Visualization

Challenge & Selection

As I am a UI/UX engineer, the first tool I used was Visualization, or Visual Design Thinking, to  achieve collaborative understanding of a problem space among a diverse and different  localization group of stakeholders before attempting to identify the problem and define/design  possible solutions to the problem.

  I use Visual Design Thinking approach often with our customers, who are agencies  working to apply technology innovations to modernize their mission or the delivery of  their services to their customer, which may be global. Citizens, businesses, and non- citizens.

  Application I start the process by creating a straw man graphic of the problem domain.  To develop the straw man graphic, I will draw from any existing material available to  understand the environment. The existing material may be operational or procedural  documents, training materials, marketing materials, few develop mobile app and website  which giving a clear visualization of this Design Thinking Approach.

  I have used the Design Thinking of using a straw man visualization of a problem domain  with a set of questions or prompts for discussion to allow a diverse group of  stakeholders/business to learn from each other in the process of defining the scope,  boundaries, key elements, and relationships between elements to consider when  identifying pain points and opportunities for improvements or solutions.

  The front-stage/back-stage approach helps to reinforce the notion that every service –  even an internal service – has customers with whom the service provider interacts and  internal processes that enable the organization to provide the service. The template I  often start with also has a column on the left to identify Partners and Value Chain  Providers and a column on the right to identify Oversight Organizations advocacy  groups, and other entities that may add constraints to how the organization operates.

  If materials are not available, then I conduct informal discussion with different  stakeholder or agencies stakeholders who serve as my main points of contact on the  initiative. If appropriate to the situation.

The straw man graphic is simple, using simple shapes and icons available in Visio or on the  Internet. If the front-stage/back-stage view doesn’t work, then I will create a different type of  visual, either based on a high-level process flow with different stakeholders, or another format.  For the activity, I will divide the stakeholders into groups of 5-6 participants each representing a  different organization or area of interest.

Each group receives a visual graphic that they can write on directly, or use sticky notes to make  comments. I give them two-three questions to answer, such as:

1. What key insights do you have about the relationships between the entities in your

problem space?

2. What would you change about the graphic to make it more accurately reflect your

problem space?

3. What key elements are missing from the graphic?   4.

I give them approximately 15-20 minutes to discuss the questions and mark up the graphic. Then  I have each group report out on their answers to those three questions while pointing to the mark- ups on their poster. As each group reports out, I record commonalities in the insights of each  group, and then additional insights that come from the group discussion on an additional copy of  the graphic.

After the session, I digitize each group’s poster as an artifact, create a view that combines the  shared and new insights from the group discussion, and then create a revised graphic that  incorporates their feedback and proposed changes that they agreed to as a group.

Insight & Approach What I have learned from conducting this exercise with several groups is that  while the graphic – especially the revised graphic that incorporates their feedback – is important  for reinforcing their understanding of the problem they are working to solve, the more valuable  aspect of the activity is the shared insights and shared learning that occurs while they are working  to define their problem space. The graphic gives the diverse group of stakeholders a focal point  for discussion that allows them to share their perspectives and develop insights into potential root  causes of their problems. They can also identify variables in the problem space – that is, it helps  them to identify what they don’t know, in what areas they need to obtain information or data to  provide the values for the variables. Since I discovered that the most valuable aspect is the shared  insights and learning, next time I would use the visualization activity as a starting point for a series  of design thinking activities. Then the revised graphic that incorporates their combined feedback  can serve as a reference tool throughout the remainder of their work.

