Reflection – Learning Launch – Creative agency challenge

Challenge & Selection

I work in an advertising agency and I often have to do an activation for a brand that wants to create awareness and  retention on the market towards consumers.

In my specific case, we had to create, for a famous brand of sparkling drinks, an installation to show to the public  during the design week in Milan. The brand wanted to launch a light product on the market and the goal was to  connect this lightness to the world of design. The project was very complex, since we had no way to make  attempts and tests during the weeks before the event.  This installation was, in a nutshell, the creation of a new  place where consumers could discuss design issues while drinking this new drink. All in a "lightness" environment.

The project had to be created in four days and the installation had to be ready to be installed in an urban context  for a week. In the agency we were a lot of creative people focused on the project and there were a lot of ideas.  The client, on the other hand, had already had the opportunity to try a similar idea created, the year before, by  another agency, but this idea was very generic and had little impact on customer.

Our team had never used design thinking tools, so I decided to propose the use of the learning launch, even  though we had to create the new lightweight design concept and we had to create a prototype of the installation  in a different place from the final event.

It was seen as a very challenging idea but everyone accepted. As is well known, the learning launch allows to test  key customer, execution and defensibility assumptions, following a simple process: finding an idea that can solve a  specific need of a defined person, that causes pain and must be solved. This approach allows to verify if the idea  meets the need in the best way compared to competitors.

The challenge, in this case, concerned two aspects: to make the concept of "design in lightness" without making  the concept simplistic, and how to graphically develop the installation.

Application

For our first learning launch, we focused on the concept of lightness applied to design. Starting from our  target group, people of a certain age worried about not always feeling up to it and wanting a simpler  life, we hypothesized that the basic idea could be: don't take yourself too seriously. Surely this allowed  these people to feel less guilty, living life more lightly. To avoid the classic phenomenon of confirmation  bias, we found everything that could refute this idea, but from the data collected we had confirmation  that this would have been the right choice. The target in fact was not young and energetic, able to be  flexible and not inclined to obey social laws, but a mature target who feels very strong the weight of  responsibility.

We decided to set up our working group with people from different backgrounds, with two people  (Kate and Daniel) sceptical and not very optimistic about the project. This allowed us to refine the idea  more and more. We took a very large pool of consumers (women, 40-50 years old, Italy) and this  allowed us to be accurate both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Given our main assumption we had the confirmation that our people do not want to take themselves  too seriously, and want to live life not up to expectations but up to their own desires. This idea was  scalable and declinable in many aspects, such as design. The idea that would have led to this connection  between these two distant worlds would have been the “mix and match”. So we tested this idea by

taking a pool of consumers (50 people) as a target and, in a one-day workshop, we had them apply the  idea of mix and match to the table, to home furnishings, to clothing. At the end of the test we asked:  how much lighter do you think design is if you don't take yourself too seriously? The feedback and  ratings were all very high.

So we decided to make the second learning launch, proposing an installation for the design week: two  designers who in real time are inside a glass box creating a mix and match place (like a mise en place or  a home environment). We asked the same question at the end of the experiment. And we realized we  were on the right track.

Insight & Approach

By applying the learning launch tool, our team was able to test creative assumptions that would  otherwise only remain generic. We managed not to focus on an individual idea through collaboration.  We avoided giving much value to our idea just because it was our idea. We clearly had the costs and  time frame in mind, and we could have made a mistake without wasting so much time and money. We  understood the value of anticipating the results, without expecting failure in the creation of the work. A  more agile process led to a more agile, dynamic result.

This approach will certainly be used for other projects conducted by our agency. I am curious how this  tool can also be used to solve problems within the agency. Linked to system architectures or HR system  innovation in general. Since the goal is not to show that you have had a good idea but that you have to  find the truth and it will be the one to confirm or not the assumption, we will have a much more  collaborative environment and focused more on the "journey" than on the "destination-result".


Reflection – Learning Launch – Creative agency challenge Challenge & Selection I work in an advertising agency and I often have to do an activation for a brand that wants to create awareness and retention on the market towards consumers . In my specific case , we had to create , for a famous brand of sparkling drinks , an installation to show to the public during the design week in Milan . The brand wanted to launch a light product on the market and the goal was to connect this lightness to the world of design . The project was very complex , since we had no way to make attempts and tests during the weeks before the event . This installation was , in a nutshell , the creation of a new place where consumers could discuss design issues while drinking this new drink . All in a " lightness " environment . The project had to be created in four days and the installation had to be ready to be installed in an urban context for a week . In the agency we were a lot of creative people focused on the project and there were a lot of ideas . The client , on the other hand , had already had the opportunity to try a similar idea created , the year before , by another agency , but this idea was very generic and had little impact on customer . Our team had never used design thinking tools , so I decided to propose the use of the learning launch , even though we had to create the new lightweight design concept and we had to create a prototype of the installation in a different place from the final event . It was seen as a very challenging idea but everyone accepted . As is well known , the learning launch allows to test key customer , execution and defensibility assumptions , following a simple process : finding an idea that can solve a specific need of a defined person , that causes pain and must be solved . This approach allows to verify if the idea meets the need in the best way compared to competitors . The challenge , in this case , concerned two aspects : to make the concept of " design in lightness " without making the concept simplistic , and how to graphically develop the installation . Application For our first learning launch , we focused on the concept of lightness applied to design . Starting from our target group , people of a certain age worried about not always feeling up to it and wanting a simpler life , we hypothesized that the basic idea could be : do n't take yourself too seriously . Surely this allowed these people to feel less guilty , living life more lightly . To avoid the classic phenomenon of confirmation bias , we found everything that could refute this idea , but from the data collected we had confirmation that this would have been the right choice . The target in fact was not young and energetic , able to be flexible and not inclined to obey social laws , but a mature target who feels very strong the weight of responsibility . We decided to set up our working group with people from different backgrounds , with two people ( Kate and Daniel ) sceptical and not very optimistic about the project . This allowed us to refine the idea more and more . We took a very large pool of consumers ( women , 40 - 50 years old , Italy ) and this allowed us to be accurate both qualitatively and quantitatively . Given our main assumption we had the confirmation that our people do not want to take themselves too seriously , and want to live life not up to expectations but up to their own desires . This idea was scalable and declinable in many aspects , such as design . The idea that would have led to this connection between these two distant worlds would have been the “ mix and match ” . So we tested this idea by taking a pool of consumers ( 50 people ) as a target and , in a one - day workshop , we had them apply the idea of mix and match to the table , to home furnishings , to clothing . At the end of the test we asked : how much lighter do you think design is if you do n't take yourself too seriously ? The feedback and ratings were all very high . So we decided to make the second learning launch , proposing an installation for the design week : two designers who in real time are inside a glass box creating a mix and match place ( like a mise en place or a home environment ) . We asked the same question at the end of the experiment . And we realized we were on the right track . Insight & Approach By applying the learning launch tool , our team was able to test creative assumptions that would otherwise only remain generic . We managed not to focus on an individual idea through collaboration . We avoided giving much value to our idea just because it was our idea . We clearly had the costs and time frame in mind , and we could have made a mistake without wasting so much time and money . We understood the value of anticipating the results , without expecting failure in the creation of the work . A more agile process led to a more agile , dynamic result . This approach will certainly be used for other projects conducted by our agency . I am curious how this tool can also be used to solve problems within the agency . Linked to system architectures or HR system innovation in general . Since the goal is not to show that you have had a good idea but that you have to find the truth and it will be the one to confirm or not the assumption , we will have a much more collaborative environment and focused more on the " journey " than on the " destination - result " .