CHALLENGE:

During my stint as an experiential designer at a leading retail brand, I was assigned a project whose  aim was to increase business of the brand through better customer experience. The customer  segment that was to be targeted was that of Elderly Citizens. It had come to the attention of the  team through business data that elderly citizens form a large portion of loyal customers of the  brand. Therefore, with an intention of securing this customer segment and further strengthening it,  we started working towards making the brand an age inclusive. We wanted to achieve this not by a  marketing but through actual designs that will make a difference.

SELECTION:

Since the retail brand has an established image of value for money prices and inclusive nature, the  initial phase of the project aimed at understanding the brand and its services it offered. Since a  variety of tangible and intangible factors were to be dealt with while understanding the customer  segment, I chose the Mind Mapping tool that would help me understand the various facets of the  personalities of elderly customers.  Various services were developed through brainstorming sessions  and continuous inputs from the people in the team. With further advancement in the process and  research, Learning Launch tool was applied to cross check the feasibility of strategies further  developed.

APPLICATION

•  The project initially started off by understanding the brand and its services and continued  with a detailed study of various services exclusively designed for senior citizens to  understand my customer segment

•  With further advancement, I used the Mind Mapping tool to uncover the various aspects of  elderly customers and their personalities. These aspects ranged from tangible things like  physical impairments and mobilities to intangible aspects like emotional changes and  psychology and understanding of the demographics

•  The demographics, shopping patterns and habits were observed and studied to understand  the influences in their shopping behavior by various questionnaires, observations and  surveys.

•  By using all the information gathered through various means, Mind Mapping was done to  understand various patterns and relations between different aspects

•  Given the vast scope of the project, more than one tool was used to evaluate options and  come to conclusions. In addition to mind mapping, Learning Launch technique was also  applied to validate the feasibility and dependency of upcoming strategies

•  To conclude on deciding which tools to use, primary and secondary research had to be done  to evaluate what tools were to be us.

Through mind mapping we had a thorough study of various physical ailments and short comings  elderly citizens face. So, to tackle these physical problems, collective efforts were made by the team  to make the retail outlets age friendly by having anti-skid floorings and obstacle free aisles.   Comfortable surroundings with calmer music and lesser announcements that usually startle them.

For having an empathetic approach and relation between customer and staff, a staff sensitization  program was organized.  This helped in training the staff and helping them being empathetic rather  than just showing sympathy and pity towards elderly citizens.

While using the mind mapping tool we made efforts to deep dive into the social problems of elderly  people and how things start changing once they age. We came up with a few activities and initiatives  that would help them be social and independent to some extent. To test the feasibility and response  of one of the activities, we used the Learning Launch technique to experiment and record their  response towards the same. The intention was to see how receptive and willing are the elderly  customers to participate in activities arranged for them. Through the tool we came to know that  elderly customers are more willing to participate when the activities and events are related to health  and fitness.

INSIGHT

By applying the mind mapping tool, I got to explore various factors which were not known to and by  exploring more it helped me overcome various pre-conceived notions of the customer base. It shed  light on various biases that people have towards this customer base. It helped me understand the at  most of the times emotional and physical factors go hand in hand. As I progressed with the project, I  had a clear idea of the various needs and problems of elderly customers in retail spaces and how  systematically we might be able to give them a better. By implementing he strategies and proposals,  the problems of senior customers in the store will reduce and in turn have and increased footfall and  better business for the brand.

APPROACH

By adapting the mind mapping tool, I understood what are the various things that affect day-to-day  lifestyle of senior citizens and by the help of learning launch I could understand what exactly are  they interested in and what they look forward to. Given that brainstorming and mind mapping are  frequently used tools while designing services that support the research, application of Learning  Launch tools in iterations to test the validity and reception of the tools is also necessary and will help  avoid larger problem later . Through learning Launch it came to my notice that it not only helps you  understand the feasibility and validity, but also the impact the services have and how they can be  better .


CHALLENGE : During my stint as an experiential designer at a leading retail brand , I was assigned a project whose aim was to increase business of the brand through better customer experience . The customer segment that was to be targeted was that of Elderly Citizens . It had come to the attention of the team through business data that elderly citizens form a large portion of loyal customers of the brand . Therefore , with an intention of securing this customer segment and further strengthening it , we started working towards making the brand an age inclusive . We wanted to achieve this not by a marketing but through actual designs that will make a difference . SELECTION : Since the retail brand has an established image of value for money prices and inclusive nature , the initial phase of the project aimed at understanding the brand and its services it offered . Since a variety of tangible and intangible factors were to be dealt with while understanding the customer segment , I chose the Mind Mapping tool that would help me understand the various facets of the personalities of elderly customers . Various services were developed through brainstorming sessions and continuous inputs from the people in the team . With further advancement in the process and research , Learning Launch tool was applied to cross check the feasibility of strategies further developed . APPLICATION • The project initially started off by understanding the brand and its services and continued with a detailed study of various services exclusively designed for senior citizens to understand my customer segment • With further advancement , I used the Mind Mapping tool to uncover the various aspects of elderly customers and their personalities . These aspects ranged from tangible things like physical impairments and mobilities to intangible aspects like emotional changes and psychology and understanding of the demographics • The demographics , shopping patterns and habits were observed and studied to understand the influences in their shopping behavior by various questionnaires , observations and surveys . • By using all the information gathered through various means , Mind Mapping was done to understand various patterns and relations between different aspects • Given the vast scope of the project , more than one tool was used to evaluate options and come to conclusions . In addition to mind mapping , Learning Launch technique was also applied to validate the feasibility and dependency of upcoming strategies • To conclude on deciding which tools to use , primary and secondary research had to be done to evaluate what tools were to be us . Through mind mapping we had a thorough study of various physical ailments and short comings elderly citizens face . So , to tackle these physical problems , collective efforts were made by the team to make the retail outlets age friendly by having anti - skid floorings and obstacle free aisles . Comfortable surroundings with calmer music and lesser announcements that usually startle them . For having an empathetic approach and relation between customer and staff , a staff sensitization program was organized . This helped in training the staff and helping them being empathetic rather than just showing sympathy and pity towards elderly citizens . While using the mind mapping tool we made efforts to deep dive into the social problems of elderly people and how things start changing once they age . We came up with a few activities and initiatives that would help them be social and independent to some extent . To test the feasibility and response of one of the activities , we used the Learning Launch technique to experiment and record their response towards the same . The intention was to see how receptive and willing are the elderly customers to participate in activities arranged for them . Through the tool we came to know that elderly customers are more willing to participate when the activities and events are related to health and fitness . INSIGHT By applying the mind mapping tool , I got to explore various factors which were not known to and by exploring more it helped me overcome various pre - conceived notions of the customer base . It shed light on various biases that people have towards this customer base . It helped me understand the at most of the times emotional and physical factors go hand in hand . As I progressed with the project , I had a clear idea of the various needs and problems of elderly customers in retail spaces and how systematically we might be able to give them a better . By implementing he strategies and proposals , the problems of senior customers in the store will reduce and in turn have and increased footfall and better business for the brand . APPROACH By adapting the mind mapping tool , I understood what are the various things that affect day - to - day lifestyle of senior citizens and by the help of learning launch I could understand what exactly are they interested in and what they look forward to . Given that brainstorming and mind mapping are frequently used tools while designing services that support the research , application of Learning Launch tools in iterations to test the validity and reception of the tools is also necessary and will help avoid larger problem later . Through learning Launch it came to my notice that it not only helps you understand the feasibility and validity , but also the impact the services have and how they can be better .