Challenge	
   I	
  work	
  for	
  a	
  consumer	
  goods	
  company	
  that	
  competes	
  in	
  the	
  home	
  improvement	
   channel.	
  	
  We	
  wanted	
  to	
  understand	
  and	
  gain	
  insights	
  into	
  how	
  consumers	
  currently	
   view	
  our	
  products	
  and	
  competitor	
  products	
  to	
  uncover	
  design	
  criteria	
  for	
  future	
   product	
  development	
  concepts.	
  	
  We	
  needed	
  to	
  uncover	
  the	
  current	
  “What	
  Is?”	
  state	
   of	
  our	
  market	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  any	
  unarticulated	
  needs	
  surrounding	
  the	
  use	
  of	
  adhesives	
   and	
  caulks.	
   	
   Selection	
   I	
  used	
  mindmapping	
  as	
  a	
  way	
  to	
  build	
  and	
  consolidate	
  initial	
  assumptions,	
  primary	
   research	
  and	
  secondary	
  research	
  to	
  analyze	
  for	
  patterns,	
  pain	
  points	
  and	
  clusters	
  to	
   refine	
  our	
  assumptions	
  and	
  guide	
  design	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  our	
  messaging.	
  	
  	
   	
   Application	
   	
   After	
  scouring	
  secondary	
  research,	
  and	
  building	
  a	
  skeleton	
  mind	
  map	
  of	
  the	
   findings,	
  we	
  employed	
  primary	
  consumer	
  research	
  (invited	
  shoppers).	
  	
  We	
  delved	
   into	
  understanding	
  the	
  user	
  experience	
  with	
  open-­‐ended	
  questions	
  to	
  understand	
   the	
  entire	
  journey	
  of	
  using	
  our	
  products	
  and	
  competitor	
  products	
  (offered	
  product	
   use	
  tours),	
  not	
  just	
  the	
  end	
  result.	
  	
  We	
  laid	
  out	
  existing	
  products	
  for	
  consumers	
  to	
   use	
  and	
  evaluate	
  (allowed	
  guests	
  to	
  pick	
  out	
  the	
  good	
  stuff).	
  	
  I	
  supplemented	
  my	
   original	
  mind	
  map	
  with	
  these	
  primary	
  research	
  findings.	
  	
  	
   	
   Assumptions	
  &	
  secondary	
  research	
  –	
  We	
  originally	
  assumed	
  we	
  were	
  looking	
  at	
   how	
  we	
  could	
  formulate	
  a	
  better	
  glue,	
  caulk	
  or	
  adhesive.	
  	
  	
  We	
  knew	
  that	
  consumers	
   often	
  found	
  the	
  process	
  of	
  applying	
  adhesives	
  and	
  caulks	
  with	
  a	
  caulk	
  gun	
  and	
  a	
   squeeze	
  tube	
  to	
  be	
  messy,	
  slow,	
  uncomfortable	
  and	
  frustrating.	
   	
   Primary	
  research	
  –	
  When	
  we	
  probed	
  and	
  listened	
  to	
  consumers,	
  we	
  learned	
  that	
   many	
  thought	
  that	
  only	
  professionals	
  could	
  use	
  the	
  products	
  effectively.	
  	
  We	
  also	
   confirmed	
  that	
  consumers	
  found	
  using	
  a	
  caulk	
  gun	
  or	
  squeeze	
  tube	
  uncomfortable	
   and	
  intimidating.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
   When	
  asked	
  how	
  adhesive	
  and	
  caulk	
  application	
  could	
  be	
  improved	
  if	
  they	
  had	
  a	
   magic	
  wand,	
  several	
  consumers	
  said	
  they	
  wanted	
  a	
  steady	
  flow	
  that	
  they	
  could	
   control.	
  	
  Consumers	
  were	
  frustrated	
  with	
  results	
  from	
  using	
  caulk	
  guns	
  and	
  squeeze	
   tubes	
  and	
  the	
  hand	
  fatigue	
  and	
  inconsistent	
  bead	
  sizes	
  that	
  resulted	
  in	
  the	
   squeezing	
  and	
  pumping	
  of	
  the	
  caulk	
  gun.	
   	
   Unarticulated	
  needs:	
  	
  While	
  consumers	
  stated	
  their	
  frustration	
  with	
  the	
  current	
   state	
  of	
  caulk	
  and	
  adhesive	
  application	
  /	
  delivery	
  with	
  caulk	
  guns	
  and	
  squeeze	
  tubes	
   and	
  how	
  they	
  wanted	
  a	
  better	
  flow,	
  none	
  of	
  them	
  articulated	
  how	
  they	
  wanted	
  a	
   way	
  to	
  apply	
  adhesives	
  or	
  caulk	
  without	
  a	
  caulk	
  gun	
  or	
  squeeze	
  tube.	
  	
  Rather,	
  we	
   analyzed	
  the	
  mind	
  map	
  and	
  words	
  of	
  consumers	
  to	
  realize	
  that	
  there	
  was	
  an	
   untapped	
  market	
  for	
  a	
  caulk	
  and	
  adhesive	
  delivery	
  system	
  that	
  did	
  not	
  require	
  a	
   caulk	
  gun.

Mind	
  Map

Insight	
  &	
  Approach	
  	
   	
   From	
  this,	
  I	
  was	
  able	
  to	
  lead	
  brainstorming	
  and	
  determine	
  ‘What	
  If’s?”	
  in	
  order	
  to	
   generate	
  consumer-­‐focused	
  concepts.	
  	
  We	
  conducted	
  another	
  round	
  of	
  consumer	
   research	
  to	
  test	
  our	
  prototype	
  against	
  existing	
  products	
  in	
  the	
  market	
  with	
   consumers.	
  Our	
  prototype	
  was	
  a	
  pressurized	
  can	
  that	
  delivered	
  a	
  steady,	
  controlled	
   stream	
  of	
  caulk	
  and	
  adhesives	
  without	
  a	
  caulk	
  gun.	
  	
  	
   	
   After	
  using	
  all	
  options,	
  consumers	
  literally	
  saw	
  the	
  “wow”	
  with	
  our	
  prototype	
  as	
   that	
  was	
  the	
  word	
  they	
  commonly	
  used	
  after	
  using	
  our	
  prototype.	
  	
  We	
  had	
  listened	
   and	
  solved	
  an	
  unarticulated	
  need	
  to	
  determine	
  “What	
  Works”	
  with	
  consumers.	
  	
  	
   	
   We	
  understood	
  and	
  appreciated	
  the	
  importance	
  of	
  the	
  consumer	
  in	
  the	
  process	
  and	
   treating	
  them	
  as	
  people	
  and	
  not	
  data.	
  	
  We	
  listened	
  to	
  their	
  stories	
  and	
  allowed	
  them	
   to	
  be	
  storytellers.	
  	
  We	
  learned	
  how	
  easily	
  assumptions	
  may	
  be	
  proven	
  wrong	
  with	
   consumers,	
  the	
  process	
  is	
  iterative	
  and	
  we	
  need	
  to	
  be	
  to	
  willing	
  to	
  change	
  along	
  the	
   way	
  as	
  new	
  data	
  comes	
  in.

