Visualization tool

Understanding the role of knowledge visualization in the  design thinking process:

Visualization is a core component of the way that we communicate, whether  we're aware of it or not. When we're dealing with very complex problems, we're  enacting a different kind of problem solving that has to bring in more than just  logic. Visualization is really important for the process of Design Thinking because  it's actually a way of unlocking a different part of our brain. It allows us to think in  a non-verbal way and access parts of our brain, our creativity. Most design  thinkers call visualization as “the mother of all design tools”, because they are  used in every stage of the design thinking process. Visualization is equal parts  listening, thinking and drawing. Listening is the input, thinking is the processing  and drawing is the output. These three skills work together equally in  understanding complexity, visualizing outcomes to create new possibilities.

The application and benefits of knowledge visualization have been widely  discussed in fields such as strategy, knowledge management and psychology  However, the paramount role of visual reasoning in many instances of problem  solving has not been recognized yet. In order to fully understand how design  thinking teams can benefit from using visualization, we need to understand the  role of visualization through different theoretical lenses.

When you get to concept development, Visualization becomes incredibly useful.  Your brain is creating pictures of something that doesn't yet exist. It's creating  pictures of something that will soon be. As we move forward into prototyping, we  get much more detailed in the way that we start to visualize. Then we create very  complex diagrams or maps of how we think the customer experience is going to  work ideally. Pictures and images enable us to not only help people understand  what it is we're trying to do but to help persuade them in the worthiness of that  particular idea or the strength of that concept.

the concept of drawing, building prototypes and creating a mind map with  research insights is new to the business world. With business professionals often  scared of sketching and creating with their hands.

In order to design the solution, first we have to build a good understanding of the  problem that we are trying to solve. Interviews, observations, desk research and  other research techniques that are applied during this phase generate huge  amount of data – data that has to be grouped and analyze. Creating a research  wall is a great way to display insights, photos, and artifacts – all the relevant  research outputs in one place. This approach helps us build connections between  different findings and understand the bigger picture. The visual aspect of the wall  triggers idea generation and enables project members to better understand  research insights. For this reason design thinkers often use tools such as persona  which give a face to the customer/interviewee. Visual tools that can be used for  understanding the problem are for e.g. personas, mind map, customer journey  maps etc.

It is not necessary to poses good drawing skills – as the popular saying goes  “picture is worth a thousand words” and even a simple sketch can tell us more  than a 10 minutes description of an idea. In a group setting, visualization helps to  spark idea generation. Seeing what other people are drawing, adding elements to  their drawing or simply discussing the sketches helps to build on top of each other  ideas. Brainstorming sessions can be also enhanced by the use of visual props  such as nudge cards to stimulate idea creation. Drawing can benefit our  understanding of how the idea unfolds through different stages of the service,  particularly when generating ideas for a new service,

