1. Visualization is about using images. It’s not about drawing; it’s about visual thinking. It

pushes us beyond using words or language alone. It is a way of unlocking a different part  of our brains that allows us to think nonverbally and that managers might not normally  use.    When you explain an idea using words, the rest of us will form our own mental pictures,  usually informed by our training. When you say, “We need a new growth platform,” the IT  specialist sees servers and code and the marketing guru sees an advertising campaign. If  instead you present your idea to us by drawing a picture of it, you reduce the possibility of  unmatched mental models.

2. Journey mapping (or experience mapping) is an ethnographic research method that

focuses on tracing the customer’s “journey” as he or she interacts with an organization  while in the process of receiving a service, with special attention to emotional highs and  lows. Experience mapping is used with the objective of identifying needs that customers  are often unable to articulate.    It’s done by laying out a hypothetical view of what a certain customer group’s journey  looks like, even the part that doesn’t include your firm. Then conduct pilot interviews with  a small number of customers to be sure you’re accurately capturing the steps. Finally,  identify essential moments of truth and themes from the interviews and identify a number  of dimensions that you believe to be useful in understanding the differences in the data  you have gathered. The purpose is to produce a set of hypotheses for testing.

3. Value chain analysis examines how an organization interacts with value chain partners to

produce, market and distribute new offerings. Analysis of the value chain offers ways to  create better value for customers along the chain and uncovers important clues about  partners’ capabilities and intentions.    Value chain analysis is the business-side equivalent of customer journey mapping. It  begins by working backward from value creation for the ultimate end customer and then  adding the capabilities and bargaining power of other key suppliers.

4. Mind mapping is used to represent how ideas or other items are linked to a central idea

and to each other. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure and classify ideas  to look for patterns and insights that provide key design criteria. We do this by displaying  the data and asking people to cluster them in ways that allow themes and patterns to  emerge. To succeed, mind mapping must be a team sport.    Tap into the power of visualization to communicate the key components of what we have  learned and display them as clearly and simply as possible. Create posters that capture key  themes and trends in the data, then invite a group of thoughtful people to tour the visual  data and note any learnings that they believe should inform new ideas, then cluster those  learnings into themes. Look for connections between clusters and insights. Pose the  question, “Based on what we have learned, if anything were possible, what attributes  would our design have?”

5. Rapid concept development assists us in generating hypotheses about potential new

business opportunities.    In the first stage, we take the design criteria, the customer personas and their pain points  and the value chain insights we have unearthed in our research and use all of it to generate  new ideas — lots of them. In the second stage, we assemble the ideas into a manageable  number of interesting concepts. Finally, in stage three, we elaborate on the business  design behind that handful of concepts. We want to generate ideas quickly and get them  out to customers to have a look at them as soon as possible.


1 . Visualization is about using images . It ’s not about drawing ; it ’s about visual thinking . It pushes us beyond using words or language alone . It is a way of unlocking a different part of our brains that allows us to think nonverbally and that managers might not normally use . When you explain an idea using words , the rest of us will form our own mental pictures , usually informed by our training . When you say , “ We need a new growth platform , ” the IT specialist sees servers and code and the marketing guru sees an advertising campaign . If instead you present your idea to us by drawing a picture of it , you reduce the possibility of unmatched mental models . 2 . Journey mapping ( or experience mapping ) is an ethnographic research method that focuses on tracing the customer ’s “ journey ” as he or she interacts with an organization while in the process of receiving a service , with special attention to emotional highs and lows . Experience mapping is used with the objective of identifying needs that customers are often unable to articulate . It ’s done by laying out a hypothetical view of what a certain customer group ’s journey looks like , even the part that does n’t include your firm . Then conduct pilot interviews with a small number of customers to be sure you ’re accurately capturing the steps . Finally , identify essential moments of truth and themes from the interviews and identify a number of dimensions that you believe to be useful in understanding the differences in the data you have gathered . The purpose is to produce a set of hypotheses for testing . 3 . Value chain analysis examines how an organization interacts with value chain partners to produce , market and distribute new offerings . Analysis of the value chain offers ways to create better value for customers along the chain and uncovers important clues about partners ’ capabilities and intentions . Value chain analysis is the business - side equivalent of customer journey mapping . It begins by working backward from value creation for the ultimate end customer and then adding the capabilities and bargaining power of other key suppliers . 4 . Mind mapping is used to represent how ideas or other items are linked to a central idea and to each other . Mind maps are used to generate , visualize , structure and classify ideas to look for patterns and insights that provide key design criteria . We do this by displaying the data and asking people to cluster them in ways that allow themes and patterns to emerge . To succeed , mind mapping must be a team sport . Tap into the power of visualization to communicate the key components of what we have learned and display them as clearly and simply as possible . Create posters that capture key themes and trends in the data , then invite a group of thoughtful people to tour the visual data and note any learnings that they believe should inform new ideas , then cluster those learnings into themes . Look for connections between clusters and insights . Pose the question , “ Based on what we have learned , if anything were possible , what attributes would our design have ? ” 5 . Rapid concept development assists us in generating hypotheses about potential new business opportunities . In the first stage , we take the design criteria , the customer personas and their pain points and the value chain insights we have unearthed in our research and use all of it to generate new ideas — lots of them . In the second stage , we assemble the ideas into a manageable number of interesting concepts . Finally , in stage three , we elaborate on the business design behind that handful of concepts . We want to generate ideas quickly and get them out to customers to have a look at them as soon as possible .