Design Thinking Tool – Visualization     Mobile App Development Project

I’ve been working with a number of companies that develop mobile apps, both Android and IOS, mainly  focusing on stakeholders’ connectivity and rendering streamlined services to provide real time and  batch information and access, as needed.

A firm approached us to develop a product launch strategy for effective market penetration. The firm is  developing an app in the healthcare industry and the main purpose of the app is to connect the main  players in the industry, doctors, diagnostic labs, pharmacies with patients.  The primary services that the  app will render to a patient are: 1. medical record storage, 2. access to lab data, 3. prescription  information, records and delivery, and 4. online doctor consultancy.

Tool Selection and its Application

Variables such as the app’s interface, geographic market penetration, demographic segmentation,  pricing structure, patient’s data security and access and payment channels for patients had to be  carefully considered and our client’s team of 30 members was ambiguous about the variables and the  approach for the app’s launch.  What was discovered during conversations with the team was that they  all were hyped-up about the concept of the app and felt that it was a viable product but they failed to  clearly communicate their vision and approach to each other.  Another pressing issue was the team’s  division over patients’ preferences for the services. Further, the team had to prioritize the variables for  the allocation of $20,000 budget for competitive market penetration.

The team was put into 6 groups with 5 members in each group.  Each member was given colored sticky  notes and markers.  Also, each group had access to a separate whiteboard for sharing and consolidating  ideas.  Each group member was asked to discuss his/her vision/approach for each of the variables in a  graphic format within the group.  The members had to communicate via pictures, graphs and  charts.  The idea was to discern common patterns, trends and try to assess and converge diverse ideas  for effective product development.  Further, each group was assigned a variable for which the group  members were to conduct potential patients’ surveys.

Each member was asked to rank the above variables from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most important,  based on the following parameters: 1. Customer feedback, 2. Team member’s past experience with  similar products and market segments, 3. Member’s preference for the variables. 4. Group’s collective  variable launch preference.

To optimize data assessment and for effective communications among the members and groups,  Histogram and Control charts were employed.  By assigning numbers to the variables based on the  team’s insight and data collected from the surveys, the members could visually communicate with each  other and form a consensus.

Insight and Approach

Histogram depicts frequency and quantity of an event and Control chart extracts relevant data by  eliminating the outliers.

Initially the common perception among the group members was that older people would be more  inclined to use the app and mainly for doctor’s connectivity and prescription delivery.  There was also a  smaller group that felt that perhaps the app’s user-friendliness was paramount for competitiveness.

However, based on the customer survey and feedback from the members, numbers assigned to each  variable were added.  A Histogram was formed that ranked variables based on the feedback and clear  trend emerged that showed that there was a significant overlap between customers’ and team  members’ preferences.  Also, to ensure that there were no ambiguities, the data from the bottom and  top extremes was excluded using a Control chart.

The consolidated data (feedback from the members and customers) revealed the following three  variable as most important for the launch:

1.       App’s interface user-friendliness   2.       Diagnostic testing and lab data   3.       Online doctor consultancy

Instead of verbally communicating with each other and trying to convince others of their conviction, the  members could effectively communicate the findings, visually, through the charts.  By ranking the  variables individually and as a group and comparing the data with the customers’ data, the team could  identify the variables that would make the launch substantially competitive.  As importantly, the  visualization motivated the members by giving them a sense of ownership of the project.

