 11ef noun foraging 11ef .
11ef
11ef Listed here are just some 11ef nice noun foraging sources:
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- 11ef the product’s advertising and marketing 11ef web site
- 11ef the product’s opponents’ advertising and 11ef marketing websites (aggressive evaluation, anybody?)
- 11ef the present product (have a 11ef look at labels!)
- 11ef person interview transcripts
- 11ef notes from stakeholder interviews or 11ef imaginative and prescient docs from 11ef stakeholders
11ef
11ef Put your detective hat on, 11ef my pricey Watson. Get resourceful 11ef and leverage what you could 11ef have. If all you could 11ef have is a advertising and 11ef marketing web site, some screenshots 11ef of the present legacy system, 11ef and entry to customer support 11ef chat logs, then use these.
11ef
11ef As you peruse these sources, 11ef look ahead to the nouns 11ef which might be used again 11ef and again, and begin itemizing 11ef them (ideally on blue sticky 11ef notes in case you’ll be 11ef creating an object map later!).
11ef
11ef You’ll need to deal with 11ef nouns that 11ef would possibly 11ef signify objects in your 11ef system. In case you are 11ef having hassle figuring out if 11ef a noun could be object-worthy, 11ef bear in mind the acronym 11ef SIP and take a look 11ef at for:
11ef
- 11ef Construction
- 11ef Cases
- 11ef Goal
11ef
11ef Consider a library app, for 11ef instance. Is “e-book” an object?
11ef
11ef Construction: are you able to 11ef suppose of some attributes for 11ef this potential object? 11ef Title, creator, publish date… 11ef Yep, it has construction. 11ef Test!
11ef
11ef Occasion: what are some examples 11ef of this potential “e-book” object? 11ef Are you able to identify 11ef just a few? 11ef The Alchemist, 11ef 11ef Prepared Participant One 11ef , 11ef All people Poops 11ef … OK, examine!
11ef
11ef Goal: why is that this 11ef object vital to the customers 11ef and enterprise? 11ef Properly, “e-book” is what our 11ef library consumer is offering to 11ef individuals and books are why 11ef individuals come to the library 11ef … Test, examine, examine!
11ef
11ef
11ef As you might be noun 11ef foraging, deal with capturing the 11ef nouns which have SIP. Keep 11ef away from capturing 11ef elements 11ef like dropdowns, checkboxes, and 11ef calendar pickers— 11ef your UX system will not 11ef be your design system 11ef ! Elements are simply the 11ef packaging for objects—they’re a way 11ef to an finish. Nobody is 11ef coming to your digital place 11ef to play along with your 11ef dropdown! They’re coming for the 11ef VALUABLE THINGS and what they’ll 11ef do with them. These issues, 11ef or objects, are what we 11ef try to establish.
11ef
11ef Let’s say we work for 11ef a startup disrupting the e-mail 11ef expertise. That is how I’d 11ef begin my noun foraging.
11ef
11ef First I’d have a look 11ef at my very own electronic 11ef mail consumer, which occurs to 11ef be Gmail. I’d then have 11ef a look at Outlook and 11ef the brand new HEY electronic 11ef mail. I’d have a look 11ef at Yahoo, Hotmail…I’d even have 11ef a look at Slack and 11ef Basecamp and different so-called “electronic 11ef mail replacers.” I’d learn some 11ef articles, opinions, and discussion board 11ef threads the place individuals are 11ef complaining about electronic mail. Whereas 11ef doing all this, I might 11ef search for and write down 11ef the nouns.
11ef
11ef (Earlier than transferring on, be 11ef at liberty to go noun 11ef foraging for this hypothetical product, 11ef too, after which scroll all 11ef the way down to see 11ef how a lot our lists 11ef match up. Simply don’t get 11ef misplaced in your personal emails! 11ef Come again to me!)
11ef
11ef Drumroll, please…
11ef
11ef Listed here are just a 11ef few nouns I got here 11ef up with throughout my noun 11ef foraging:
11ef
- 11ef electronic mail message
- 11ef thread
- 11ef contact
- 11ef consumer
- 11ef rule/automation
- 11ef electronic mail handle that’s not 11ef a contact?
- 11ef contact teams
- 11ef attachment
- 11ef Google doc file / different 11ef built-in file
- 11ef publication? (HEY treats this otherwise)
- 11ef saved responses and templates
11ef
11ef
11ef Scan your record of nouns 11ef and select phrases that you’re 11ef utterly clueless about. In our 11ef electronic mail instance, it could 11ef be 11ef consumer 11ef or 11ef automation 11ef . Do as a lot 11ef homework as you may earlier 11ef than your session with stakeholders: 11ef google what’s googleable. However different 11ef phrases could be so particular 11ef to the product or area 11ef that it’s essential to have 11ef a dialog about them.
11ef
11ef Apart: listed below are some 11ef actual nouns foraged throughout my 11ef very own previous mission work 11ef that I wanted my stakeholders 11ef to assist me perceive:
11ef
- 11ef Document Locator
- 11ef Incentive House
- 11ef Augmented Line Merchandise
- 11ef Curriculum-Primarily based Measurement Probe
11ef
11ef That is actually all it’s 11ef essential to put together for 11ef the workshop session: an inventory 11ef of nouns that signify potential 11ef objects and a brief record 11ef of nouns that have to 11ef be outlined additional.
11ef
11ef Facilitate an Object Definition Workshop 11ef #section6
11ef
11ef You possibly can really begin 11ef your workshop with noun foraging—this 11ef exercise 11ef can 11ef be accomplished collaboratively. In 11ef case you have 5 individuals 11ef within the room, choose 5 11ef sources, assign one to each 11ef individual, and provides everybody ten 11ef minutes to search out the 11ef objects inside their supply. When 11ef the time’s up, come collectively 11ef and discover the overlap. Affinity 11ef mapping is your buddy right 11ef here!
11ef
11ef In case your workforce is 11ef brief on time and could 11ef be reluctant to do this 11ef sort of grunt work (which 11ef is normally the case) do 11ef your personal noun foraging beforehand, 11ef however be ready to indicate 11ef your work. I like presenting 11ef screenshots of paperwork and screens 11ef with all of the nouns 11ef already highlighted. Deliver the artifacts 11ef of your course of, and 11ef begin the workshop with a 11ef five-minute overview of your noun 11ef foraging journey.
11ef
11ef HOT TIP: earlier than leaping 11ef into the workshop, body the 11ef dialog as a requirements-gathering session 11ef to assist 11ef you 11ef higher perceive the scope 11ef and particulars of the system. 11ef You don’t must allow them 11ef to know that you just’re 11ef searching for gaps within the 11ef workforce’s understanding in an effort 11ef to show the necessity for 11ef extra person analysis—that might be 11ef our little secret. As an 11ef alternative, go into the session 11ef optimistically, as in case your 11ef educated stakeholders and PMs and 11ef biz of us have already 11ef got all of the solutions.
11ef
11ef Then, let the query whack-a-mole 11ef begin.
11ef
11ef 1. What is that this 11ef factor? 11ef #section7
11ef
11ef Need to have some 11ef actual 11ef enjoyable? Firstly of your 11ef session, ask stakeholders to privately 11ef write definitions for the handful 11ef of obscure nouns you could 11ef be unsure about. Then, have 11ef everybody present their playing cards 11ef on the similar time and 11ef see in case you get 11ef completely different definitions (you’ll). That 11ef is 11ef gold 11ef for exposing misalignment and 11ef beginning nice conversations.
11ef
11ef As your dialogue unfolds, seize 11ef any agreed-upon definitions. And when 11ef uncertainty emerges, quietly (however visibly) 11ef begin an “open questions” parking 11ef zone. 😉
11ef
11ef After definitions solidify, right here’s 11ef a terrific follow-up:
11ef
11ef 2. Do our customers know 11ef what these items are? What 11ef do customers name this factor? 11ef #section8
11ef
11ef Stakeholder 1: 11ef They in all probability 11ef name electronic mail shoppers “apps.” 11ef However I’m undecided.
11ef
11ef Stakeholder 2: 11ef Automations are sometimes known 11ef as “workflows,” I feel. Or, 11ef possibly customers suppose workflows are 11ef one thing completely different.
11ef
11ef If a extra user-friendly time 11ef period emerges, ask the group 11ef if they’ll agree to make 11ef use of solely that time 11ef period transferring ahead. This manner, 11ef the workforce can higher align 11ef to the customers’ language and 11ef mindset.
11ef
11ef OK, transferring on.
11ef
11ef In case you have two 11ef or extra objects that appear 11ef to overlap in function, ask 11ef considered one of these questions:
11ef
11ef 3. Are these the identical 11ef factor? Or are these completely 11ef different? If they don’t seem 11ef to be the identical, how 11ef are they completely different? 11ef #section9
11ef
11ef You: 11ef Is a saved response 11ef the identical as a template?
11ef
11ef Stakeholder 1: 11ef Sure! Undoubtedly.
11ef
11ef Stakeholder 2: 11ef I don’t suppose so… 11ef A saved response is textual 11ef content with hyperlinks and variables, 11ef however a template is extra 11ef about the appear and feel, 11ef like default fonts, colours, and 11ef placeholder photographs.
11ef
11ef Proceed to construct out your 11ef rising glossary of objects. And 11ef proceed to seize areas of 11ef uncertainty in your “open questions” 11ef parking zone.
11ef
11ef In case you efficiently decide 11ef that two related issues are, 11ef in reality, completely different, right 11ef here’s your subsequent follow-up query:
11ef
11ef 4. What’s the connection between 11ef these objects? 11ef #section10
11ef
11ef You: 11ef Are saved responses and 11ef templates associated in any approach?
11ef
11ef Stakeholder 3: 11ef Yeah, a template could 11ef be utilized to a saved 11ef response.
11ef
11ef You, at all times with 11ef the follow-ups: 11ef When is the template 11ef utilized to a saved response? 11ef Does that occur when the 11ef person is establishing the saved 11ef response? Or once they apply 11ef the saved response to an 11ef electronic mail? How does that 11ef truly work?
11ef
11ef Pay attention. Seize uncertainty. As 11ef soon as the record of 11ef “open questions” grows to a 11ef important mass, pause to begin 11ef assigning inquiries to teams or 11ef people. Some questions could be 11ef for the dev workforce (hopefully 11ef a minimum of one developer 11ef is within the room with 11ef you). One query could be 11ef particularly for somebody who couldn’t 11ef make it to the workshop. 11ef And plenty of questions will 11ef have to be labeled “person.”
11ef
11ef Do you see how we’re 11ef constructing as much as our 11ef UXR gross sales pitch?
11ef
11ef 5. Is that this object 11ef in scope? 11ef #section11
11ef
11ef Your subsequent query narrows the 11ef workforce’s focus towards what’s most 11ef vital to your customers. You’ll 11ef be able to merely ask, 11ef “Are saved responses in scope 11ef for our first launch?,” however 11ef I’ve bought a greater, extra 11ef devious technique.
11ef
11ef By now, you need to 11ef have an inventory of clearly 11ef outlined objects. Ask individuals to 11ef kind these objects from most 11ef to least vital, both in 11ef small breakout teams or individually. 11ef Then, such as you did 11ef with the definitions, have everybody 11ef reveal their kind order directly. 11ef Surprisingly—or not so surprisingly—it’s common 11ef for the VP to rank 11ef one thing like “saved responses” 11ef as #2 whereas everybody else 11ef places it on the backside 11ef of the record. Attempt to 11ef not look too smug as 11ef you inevitably expose extra misalignment.
11ef
11ef I did this for a 11ef startup just a few years 11ef in the past. We posted 11ef the three teams’ wildly completely 11ef different kind orders on the 11ef whiteboard.
11ef
11ef
11ef The CEO stood again, checked 11ef out it, and mentioned, “This 11ef is the reason we haven’t 11ef been capable of transfer ahead 11ef in two years.”
11ef
11ef Admittedly, it’s tragic to listen 11ef to that, however as an 11ef expert, it feels fairly superior 11ef to be the one who 11ef facilitated a watershed realization.
11ef
11ef After getting a good suggestion 11ef of in-scope, clearly outlined issues, 11ef that is if you transfer 11ef on to doing extra relationship 11ef mapping.
11ef
11ef 6. Create a visible illustration 11ef of the objects’ relationships 11ef #section12
11ef
11ef We’ve already accomplished a little 11ef bit of this whereas making 11ef an attempt to find out 11ef if two issues are completely 11ef different, however this time, ask 11ef the workforce about 11ef each 11ef potential relationship. For every 11ef object, ask the way it 11ef pertains to all the opposite 11ef objects. In what methods are 11ef the objects linked? To visualise 11ef all of the connections, pull 11ef out your trusty boxes-and-arrows method. 11ef Right here, we’re connecting our 11ef objects with verbs. I prefer 11ef to maintain my verbs to 11ef easy “has a” and “has 11ef many” statements.
11ef
11ef
11ef This method modeling exercise brings 11ef up all types of recent 11ef questions:
11ef
- 11ef Can a saved response have 11ef attachments?
- 11ef Can a saved response use 11ef a template? If that’s the 11ef case, if an electronic mail 11ef makes use of a saved 11ef response with a template, can 11ef the person override that template?
- 11ef Do customers need to see 11ef all of the emails they 11ef despatched that included a selected 11ef attachment? For instance, “present me 11ef all of the emails I 11ef despatched with 11ef ProfessionalImage.jpg 11ef connected. I’ve modified my 11ef skilled picture and I need 11ef to alert everybody to replace 11ef it.”
11ef
11ef Stable solutions would possibly emerge 11ef instantly from the workshop individuals. 11ef Nice! Seize that new shared 11ef understanding. However when uncertainty surfaces, 11ef proceed so as to add 11ef inquiries to your rising parking 11ef zone.
11ef
11ef You’ve positioned the explosives all 11ef alongside the floodgates. Now you 11ef merely must gentle the fuse 11ef and BOOM. Watch the buy-in 11ef for person analysis flooooow.
11ef
11ef Earlier than your workshop wraps 11ef up, have the group mirror 11ef on the record of open 11ef questions. Make plans for getting 11ef solutions internally, then deal with 11ef the questions that have to 11ef be introduced earlier than customers.
11ef
11ef Right here’s your remaining step. 11ef Take these questions you’ve compiled 11ef for person analysis and talk 11ef about the extent of threat 11ef related to NOT answering them. 11ef Ask, “if we design with 11ef out a solution to this 11ef query, if we make up 11ef our personal reply and we’re 11ef mistaken, how dangerous would possibly 11ef that end up?”
11ef
11ef With this technique, we’re cornering 11ef our decision-makers into advocating for 11ef person analysis as they themselves 11ef label questions as high-risk. Sorry, 11ef not sorry.
11ef
11ef Now 11ef is your second of 11ef fact. With everybody within the 11ef room, ask for an inexpensive 11ef price range of money and 11ef time to conduct 6–8 person 11ef interviews centered 11ef particularly 11ef on these questions.
11ef
11ef HOT TIP: if you’re new 11ef to UX analysis, please observe 11ef that you just’ll probably must 11ef rephrase the questions that got 11ef here up in the course 11ef of the workshop earlier than 11ef you current them to customers. 11ef Make certain your questions are 11ef open-ended and don’t lead the 11ef person into any default solutions.
11ef
11ef Ultimate phrases: Maintain the display 11ef design! 11ef #section14
11ef
11ef Significantly, if in any respect 11ef attainable, don’t ever design screens 11ef once more with out first 11ef answering these basic questions: what 11ef are the objects and the 11ef way do they relate?
11ef
11ef I promise you this: in 11ef case you can safe a 11ef shared understanding between the enterprise, 11ef design, and improvement groups 11ef earlier than 11ef you begin designing screens, 11ef you should have much less 11ef heartache and save extra money 11ef and time, and (it nearly 11ef appears like a bonus at 11ef this level!) customers might be 11ef extra receptive to what you 11ef set out into the world.
11ef
11ef I sincerely hope this helps 11ef you win time and price 11ef range to go speak to 11ef your customers and acquire readability 11ef on what you might be 11ef designing earlier than you begin 11ef constructing screens. In case you 11ef discover success utilizing noun foraging 11ef and the Object Definition Workshop, 11ef there’s extra the place that 11ef got here from in the 11ef remainder of the ORCA course 11ef of, which is able to 11ef assist stop much more late-in-the-game 11ef scope tugs-of-war and technique pivots.
11ef
11ef All the most effective of 11ef luck! Now go promote analysis!
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