Once a focus of need or opportunity has been clarified, the search for information (research), plus the subsequent processing of that information as value-rich knowledge (summary), will stand as the pillars on which an idea or concept regarding a solution can be generated. This will provide the context for the assessment thereof as regards its suitability or validity. Once qualitative models have been established, the design process is shaped by using qualitative methods orientated in the direction of ethnographic research.
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RESEARCH |
|
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MARKETING |
DESIGN |
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Quantitative Looking back Answers In focus I want |
Qualitative Looking forward Questions Context Needs |
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RESEARCH |
SUMMARY |
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Benchmarking Media Search Buzz Reports Qualitative Interview Expert Interview Focus Groups Photo/Video Ethnographic Remote Research Mystery Client 360º Perspective Safari Shadowing Field Visit |
Poems Stakeholders Map Matrix of Trends From… To… Innovation Evolution Map Key Facts Insights Cluster 2 x 2 Matrix Persona Empathy Map Active Experience Map POV Design Challenge The Brief, Principle of Design Problem Metaphor |
What is it?
Generally speaking, it's an analytical comparison with our competitors. It consists of defining a series of stable parameters that serve to assess the product, business model, process or any other quality that affects the provision of a service. It is used to highlight the best practices and what the market trends are.
How is it done?
To achieve accurate benchmarking we must comply with the following premises:
• Define the goals: specify concrete areas or information to be set down in the analysis for comparison;
• Identify the competitors: in general, identify two or three, four at the most, with which to make a comparison;
• Define the criteria or parameters: decide how we are going to perform the comparison on a qualitative basis by determining the variable and even, on occasions, value scales;
• Analyse the competition/analyse yourself: a qualitative study of the action areas according to defined criteria and parameters and the production of a report stating findings;
• Conclusions: the aim is to produce a summary of the information discovered with a definition of the points to be borne in mind, analysed and improved.
When is it done?
We use this tool when it has become essential that we gain more in-depth knowledge of the market, and to investigate the solutions offered by our competitors.
With the Orange Design and Experience Department, this document was used to gain a deeper knowledge of the competition environment. This means that it is one of the key items required before starting the research. This tool very often focuses not only on the competitors, but also on other areas, to check on what is happening in other markets. Benchmarking the sporting sector, for example, can provide best practices for transfer to the telephony field.
3M frequently uses benchmarking as a tool to analyse the value propositions of its solutions in comparison with those that other agents in the market can offer. It can also be used internally to identify business opportunities which can be copied over from one market to another.
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EXPLORATION/RESEARCH BENCHMARKING |
What is it?
It's a method of recording and selecting data regarding the most relevant news as conveyed to public opinion by means of mass communications media.
How is it done?
It consists of searching for information related to a given subject via blogs, websites, newspapers, magazines, advertising or relevant television programmes with a focus on those having a subject area similar to our focus of interest at a given time.
Once we have identified the specific articles, references or documents, we then proceed to group them according to how they interrelate. The aim is to define relationships which allow us to understand connections and define conclusions. The purpose of this technique is to attempt to gain deeper knowledge in a flexible manner with a view to generating conclusions or insights that will help us to an even better understanding of the trend or reality of the moment.
When is it done?
It is used at the start of the research process to identify the trends of the moment in the communications media world with a view to gaining deeper insight into the area under investigation. It is also used to generate conclusions (insights or concrete facts) that will allow us to position ourselves as regards our focus zone. It helps as a quick search for preparing a later study in the field.
At the Orange Design and Experience Department information is harvested from mass media channels to work out what public opinion is about a topic under investigation, while in companies like BBVA, this is a task allocated to a specific group of individuals responsible for supplying summary reports to the rest of the organization.
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EXPLORATION/RESEARCH MEDIA SEARCH |
What is it?
It's a technique for gathering random data from a variety of sources that can be shared among the members of a team to obtain significant and detailed comprehension of a given question.
How is it done?
Having identified lacunae in our knowledge and without an obvious plan we select a wide variety of information sources.
Once we identify various references and relevant information, we move on to generate a range of discussions and talks – groups sessions – to stimulate inspiration and share information. We keep open and receptive minds to generate a team position on the subject.
The idea is for each member of the team to glean information on the subject in question and then share it with the rest of the team to provoke dialogue and to generate internal knowledge. Prior preparatory sessions may be held sometimes to share disparate sources and thus avoid searching in the same location.
When is it done?
It is used as an initial flexible plunge into the subject in question. We seek to identify different patterns and connections, plus directions where which we can subsequently seek more detailed data using different research methods.
Orange’s Design and Experience Department used this type of flexible research since it meant they could gather data from a variety of sources to generate dialogue within the team on the subject.
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EXPLORATION/RESEARCH BUZZ REPORTS |
What is it?
It's a personal meeting between the researcher and the end user that aims at gathering in-depth knowledge of the user, in order to collect information about his preferences, attitudes and impressions regarding the subject in question.
How is it done?
Depending on the information that is sought from the subject, an interview script is prepared which includes a set of basic questions. However, the interviewer must adapt the interview to the subject in order to gain the maximum benefit from their responses by providing open conversation space where the user can speak at length.
The interviews must have the following characteristics:
• The way they collect information must be direct and structured.
• They must actually gather information regarding the user’s preferences, attitudes and impressions.
• They may help to reveal problems of another kind that was not foreshadowed in the initial design.
• Top-down approach.
• To ensure that the interview is as effective as possible, advance preparation is required, including a set of basic questions. In any case, the interviewer can adapt the interview to suit the interviewee in order to achieve maximum benefit.
Important: we are using this tool to find out about our user.
When is it done?
It is used at the start of the process to get to know our user, and not just in a superficial way, but in detail, so that we can understand his motives and wishes as well as more serious problems. It helps to reveal problems other than those foreshadowed in the initial analysis.
As an aspect of the work of the Repsol Corporate Innovation Department, this is the reference tool, meaning that when a project is being launched, the first step is always a conversation with the parties involved, regardless of the nature of the project.
As part of the inspiration for and research into the design of new experiences interacting between individuals and BBVA’s new cashiers, “extreme” user qualitative interviews were conducted. They provided us with more information on questions like: Why don’t you use them? What do you use them for? The responses that emerged were well worth bearing in mind at the design stage, such as, “when the screen goes blank or an hourglass emerges I feel very insecure as I don't know where my card or my money is.” The solution should be obvious at all times, and in the final analysis it was decided to include the card that had been inserted on the display, where it appeared in virtual form.
In Repsol’s innovation projects, the qualitative interview is the tool for reference purposes in the processes of hypothesis validation from the very first moment of a project's start.
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EXPLORATION/RESEARCH QUALITATIVE INTERVIEW |
What is it?
It's a conversation with experts on specific subject areas with a view to discovering new perspectives and future possibilities.
How is it done?
It is effectively a qualitative interview, but one where the conversation is conducted with one or more subject experts associated with our research (economists, lecturers, researchers, artists).
We prepare interviews with experts by structuring the information while factoring in what we are keen to find out, but leaving leeway for a degree of spontaneity that may open new pathways for us or provide us with unexpected information.
Discussing your problem with an expert is a positive experience, but it is all the more so if you succeed in discovering other experts who are associated with the problem scenario. They might be less obvious, so that they open up fresh points of focus in your research. They may be in-house or external experts. Indeed, if they are from both sides the results may be very positive.
For example, dovase.com, a site where you can design your own vase and have it produced, is a solution created for the world of the craftsman. The obvious experts were therefore the craftsmen themselves, but the parallel expert was the ICT expert hired to set up the technology, since it was this which defined the limits of the tool.
When is it done?
It's done in the initial stages of development. It is used as an immersion method into various subject areas related to our goal or area of action. This technique is used to prepare us to be pseudo-experts in the subject while opening new perspectives and identifying the current trends that have the most influence on our project.
At Orange's Design and Experience Department, these interviews are conducted in order to demonstrate what we can and cannot do, technologically speaking, since the experts clearly possess in-depth knowledge about what is being researched.
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EXPLORATION/RESEARCH EXPERT INTERVIEW |
What is it?
It's an interview conducted under natural conditions, unstructured, and run by a moderator with a small group of users.
How is it done?
A Focus Group is a technique that consists of forming a group of people (between six and nine) to chat about a subject or a concept. Over a session that lasts a couple of hours or so, the participants are asked to freely and explicitly answer the questions put to them by the moderator. In contrast to a personal interview, the Focus Group tries to enliven the conversation between the parties and generate unscripted interactions so that different viewpoints will be heard and shared points of view will be expressed.
The moderator leading the session must attain a high level of trust with the other participants so that they feel free to express themselves. The moderator must also recognise and identify the influence of the various players in the session, and allow them all a chance to express themselves.
While the selection of the participants is important, it is also important to define the objectives in order to not lose the focus of the interview. It is interesting that at least two of the participants will coordinate: one will lead, and another takes notes. If there is only one moderator, it is advisable to record the session, with the agreement of the participants.
When is it done?
It is a frequent occurrence at the stage when a product or a service is being defined – before it is developed – with the aim of gathering information about problems, experiences or shared wishes. It can also be carried out throughout the entire life of a product to provide a checkpoint for monitoring the adaptation of the product to the customers’ needs.
In contrast to the huge success of the qualitative interview, the Focus Group is losing favour, even though there are still times when it can be quite valuable. An example would be in the Ibercaja Innovation and Excellence Unit, where this technique was used a great deal for a long time, although recently it has almost been abandoned as an in-depth qualitative research resource. In actual fact, Ibercaja Innovation and Excellence Chief, Nacho Torre, says:
For this purpose, we prefer interviews with customers and many other tools included in this book. But having said that, we shall continue to conduct some Focus Groups, with both customers and colleagues, to identify group behaviour patterns and the influence of natural leaders on the opinion of third parties.
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EXPLORATION/RESEARCH FOCUS GROUPS |
What is it?
It is compiling visual, photographic or video information for subsequent analysis.
How is it done?
At this stage of the exploration, we need to gather all possible information that relates to the subject area we intend to tackle. For this is it very important to make use of visual techniques such as photography and video.
When we conduct research, it is crucial for our ethnographic studies, external explorations and field research that we strive to document everything graphically, since this will help us in the later stage, when we analyse the data (it is easier to catalogue images than scattered words).
This data collection is extremely relevant, since it will help us towards a greater understanding of our problem. The more we investigate, the greater knowledge we acquire about the customer/company. And in turn, it will act as documentation to which we can refer any time we need to, since it will be easily recognizable and inspirational.
This tool will support us in our field research and will also help us prioritise the images to be retained from the outset. In order to make sufficient use of this tool, the following premises must be observed:
• Define the space for taking the images.
• Obtain permission for recording.
• Place a video camera in the space chosen to record video or place a camera to take timed photographs.
• Collect and analyse the information.
When is it done?
When it is done is a very important part of the fieldwork. On its own, it stands as a research tool you will use to familiarise yourself with changing scenes so that you understand them via the people and their interactions on a time line (the A&E section in a hospital, for example).
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EXPLORATION/RESEARCH PHOTO-VIDEO ETHNOGRAPHIC |
What is it?
It's a method of doing distance research using an action protocol (questionnaires or monitoring the performance of tasks by users) via a connected environment (web) whereby it is possible to examine the information a posteriori.
When is it done?
It's done at any time, anywhere, via a completely online study based on the following pillars:
• Identification of the activities to be studied;
• Defining the metrics to be measured and the study activation protocol;
• Identifying and securing the users as subjects of the research;
• Launching the research;
• Gathering the information as numerical and quantitative data.
This tool brings together a variety of different research models, from monitoring user testing by performing tasks on the web and launching online surveys to web analysis. The key feature of this tool is that the individual in question is not present, which means that since conversation is impossible, we have to make use of a special protocol according to the information requirements to be met and the object of the project.
When is it done?
This technique is put into practice when our research environment extends further than a closed context and we need to have widespread user information available to us to widen our field of action. This may range from collecting surveys to an online environment where a range of users in different parts of the world post their photos and describe their daily activities, among other actions, on a shared platform.
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EXPLORATION/RESEARCH REMOTE RESEARCH |
What is it?
It's a technique used to assess a range of convergent aspects that arise between the company and its customers. During the assessment, the expert acts as though he were a customer and the people with whom he is dealing don’t know the real identity of the person studying them.
How is it done?
By acting like ordinary customers as we make use of the product/service with the intention of performing a purchase/use procedure in detail.
We have to pass ourselves off as customers in order to experience the whole of the procedure, or at least the part we are most interested in. It is very important that the people with whom we deal don’t know our true identities, since we need them to act normally.
When we use this technique, the ideal situation is for us to have identified various points in the procedure that we want to explore in greater depth. This obliges us to perform a different role from that of the customer, depending on what we want to observe.
It is usual to prepare beforehand, identifying the points we want to investigate in order to endow them with relevance during the Role Play procedure.
It is important to take clear notes right after the session in order to not lose any information.
When is it done?
It is used when we want to understand and test our product/service/business or that of the competition at the final step of a company’s value chain. The purpose of the Mystery Customer gambit is to identify possible faults or areas for improvements, plus the analogues or non-analogues that exist among our competition, including similar products or services.
At Thinkers Co. we use this technique to experience a service/product and understand first-hand what happens. For example, with the startup bydsea.com, a platform related to the world of the sea, we would like to experience first-hand how a journey is managed by means of websites and agencies.
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EXPLORATION/RESEARCH MYSTERY CLIENT |
What is it?
It's a method used to back up field research in order to define the perspective when observing and understanding how users and the scenarios in which they move are affected by different physical, social, cultural and emotional factors.
How is it done?
A team is set up to gather, categorise and classify the four factors to analyse the way in which people relate to the subject of the study (products/scenarios/problems/service):
• Physical – the material aspect of the study subject: all its physical aspects.
• Social – the relationship aspect of the study subject: in other words the interrelationships and interactions.
• Cultural – the cultural aspect of the study subject: a context outlined by variables associated with location and origin.
• Emotional – the psychological aspect/an interpretation of the study subject: interpretations or sensations perceived, provoked.
The aim is to predetermine the lenses through which we can look at the user and his context with a view to focusing the search, where we may use all available lenses, or concentrate on one in particular.
In the wake of the research, the way will be clear to obtain a clear view or an overall perspective of the subject of the study.
When is it done?
The method is constructed in association with a field visit and anchored by taking photographs, videos and notes to analyse user behaviour in its totality.
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EXPLORATION/RESEARCH 360º PERSPECTIVE |
What is it?
It's a way of experiencing the competitive environment of a product, service or problem in the first person without preparation or prejudice, as if we were real users obliged to go through the whole procedure.
How is it done?
The Safari is done as an initial unplanned approach with a view to understanding everything about the subject of the study.
The aim is to understand each interaction and identify our needs and emotions as they occur at the time in order to have a swift and close-up perception of our user (empathy) from a personal experience.
When the Safari is finished, it is very important to complete the session by simply jotting down everything we have seen, that was relevant and to visually document everything (photo-ethnography by using a mobile phone) that attracts our attention.
When is it done?
It's done after the first spontaneous contact was made. The aim is to make an initial approach and gain a deeper knowledge of the product/service/business in a flexible manner and therefore, a better understanding of the process and the experience as lived by other users. Following the first spontaneous contact we possess a better understanding for defining the elements and keys for subsequent field visits.
Many 3M products that have made a great impact developed from familiarity with their customers’ work environments. Masking tape, to mention one, was the outcome of a careful observation of the actual environment where vehicles were repaired, and noticing how the workers themselves modified the original product. This remains one of 3M's major sources of generating new and more effective solutions that have had greater operational effectiveness on the action of the end user.
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EXPLORATION/RESEARCH SAFARI |
What is it?
It is acting as an observer of the product/service user in his everyday environment. This technique allows us to adopt a more objective position with regard to the problem/user.
How is it done?
What we do is identify a user who is the subject of our study, and stick to him like a shadow, without taking part in any of his decisions or actions and restricting ourselves to following and observing him in a variety of contexts. The more information we can glean during the process that directly affects the user’s ecosystem, the more effective the possible solutions we devise will be.
To make use of this technique we have already identified our persona, who will have been chosen according to a previous preparation process based on a selection of quantitative factors (partner, salary, family) similar to our study target. This will help us to position ourselves somewhat within his context. By following him in his everyday life, we attempt to document and capture all the data possible – with photographs, notes and videos – in order to be in possession of first-hand knowledge so that we can look for latent needs.
When is it done?
We do this while observing our user. We make use of this tool to understand and grasp our user's main features from an external viewpoint. This tool is used to see first-hand how our customer/user behaves in real life without external intervention, from as close an objective position as possible. We want to identify possible problems in current situations affecting a product/service which is already on the market. It can also help us to head off possible future problems.
At Orange's Design and Experience Department, this tool was widely used because it helped us to understand how people behaved in their real environment, in the absence of conditioning agents. This technique is often used in stores to observe the way customers interact or how the staff cope with the products on offer in the shop.
As part of the new design experience for interacting with their cashiers, BBVA used shadowing to see how customers interacted in similar situations.
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EXPLORATION/RESEARCH SHADOWING |
What is it?
It's the act of performing a fieldwork study where researchers come into direct contact with people, locations and the facts they are studying.
How is it done?
Once the various competition spaces occupied by the problem/person/object we are studying have been identified, the researchers position themselves onsite to observe the users, the environment, and the agents concerned.
We attempt not only to observe, but also, using photography videos and notes, to record the way users behave in their location for subsequent collation and information processing (photo-video ethnography + notes).
To generate a successful field visit, unlike the Safari tool (launched with this venture), we should keep certain hypotheses or facts in mind that we wish to test: we should previously have settled the objective of the visit in order to focus on the terrain in those of our users’/customers’/environments’ actions that interest us.
When is it done?
It's done while we are in the user's environment. The purpose of the study is to be directly immersed in the environment where the problem or goal that we are working on occurs. The truth is out there, not in our office; we have to be out there where the action is. The Ibercaja Innovation and Excellence Unit is located in the Zaragoza main office. In the case of a new project or customer satisfaction review, they generally get out into the field, sometimes in Safari mode, but generally after sketching out a short objective display and identification statement.
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EXPLORATION/RESEARCH FIELD VISIT |
What is it?
It's an abstraction and investigation method used to give meaning to the various elements present in a context or scenario. There are five elements or Poems: people, objects, environments, messages and services.
How is it done?
An investigation support tool, it calls for establishing a template on the basis of the Poems by defining the various areas where field study notes must be taken into account. When the field study is complete, in addition to the notes collected, according to the material obtained by direct observation (photographs, interviews, cuttings, voice recordings, separate notes), we locate value-adding information and classify it by following these parameters to enrich the template.
When is it done?
It is prepared upstream of a Field Visit to use (or not) during the visit and it exists as a summarising tool to cover what we observe. It helps us to organise the information and visualise possible work opportunities.
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS POEMS |
What is it?
It's the creation of a visualisation of the entire environment when it is in direct or indirect contact with our company/customer/product/problem. Although it may or may not have an effect upon any of these entities located at the epicentre of the map, it can be seen as a zoom view that's distanced from all the relationships which affect our main goal.
How is it done?
Once we have talked with the users and experts about an item we will be working on and have collected information from various sources, we join together all the information we gathered into the form of a mental map. The aim is to locate all the players, companies, organisations and entities that are in contact with the problem/person/product/service/business (the main entities of the mental map).
The idea of the tool is to visualise our work environment on the basis of what is known from the research so we can observe patterns or new opportunities and place the focus and emphasis on the various agents involved.
What this means is that when the map is being drawn, we position our user (or the entity that is being studied) in the centre of the map. In the vicinity closest to him, we draw, in circles of importance, all those groups of agents, entities and individuals that either affect him or with whom he has some relationship. Importance is based on homogeneous criteria that is defined for each case (level of interaction, importance per se, presence, influence capability, etc.). With this map it is very easy for us to see the important relationships or elements in the universe of our user/customer/entity, plus its influence and impact on him.
When is it done?
It's done in the wake of an investigation on the subject in question, after having maintained contact with the users and experts on the subject and after creating the Buzz Reports and Media Search, among other actions. Using all that information, we build an effective visualisation of the complexity of the items or entities, plus their relationships.
Orange’s Design and Experience Department created this map using the information collected in order to obtain a general snapshot of everything surrounding the customer. The map revealed who prescribes, who influences and who settles matters at various moments, such as in times of consumption or hesitation.
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS STAKEHOLDERS MAP |
What is it?
It's a picture of the trends and forces of change that are occurring in some area, and the ways in which they are expected to develop.
How is it done?
It's done by filling out a matrix based on what has preceded, what is current and what is emerging with regard to the fields of technology, marketing, people, culture and business that have an influence on the subject area that we are working on (banking, for example).
We try to visualise and understand what is happening from a holistic perspective. This is a method in which we must compare trends, speculate about future directions and capture ideas.
To generate this tool we will choose the areas that we are interested in and observe how the same trend affects different areas. With this exercise we are able to quickly visualise the behaviour of that trend in different areas and draw conclusions.
Example of a matrix of trends:
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Object being studied: bank |
Before |
Current |
Emerging |
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People |
Going to the office |
Using my computer |
Using my mobile |
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Technology |
Cashier |
Web |
Application |
|
Market |
Local (region, country) |
International |
World |
|
Culture |
Expense |
Saving |
… |
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Business |
Physical |
Opening digital channel |
Digital |
When is it done?
This matrix is used at the early stages to summarise the information gathered with the aim of understanding what is happening, defining directions and detecting opportunities. It is a process that concatenates trend patterns which are needed to demarcate the concretion of our product/service/company.
At BBVA, as part of the process of both designing new solutions and improving existing ones, they focused their work on the basis of studying trends within the context in which they found themselves. They recently published what they call the BBVA Trendbook, which is a collection of macrotrends that surround the financial sector. This tool is useful for exploring innovation opportunities – to offer new solutions while at the same time, manage the design of the innovation projects portfolio.
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS MATRIX OF TRENDS |
What is it?
It's a tool for prospecting and visualising scenarios in order to understand what changes are taking place, and what their future repercussions will be.
How is it done?
We identify key aspects of the project (listed), and the trends that affect them, to arrive at an analysis of their current state and a visualisation of possible future scenarios (future view: from… to…).
For example, communication between couples:
Experience: the appearance of vertical and private social networks. We have moved from multiplatform communications (Whatsapp, Facebook) to a private network, just for two individuals.
Somebody spotted this and the result was Avocado, a free application for two individuals. With this app, once the connection has been accepted, we can chat, organize a shared timetable, make notes and lists when there is no longer any space on the refrigerator, send emoticons, photos and even send all kinds of affectionate nonsense in the form of stickers.
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Couple communication |
From… |
… |
To… |
|
Sharing |
In person with the support of basic and personal lines of communication (the telephone). |
Introduction of new technologies, entry of social networks. Personal relationship with background noise. |
Elimination of noise. Application or environment for just we two where we can continue doing everything. |
|
Timetable |
|||
|
Conversing |
|||
|
Personal and private |
Personal and complex |
Personal and direct |
When is it done?
It's done at the summarising stage of the research, to determine how trends affect our project/product/company and to help us recognize which direction we should take (future scenarios) and in this way to foresee future situations.
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS FROM… TO… |
What is it?
It’s a map or visualisation of the way in which the various innovations that were created in the company and/or the industry have developed over time.
How is it done?
It's done after having established a definite period of time to study. We collect all the historical moments or milestones that punctuate that period and express them in terms of a map (visual thinking). By using graphic lines and colours, we show the information with the idea of discussing what has happened and we analyse it by generating qualitative knowledge, making comparisons with our competitors, our position as leader, or innovator or follower patterns.
The map can also include other data or milestones, such as market inputs or quotas, with a view to achieving a more thorough knowledge of innovation development and its actual impact.
When is it done?
It's done at the start. The visual map facilitates an information comparison and reveals qualitative data that is of great value for our process of understanding the starting situation prior to idea generation. It helps us to understand various changes in the company/product upon seeing breakthrough points and being able to distinguish between when and why incremental or breakthrough innovations occurred (market pressure, technological appearance, process articulation, etc.).
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS INNOVATION EVOLUTION MAP |
What is it?
These are precise and clear items of information identified through research. In other words, facts are revealed.
How is it done?
Having spoken with the users and experts on the item with which we intend to work, and after collecting information from various sources, we spread out all the data obtained via obvious observations and truths encountered. The intention is to establish the value of the key information discovered in the research process. It can be undertaken on an individual basis, so that each individual in the team highlights the most outstanding piece of information he has discovered. A simple method, which also helps filter and spotlight information is as follows:
1. After the completion of a research session, a team meeting is held.
2. At the meeting each team member tells his story (interview with the user, field experience, internet search, etc.).
3. At the same time, the rest of the members jot down the most outstanding items according to their filtering skills.
NB: we can use colour codes to differentiate between information sources.
This is just a first step to generate a cloud of Post-its that give us information which has been verified. And this is the data we will take into account. Key facts are sometimes sourced 'verbatim' – when a fact has literally been defined in speech described by a user or expert.
When is it done?
It is done after terminating the research, after having maintained contact with the users and with the experts in the field, and after completing Buzz Reports and the Media Search. This is how we build up a repository of discovered truths.
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS KEY FACTS |
What is it?
It's the classification of unobvious internal significances – insights – that might be detected as a result of our investigating with the object of identifying areas of action, opportunities and hierarchies.
How is it done?
An insight occurs when a truth has been grasped or understood. It may occur unexpectedly and symbolically, after an in-depth exploration, or by using a range of analysis techniques. An insight arises from cross-referencing and interpreting explicit knowledge or key facts, producing valuable significance for subsequent work with. In some cases, the significance is obvious, composed of readings that arise from the connections between various key facts. In others cases, the significance is difficult to tease out and the best way to reveal the insights is to collect the key facts, group them by subject or area and search for meanings that are more important and more profound than the post-its you can see nearby.
Having arranged the insights as post-its, we group them in such a way as to generate relationships that allow us to visualise more complete needs or interpretations. The first reading of key facts provides preliminary internal meanings which are not immediately obvious. When we consider these meanings, it helps us to discover or visualise more complete internal meanings.
When is it done?
It's done following a detailed investigation of the subject area in question (interviews, field visit, among other actions). We work on a key facts defining session. We then build up a range of interpretations that endow the project with meaning and value (internal meanings), and group them together to reveal possible action areas (it is sometimes impossible to use a single solution to act on more than one group of internal meanings).
The 3M people are very much in favour of the use of their Post-it adhesive notes, where during problem understanding and brainstorming sessions, the ideas that arise are grouped into different clusters. This enables people to interact with them and allows them to generate a participatory dynamic for stimulating collaboration and resolving complex goals. Apart from summarising, it acts as a very effective tool for opening conversations and generating a group dynamic.
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS INSIGHTS CLUSTER |
What is it?
A 2 x 2 matrix is a visual tool that allows for analysis during the summarising process of stimulating thought about the objective/people/company/product relationships. It is a way to visualise work areas in the generation of ideas that can be explored in greater depth later.
How is it done?
We choose two parameters or characteristics – complexity and price, for example – that we wish to compare (one for each axis) and we draw a 2 x 2 matrix. We position them on the map, placing the ends of each parameter at the end of each axis. For example, we compare complexity (bottom to top) with the adoption of technology (early-adopter-to-late-adopter). When we position them, we bear in mind the proximity of each object's parameter to be compared with the possibility of swift visualisation via a more or less qualitative perception. You can also generate a squared table with application values (quality 1 – 5, for example) beforehand, to apply to the comparison values. We also try out various combinations for understanding and visualising the information. We can, for example, visualise the relative image of telecom operators following field research. Variables: satisfaction against price.
When is it done?
It's done when you need to visually communicate a relationship analysed in the light of the relationships between the various items visually placed on two axes. A common use of a 2 x 2 matrix is used to define a competitive environment on two variables. In this case, an empty quadrant or space may be the sign of a market opportunity (or a very bad idea). It helps us to understand what role or situation we hold with regard to our sector/competition by assessing where we want to go, or identify this space that has not been covered.
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS 2 X 2 MATRIX |
What is it?
It's the creation of an archetype of our target objective based on the interviews and fieldwork undertaken to gain a more personal and in-depth image. It is a reliable representation, built up by factoring in our user as identified in the research work.
How is it done?
The avatar is generated by using information obtained via interviews with, or the observation of, users. This avatar must match a tangible reality. What we are not doing is generating an invented or fragmented persona; the descriptions must match the summary of what we found and encountered in the research work. Generating this persona on the basis of empathy is an essential requirement.
To build this tool we set up four quadrants in which we place the following information:
4. Personalisation – Quadrant 1: demographic characteristics. Who is our individual? Real data about him; his age, his partner, his family, his profession … on occasions we can literally take a user from the investigation as an alter ego to represent the customer or user on whom we want to work.
5. Locating and contextualising – Quadrant 2: the scene where the action takes place. Now we define the space and set of circumstances observed and defined as the environment of the persona. Where do we want to study him? Place, times, actions, etc.
6. Understanding and defining – Quadrant 3: needs/motivations/ beliefs. Intersections that give rise to the conditioners and nuances of the user arise from the persona and the space and the factors that guide, direct and motivate him. Here's where we collect the factors observed in the investigation underlying the user and his scenario.
7. Reflection – Quadrant 4: objectives/goals. On the basis of his conditioners, what is our user’s ultimate goal? What did we gather in the research?
When is it done?
When we wish to summarise all the information collected on a persona. This would be the starting point for catalysing the construction stage on which we intend to work. In the whole of the Design Thinking project, regardless of the consultant, company or individual using it, this tool is the most recognised and extensively used. Known as Persona, Archetype or the like, this is the starting point of the summary of our research and the search for the focus of the problem to define and solve, whether it be experience, product, service or business.
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS PERSONA |
What is it?
It's a tool that allows you to summarise the emotional and rational aspects of our user in depth by expressing his actions and feelings. We use this technique to try to understand his point of view regarding a need/problem/product/service according to the research undertaken.
How is it done?
Having designed and generated our persona (the Persona tool), we have to get inside his head to gain a better understanding of the way he thinks and acts, and hence what he is really like in an actual given situation/scene. Basically it is a matter of answering the following questions:
a) What does he say and think? What are the opinions and facts that he communicates including those which pass through his head?
b) What does he do and what does he feel? What actions and behaviour patterns does he express and what are his internal emotions and feelings?
c) What does he see and hear? What are the things/events that he appreciates or facts/data that are related to him?
All this is in response to a situation or need, or to whatever is related to an existing product or service.
For example, what does our customer/user, Peter, say and think, what does he do and feel, what does he hear and see, in respect to the subject of saving. We’re focusing this on the persona mainly at the time of acquiring goods, as a result of his behaviour at home. Questions that help create the full picture: what does saving mean for him? What is the hardest part about saving for him? What does he think of his own ability to save, of the environment, what does he see and hear, what are his friends and family doing to save more?
When is it done?
It's done when our typical user or customer has been defined (Persona tool or similar), according to the investigation undertaken, when we try to put ourselves in his shoes and empathise with him in depth. This technique helps us perform a deeper analysis about needs/emotions/attitudes covered in the investigation.
At 3M they use the Empathy Map in an outwardly-facing mode (anticipating customer expectations and needs) and also as a key element for change management. In matrix organizations this is an excellent starting point for mapping critical components for the change's success, based on perception and knowledge of our user.
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS EMPATHY MAP |
What is it?
It's an integral picture of the user’s experience for understanding what happens before, during and after the user’s main contact with our product/service/company, defined over five stages: attraction, entry, commitment, exit and extension.
How is it done?
Since the experiences provided by the company appear on a timeline that begins with the first contact with the user and extends to the final extension or exit, various reactions are assessed in relation to a series of vertically arranged attributes:
• Definition: Can we describe it? Is it defined?
• Novelty: Is it distinctive and identifiable?
• Accessibility: Can the customer get what he really wants?
• Meaning: Is it significant? Does it contribute real value?
When is it done?
In the wake of field research, an active experience map is a qualitative assessment of the user’s viewpoint gained by perceiving strengths, weaknesses or opportunities to be factored in during the idea formation stage.
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS ACTIVE EXPERIENCE MAP |
What is it?
A point of view (POV) is the establishment of the design goal in an explanation of the problem according to the persona (target user) prior to forming an idea.
How is it done?
The three elements of a POV are the user, the need, and the insights (the non-obvious internal significance). To construct a POV we use the following structure:
[USER] needs [USER NEED] because [SURPRISING INSIGHT]
We can use a blackboard or scrap paper to test a series of options, playing with the different variables found in the research, as well as playing with the various combinations of those variables. Needs must be stated as verbs inventing the POV as a summarised declaration to stimulate the design of a solution: it need not be a declaration or fact; it can be an inspiration that helps to develop solutions.
For example, instead of stating that a tourist needs to get lost in the city without fear of getting lost, it is better to say that a tourist needs to get lost in the city with the security of knowing how to get back to his starting point.
One of the most frequently used sentences is the following:
What the_____ (clearly identified user/customer) needs is ________ (job to be done, serious requirement) because ________ (insight).
When is it done?
As the final step of the research process, a good POV will make it possible to create ideas that are directed according to the user’s needs (meaningful goal). In the final analysis it will help us understand our Design Challenge by asking the question “How Might We” (HMW).
This kind of extremely simple sentence is the way the Ibercaja Innovation and Excellence Unit summarises the complete customer research process: who, what and what for/why?, all taking into consideration the perception of the customer, and without us yet having mentioned our product or service. We believe that being good at this could be a source of competitive advantage if you know how to make good use of this during the subsequent design of the solution.
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS POV |
What is it?
The Design Challenge includes short, concise questions which, once asked, lead to brainstorming sessions or arise from the POV or established design principles or brief.
How is it done?
Having established the POV or the brief, the next step is to frame questions that will help to stimulate solution generating creativity.
In general, we use the HMW question (How might we) to make the problem ours and to challenge ourselves to solve it. The HMW question should be neither excessively narrow (obvious solution) nor excessively broad (loss of focus).
For example, between an excessively narrow HMW, like creating a non-drip ice-cream cone, and the excessively broad redesign of dessert, a valid HMW would be: redesigning ice-cream to make it more portable.
When is it done?
It's done as a final point of exploration: let’s create a seed question that is suitably broad to begin visualising an amalgam of solutions, but which is also sufficiently narrow for the team to have some practical limits. It should be noted that the question will develop as the project develops since it isn’t static.
The use of this tool is simple and necessary. We often focus on the search for solutions, but fail to work out in advance what question needs to be resolved. This forces us to follow pathways that we may not have taken; in other words, we are guided by possibilities.
The starting point of Repsol’s innovation teams is to define the opportunity or challenge facing them: “Fall in love with the problem and not the solution”. The initial sessions with management before beginning to define solutions will help extend the work by establishing a clear goal and a shared vision. Before embarking on a process of building solutions it is necessary to understand the criteria that will help us to establish priorities and assess the options generated.
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS DESIGN CHALLENGE |
What is it?
Traditionally, a design brief is a document generated by companies for designers that defines the context of the assignment. As a tool, it establishes the principles of the design according to the needs and objectives of the project: it translates insights into realizable principles.
How is it done?
The aim is to convert the insights and outcomes of the research into doable statements that will guide the idea formation process. The brief frames the project, sets the limits and defines the objectives – it is a declaration of principles to factor in at the idea-building stage.
This brief in turn becomes a guide for assessing the partial results (prototypes or ideas) that appear throughout the project's development and also the final result, so that consistency with the research/starting point can be measured and visualised.
It generally includes three parts:
• Project goals: what you want to achieve, why the matter arose.
• My user (market) and what he needs given the possibility of prioritising and determining if these are questions that need resolving, questions it would be interesting to resolve, or questions that can actually be resolved.
• My company/team and its abilities, with the emphasis on internal analysis and establishing limits, plus the maximisation of items or assets.
Summing up, we define the strategies necessary to resolve a design challenge that is separate from a specific solution.
When is it done?
It's done when the challenge is understood along with its insights and with the aim of creating a checklist to follow that can be used to assess and select the ideas to be implemented. Above all, it is important for projects with two separated areas, know-how and resolution, where the team may also be different. In this case the brief is a document for communicating important information, since it can unite both spheres of action.
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS THE BRIEF, PRINCIPLE OF DESIGN |
What is it?
It's the abstract representation of the problem by means of diagrams and by establishing a non-explicit simile between the the problem and its representation that will help us to better understand the idiosyncrasy of the problem.
How is it done?
Once the problem has been described, we brainstorm similar situations or realities with a view to contextualising or outlining the problem according to a metaphor that will help us to define it.
For example, for Peter being in a hospital A&E room is like being in a traffic jam on the M25 in rush hour.
The intangibles communicated by the metaphor extend much further than the situation in itself, endowing it with meaning when it is related to a more tangible everyday situation. On occasions it is used to reduce or settle the challenge or the brief as developed into a more tangible form at the level of an everyday experience or situation, although in many cases, the complexity of the problem encountered cannot be verbalised by using the Design Challenge or brief tools, and so the metaphor finally helps us to understand it and fix a shared point of understanding.
When is it done?
Once the problem has been defined, it may be helpful to convert its idiosyncrasy into a metaphorical figure that can contextualise it.
A picture is said to be worth a thousand words. A well-worked metaphor can be worth more than the challenges. It was used in the Ibercaja Innovation and Excellence Unit, mainly with three goals:
1. To explain a situation, model or complex concept in a clear, concrete and brief way.
2. So that anyone can share this concept in vertical or horizontal ways without distorting its essence.
3. To achieve a better record and conscious application of the concept in question.
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EXPLORATION/SYNTHESIS PROBLEM METAPHOR |