Reflection Assignment- Mind Mapping                                                                         By Margarita Bonilla      Challenge and Selection    The design tool, Mind Mapping, refers to extracting patterns and insights from all the data that we gather  during the ‘What-Is’ phase. This tool facilitates the journey from ‘What-is’ to ‘What-if’. I use this tool all  the time while working with data analytics projects like poverty prediction and examining customer  shopping preferences. It may seem counter-productive to try and make a mind map to extract meaning  from such large datasets, but it is actually very efficient.     Recently, I used this tool while working on a project for designing improvements to the healthcare offered  at local hospitals, as part of a summer course I completed at Francisco de Paula Santander University. The challenge was to conduct an  exhaustive study on the current scenario(What-is) and using this to suggest possible solutions and  strategies(What-if) to improve patient satisfaction and the overall quality of healthcare provided.     Application    Based on the data collected, we found that a greater number of patients were moving towards private  hospitals, despite the free healthcare offered at local clinics and hospitals. We decided to use design  thinking to solve this problem, so the first step was to dig deeper, narrowing down our vast amount of  data, to tailor our research in an ethnographic manner with a comparatively smaller sample set. A field  visit was organized to one of these local hospitals, where we interacted with around 25 patients. These  interactions were personalized and took place over the course of five days.     A common, unarticulated need that was showing up indirectly yet conspicuously through all these  conversations was the subconscious human need for trust and connection. In the local hospital we were  surveying, although the service was free, the patients had no control over which doctor would treat them.  Every time they went to the hospital, a different doctor would randomly be assigned to them. The  interactions would be too professional and dry, lacking the human touch. This is something we could not  figure out from the analytical method used to study our initial, vast dataset. There were other factors too  such as lack of automation and efficiency in the process of booking an appointment, patient waiting time  and bureaucracy that came up. Gathering all these advancements in our project made using design  thinking, we created a mind map to further examine the links between these factors, their relative  importance and to work on idea generation.     Insight and Approach    From the mind map created, we could clearly see that the lack of human connection and personalization  was the underlying cause of all the other drawbacks. We also added bubbles of possible solutions to the  mind map and traced these solutions to the problem they attempted to address. One such solution was  the introduction of a mobile application that would offer interactive features apart from automating  appointment bookings. However, the insights we derived from our ethnographic research using a small  sample set of people suggested that such a mobile application would only address the symptom without  solving the root cause of the problem. Moreover, further expanding the mind map to incorporate a cost- benefit analysis of a potential mobile application hinted that this solution was not economically

sustainable. Also, the charts that we generated from the original dataset showed that senior citizens made  up a considerable portion of the people in need of medical care. They would not be comfortable with such  a mobile application. Even if we assumed for a second that senior citizens would be well-versed with such  an app, it does not address the lack of connection and personalization, in fact, it makes the process even  more impersonal and dry.     We successfully concluded from our mind map that the entire healthcare scenario needs to be  restructured. We then came up with constructive solutions which were economically sustainable and  incremental yet effective. Assigning two doctors to a certain set of patients, which would encourage  greater familiarity and bonding in the doctor-patient relationship, for instance. Specialists could be  recommended, as required, but every patient must have a specific general practitioner(GP) assigned to  him or her. Receptionists and help-desk assistants must ease the appointment booking process by not  only setting up an appointment for the patients at the desired time but by placing a reminder call on the  day of the appointment, which further adds a personal touch.     Notice how we have used the design tool of journey mapping as well, apart from mind mapping, to  improve the quality of local healthcare in Cambridge, UK. Journey mapping, which refers to uncovering  unarticulated needs on the emotional side in order to create better value for people, coupled with the  potent tool of mind mapping, helped us to innovate for the benefit of patients. Leveraging my experience  with innovation and design thinking, coupled with the skills acquired from this course, I hope to work on  more such projects that enhance customer experience and create value.


Reflection Assignment- Mind Mapping By Margarita Bonilla Challenge and Selection The design tool , Mind Mapping , refers to extracting patterns and insights from all the data that we gather during the ‘ What - Is ’ phase . This tool facilitates the journey from ‘ What - is ’ to ‘ What - if ’ . I use this tool all the time while working with data analytics projects like poverty prediction and examining customer shopping preferences . It may seem counter - productive to try and make a mind map to extract meaning from such large datasets , but it is actually very efficient . Recently , I used this tool while working on a project for designing improvements to the healthcare offered at local hospitals , as part of a summer course I completed at Francisco de Paula Santander University . The challenge was to conduct an exhaustive study on the current scenario(What - is ) and using this to suggest possible solutions and strategies(What - if ) to improve patient satisfaction and the overall quality of healthcare provided . Application Based on the data collected , we found that a greater number of patients were moving towards private hospitals , despite the free healthcare offered at local clinics and hospitals . We decided to use design thinking to solve this problem , so the first step was to dig deeper , narrowing down our vast amount of data , to tailor our research in an ethnographic manner with a comparatively smaller sample set . A field visit was organized to one of these local hospitals , where we interacted with around 25 patients . These interactions were personalized and took place over the course of five days . A common , unarticulated need that was showing up indirectly yet conspicuously through all these conversations was the subconscious human need for trust and connection . In the local hospital we were surveying , although the service was free , the patients had no control over which doctor would treat them . Every time they went to the hospital , a different doctor would randomly be assigned to them . The interactions would be too professional and dry , lacking the human touch . This is something we could not figure out from the analytical method used to study our initial , vast dataset . There were other factors too such as lack of automation and efficiency in the process of booking an appointment , patient waiting time and bureaucracy that came up . Gathering all these advancements in our project made using design thinking , we created a mind map to further examine the links between these factors , their relative importance and to work on idea generation . Insight and Approach From the mind map created , we could clearly see that the lack of human connection and personalization was the underlying cause of all the other drawbacks . We also added bubbles of possible solutions to the mind map and traced these solutions to the problem they attempted to address . One such solution was the introduction of a mobile application that would offer interactive features apart from automating appointment bookings . However , the insights we derived from our ethnographic research using a small sample set of people suggested that such a mobile application would only address the symptom without solving the root cause of the problem . Moreover , further expanding the mind map to incorporate a cost- benefit analysis of a potential mobile application hinted that this solution was not economically sustainable . Also , the charts that we generated from the original dataset showed that senior citizens made up a considerable portion of the people in need of medical care . They would not be comfortable with such a mobile application . Even if we assumed for a second that senior citizens would be well - versed with such an app , it does not address the lack of connection and personalization , in fact , it makes the process even more impersonal and dry . We successfully concluded from our mind map that the entire healthcare scenario needs to be restructured . We then came up with constructive solutions which were economically sustainable and incremental yet effective . Assigning two doctors to a certain set of patients , which would encourage greater familiarity and bonding in the doctor - patient relationship , for instance . Specialists could be recommended , as required , but every patient must have a specific general practitioner(GP ) assigned to him or her . Receptionists and help - desk assistants must ease the appointment booking process by not only setting up an appointment for the patients at the desired time but by placing a reminder call on the day of the appointment , which further adds a personal touch . Notice how we have used the design tool of journey mapping as well , apart from mind mapping , to improve the quality of local healthcare in Cambridge , UK . Journey mapping , which refers to uncovering unarticulated needs on the emotional side in order to create better value for people , coupled with the potent tool of mind mapping , helped us to innovate for the benefit of patients . Leveraging my experience with innovation and design thinking , coupled with the skills acquired from this course , I hope to work on more such projects that enhance customer experience and create value .