Visualization for Innovation in Business and Life

Challenge and Selection    I’ve successfully used visualization broadly, and projective techniques specifically, as an  exploration and insight generation tool (and, as it turns out, a design tool) in both business and  life.  There are two challenges that stand out in my mind, one professional and one personal,  that I’d like to share with you.    As a brand strategy consultant, I was working on a project for a large medical device  organization that wanted to update their brand identity – what they aim to stand for in  people’s minds – which would be the foundation for not just their marketing messaging, but  also how people experience them.  The challenge I faced was finding a way to generate real  insights into customers’ perceptions about them, their competitors, and the pain points they  faced along their customer journey.  I needed to identify new opportunities – a white space –  for this company to own as a brand that would set them apart, which required uncovering  peoples’ deeper perceptions and feelings.    At the same time, from a personal perspective, I was feeling a bit stuck.  I felt like I wasn’t  achieving my life goals across numerous areas, and I needed to find a way to pull out key  insights (my own deeper thoughts and feelings) that would help me better define what it was I  really wanted, so I could map out how to get there.  Because, as Yogi Berra has famously said…  if you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.    I selected the use of visualization – and more specifically, visual projective techniques – to assist  me with both of these challenges, because it seemed like a really good way of helping people  express what they think, and how they feel.  If you just ask someone to tell you what they think  of something, they may struggle to come up with an answer.  Sometimes it takes a catalyst like  visual stimuli to uncover how a person feels or thinks.  Even if that person is you.     Application    For the brand strategy project, I had planned a series of focus groups with customers and  potential customers.  This research was intended to provide myself and my team with critical  inputs that would serve as a guide to finding brand opportunities for our client. We decided to  use a visualization technique during the research, taking a similar approach to the exercise that  MeYouHealth asked their interviewees to do – create a collage.    Instead of just asking them questions, we had placed stacks of magazines – of all types and  genres – on the table.  We then asked each person to take time to find images that represented  two things.  First, how they felt and what they experienced as part of their journey with their  disease state overall, and using the product specifically.  And second, what they thought of and  felt about my client’s brand.  They were given time to find the images and create those two  collages, then were asked to explain why they chose what they did for each collage to the larger

group.  The insights and findings we got from those sessions were invaluable.  They provided a  lens into the target’s pain points, needs and expectations – which would have been very  challenging to uncover by just asking questions alone.     I was inspired by the success of this technique, and decided to try using it to help me get out of  my personal rut.  I happen to be a voracious reader of magazines, and had a huge stack of them  at home.  So one Saturday, I devoted the entire day to doing something similar to the exercise  we used in the brand focus group.  I went through every single magazine and pulled out any  images that resonated with me and inspired me.  Essentially, I cut out only images that really  spoke to me in some way.  I didn’t think about each image too much, and didn’t judge or  evaluate it as I pulled each one out.  I just kept ripping out pages, and putting them in a pile.  At  the end of that exercise, I then looked at all of the images and grouped them into themes.  I  ended up having some very clear themes that emerged across areas like relationships, lifestyle,  health, work, money, etc.  And I gathered them into chapters into my ‘vision book’ – my take on  a vision board, but in a format that worked better for me.  Seeing each area, chapter and  theme, it became very clear to me what the life I wanted looked like.    Insight and Approach    This design tool worked incredibly well for me, in both cases.  For the brand strategy project, it  opened up some really important insights that we were able to use to identify a key white  space for our client to own.  That is, we uncovered an area of great customer need and brand  expectation that our client was uniquely able to fill, and that was not currently being provided  or ‘owned’ by any of their competitors.  We used this as the foundation to build a brand  identity and positioning that helped them elevate their marketing and accelerate their business.    And for my personal project, the vision book exercise was also a resounding success.  Having a  visual map of my goals allowed me to be very clear about my intentions and the choices I was  making.  I wanted to be in a job role that allowed me to work remotely.  I also wanted to be in a  committed relationship, surrounded by family and fun.  And I wanted to have a healthy, active,  social lifestyle.  Dogs kept creeping into the pictures in my vision book too.  And yes… within  just a few months, I met the man that would become my husband, and I subsequently became  a step-mom of four great kids (now teenagers/young adults), a dog-mom of two awesome fur- brothers, a happy homeowner, and a successful remote marketing executive for many years  now.  There are still goals and areas that could use some work, but that probably just means  that it’s time for another visualization exercise.    I’ve used many exercises and approaches over the years to try and achieve similar goals,  including direct interview questions and journaling.  I’ve even used a pretty interesting word  association technique where you mention something (a word or phrase, or even a brand name)  then ask people to immediately respond with the top three words that come to mind.  I’m sure  there are other techniques and approaches that can be used as stimuli for people to respond  to.  But I would still use the visualization technique as my preferred approach to exploration

and understanding – because imagery can help to tap into emotions and thoughts that can be  difficult to express otherwise.


Visualization for Innovation in Business and Life Challenge and Selection I ’ve successfully used visualization broadly , and projective techniques specifically , as an exploration and insight generation tool ( and , as it turns out , a design tool ) in both business and life . There are two challenges that stand out in my mind , one professional and one personal , that I ’d like to share with you . As a brand strategy consultant , I was working on a project for a large medical device organization that wanted to update their brand identity – what they aim to stand for in people ’s minds – which would be the foundation for not just their marketing messaging , but also how people experience them . The challenge I faced was finding a way to generate real insights into customers ’ perceptions about them , their competitors , and the pain points they faced along their customer journey . I needed to identify new opportunities – a white space – for this company to own as a brand that would set them apart , which required uncovering peoples ’ deeper perceptions and feelings . At the same time , from a personal perspective , I was feeling a bit stuck . I felt like I was n’t achieving my life goals across numerous areas , and I needed to find a way to pull out key insights ( my own deeper thoughts and feelings ) that would help me better define what it was I really wanted , so I could map out how to get there . Because , as Yogi Berra has famously said … if you do n't know where you are going , you might wind up someplace else . I selected the use of visualization – and more specifically , visual projective techniques – to assist me with both of these challenges , because it seemed like a really good way of helping people express what they think , and how they feel . If you just ask someone to tell you what they think of something , they may struggle to come up with an answer . Sometimes it takes a catalyst like visual stimuli to uncover how a person feels or thinks . Even if that person is you . Application For the brand strategy project , I had planned a series of focus groups with customers and potential customers . This research was intended to provide myself and my team with critical inputs that would serve as a guide to finding brand opportunities for our client . We decided to use a visualization technique during the research , taking a similar approach to the exercise that MeYouHealth asked their interviewees to do – create a collage . Instead of just asking them questions , we had placed stacks of magazines – of all types and genres – on the table . We then asked each person to take time to find images that represented two things . First , how they felt and what they experienced as part of their journey with their disease state overall , and using the product specifically . And second , what they thought of and felt about my client ’s brand . They were given time to find the images and create those two collages , then were asked to explain why they chose what they did for each collage to the larger group . The insights and findings we got from those sessions were invaluable . They provided a lens into the target ’s pain points , needs and expectations – which would have been very challenging to uncover by just asking questions alone . I was inspired by the success of this technique , and decided to try using it to help me get out of my personal rut . I happen to be a voracious reader of magazines , and had a huge stack of them at home . So one Saturday , I devoted the entire day to doing something similar to the exercise we used in the brand focus group . I went through every single magazine and pulled out any images that resonated with me and inspired me . Essentially , I cut out only images that really spoke to me in some way . I did n’t think about each image too much , and did n’t judge or evaluate it as I pulled each one out . I just kept ripping out pages , and putting them in a pile . At the end of that exercise , I then looked at all of the images and grouped them into themes . I ended up having some very clear themes that emerged across areas like relationships , lifestyle , health , work , money , etc . And I gathered them into chapters into my ‘ vision book ’ – my take on a vision board , but in a format that worked better for me . Seeing each area , chapter and theme , it became very clear to me what the life I wanted looked like . Insight and Approach This design tool worked incredibly well for me , in both cases . For the brand strategy project , it opened up some really important insights that we were able to use to identify a key white space for our client to own . That is , we uncovered an area of great customer need and brand expectation that our client was uniquely able to fill , and that was not currently being provided or ‘ owned ’ by any of their competitors . We used this as the foundation to build a brand identity and positioning that helped them elevate their marketing and accelerate their business . And for my personal project , the vision book exercise was also a resounding success . Having a visual map of my goals allowed me to be very clear about my intentions and the choices I was making . I wanted to be in a job role that allowed me to work remotely . I also wanted to be in a committed relationship , surrounded by family and fun . And I wanted to have a healthy , active , social lifestyle . Dogs kept creeping into the pictures in my vision book too . And yes … within just a few months , I met the man that would become my husband , and I subsequently became a step - mom of four great kids ( now teenagers / young adults ) , a dog - mom of two awesome fur- brothers , a happy homeowner , and a successful remote marketing executive for many years now . There are still goals and areas that could use some work , but that probably just means that it ’s time for another visualization exercise . I ’ve used many exercises and approaches over the years to try and achieve similar goals , including direct interview questions and journaling . I ’ve even used a pretty interesting word association technique where you mention something ( a word or phrase , or even a brand name ) then ask people to immediately respond with the top three words that come to mind . I ’m sure there are other techniques and approaches that can be used as stimuli for people to respond to . But I would still use the visualization technique as my preferred approach to exploration and understanding – because imagery can help to tap into emotions and thoughts that can be difficult to express otherwise .