Assignment: Reflection using Mind Mapping as a design thinking tool

Challenge:

I work as a user experience consultant where I try to make better human experiences. My solutions are  primarily towards digital and interactive applications which have complex and inter-connected  processes. These applications are often at an enterprise level which touch upon various diverse groups  of individuals and teams and each having one or more roles. I would like to talk about such an  assignment that I’m working on currently. It involves designing a consumer marketing platform for a  global publishing organization.

While engaging with the different groups of users, it was evident that the team as a whole is clear that  they need a comprehensive platform but are unable to envision a holistic solution to make it happen.  There is a lot of data that is produced, processed and further refined in the different processes that they  do. Different groups have their own indigenous way of managing their processes which leads to a siloed  approach where more than 60% of the tasks are being done in an offline fashion. Duplication of data,  results in version control and consistency issues leading to errors which in turn lead to business loss.

There is strong need to find common touchpoints, identify the hand-offs and create a standard,  consistent and user-friendly process which provides a better experience.

Selection:

In the session on Mind Mapping in the Module 3, the formal definition is provided as: “Mind mapping is  looking for patterns and insights in a large quantity of data you collected during your exploration of what  is the current reality. The goal is to establish criteria for the what-if idea generation phase. Which comes  next.”

Borrowing on the same, I decided to use Mind Mapping as the tool for applying design thinking to this  problem solving for seeking “what is?”. It was clear that there is a lot of data being handled, a lot of data  points which keep repeating or used with different names. It becomes essential to discover and identify  the key building blocks, different processes associated with them, the intents and their individual  journeys and assimilate them further to refine and arrive at a required solution. Adoption of mind  mapping, will help me to identify the patterns which could help in identifying the common touchpoints  across the different building blocks and how one block is connected to the other. It would also help me  to understand if the output from one could lead to being the input for the other and if yes, how does it  evolve and connect with each other to create the required journey ribbon for this application.

Application:

To start with, I set up initial discussions, with the different groups, separately, to gather different data  points. I asked the groups to share their respective data points and how they define them. I also asked  them identify the core building blocks that they perceive and where their individual processes fit in.  Once I received the various inputs, I invited them to a joint workshop for a mind mapping exercise  through a card-sorting process. Based on the initial assimilation and pre-workshop activity, I provided

indicative names for the different building blocks that would constitute this overall application. I had  also created small post-it notes for each of the data points that the various groups had shared with me.  During this joint session, I requested each of the groups to come to the white board and paste the post- it data points to the closest logical building block they felt it could be associated to. They were free to  add more post-it notes, based on what they found, could have been missed out.

Post this exercise, the groups were surprised to see that they seemed to have same data points but  called them differently. They were also able to see how the different blocks could possibly be connected  and how they could engage better. The below image is one of the rough whiteboarding exercise arrived  at, post the mapping exercise.

It also helped to identify and define the journey across the different stages and the processes and where  the output of one, was leading to be input for the other, as shown below:

The Mind Mapping tool used here, seemed to be effective to a large extent and helped to achieve the  goal of identifying and mapping the similar data points and establishing a high-level relationship  between the various blocks. So it helped to address the “What is?” aspect.

Insight:

The mind mapping tool has been effective to this requirement as it clearly helped to gather the various  datapoints, collate in the required groups, create a relationship and structure within each of the core  blocks. It also helped to easily connect the different dots as it is more creative, more visual, and more  engaging. It’s a great team building exercise too with a very strategic intent which can bring in an  effective solution between siloed groups within the same organization working for a common larger  goal. It helped to identify the required hierarchy of the information and the data within the larger  structure and within the building blocks. It also helped to create the initial framework for the required  information architecture at an application level.

Approach:

While the Mind Mapping tool was useful to achieve some of the goals from “What is?” perspective, we  did run into smaller situations where the different users had different perceptions of how it should flow  from one process to other as each group had a different visual model on it. I feel that one single tool  may not be effective as much as augmenting another tool with the primary one.

Along with Mind Mapping as the primary tool, Visualization, from Module 1, as the secondary tool  would be a great combination for this exercise that I did. Visualization would help to draw the different  flows and then overlap one over the other to show the similarities and synergies between the different  processes. It would also help to build a better visual diagram of the how different roles within these  different processes handle the same data but at different stages of the overall flow. Representing similar  or connected blocks with same colors  would help to identify similar groups of users and how they can  think and work collectively for that piece application and reduce redundant steps or data points. It  would also help to bring in another dimension such as similar roles across the different groups and help  study that pattern as well.


Assignment : Reflection using Mind Mapping as a design thinking tool Challenge : I work as a user experience consultant where I try to make better human experiences . My solutions are primarily towards digital and interactive applications which have complex and inter - connected processes . These applications are often at an enterprise level which touch upon various diverse groups of individuals and teams and each having one or more roles . I would like to talk about such an assignment that I ’m working on currently . It involves designing a consumer marketing platform for a global publishing organization . While engaging with the different groups of users , it was evident that the team as a whole is clear that they need a comprehensive platform but are unable to envision a holistic solution to make it happen . There is a lot of data that is produced , processed and further refined in the different processes that they do . Different groups have their own indigenous way of managing their processes which leads to a siloed approach where more than 60 % of the tasks are being done in an offline fashion . Duplication of data , results in version control and consistency issues leading to errors which in turn lead to business loss . There is strong need to find common touchpoints , identify the hand - offs and create a standard , consistent and user - friendly process which provides a better experience . Selection : In the session on Mind Mapping in the Module 3 , the formal definition is provided as : “ Mind mapping is looking for patterns and insights in a large quantity of data you collected during your exploration of what is the current reality . The goal is to establish criteria for the what - if idea generation phase . Which comes next . ” Borrowing on the same , I decided to use Mind Mapping as the tool for applying design thinking to this problem solving for seeking “ what is ? ” . It was clear that there is a lot of data being handled , a lot of data points which keep repeating or used with different names . It becomes essential to discover and identify the key building blocks , different processes associated with them , the intents and their individual journeys and assimilate them further to refine and arrive at a required solution . Adoption of mind mapping , will help me to identify the patterns which could help in identifying the common touchpoints across the different building blocks and how one block is connected to the other . It would also help me to understand if the output from one could lead to being the input for the other and if yes , how does it evolve and connect with each other to create the required journey ribbon for this application . Application : To start with , I set up initial discussions , with the different groups , separately , to gather different data points . I asked the groups to share their respective data points and how they define them . I also asked them identify the core building blocks that they perceive and where their individual processes fit in . Once I received the various inputs , I invited them to a joint workshop for a mind mapping exercise through a card - sorting process . Based on the initial assimilation and pre - workshop activity , I provided indicative names for the different building blocks that would constitute this overall application . I had also created small post - it notes for each of the data points that the various groups had shared with me . During this joint session , I requested each of the groups to come to the white board and paste the post- it data points to the closest logical building block they felt it could be associated to . They were free to add more post - it notes , based on what they found , could have been missed out . Post this exercise , the groups were surprised to see that they seemed to have same data points but called them differently . They were also able to see how the different blocks could possibly be connected and how they could engage better . The below image is one of the rough whiteboarding exercise arrived at , post the mapping exercise . It also helped to identify and define the journey across the different stages and the processes and where the output of one , was leading to be input for the other , as shown below : The Mind Mapping tool used here , seemed to be effective to a large extent and helped to achieve the goal of identifying and mapping the similar data points and establishing a high - level relationship between the various blocks . So it helped to address the “ What is ? ” aspect . Insight : The mind mapping tool has been effective to this requirement as it clearly helped to gather the various datapoints , collate in the required groups , create a relationship and structure within each of the core blocks . It also helped to easily connect the different dots as it is more creative , more visual , and more engaging . It ’s a great team building exercise too with a very strategic intent which can bring in an effective solution between siloed groups within the same organization working for a common larger goal . It helped to identify the required hierarchy of the information and the data within the larger structure and within the building blocks . It also helped to create the initial framework for the required information architecture at an application level . Approach : While the Mind Mapping tool was useful to achieve some of the goals from “ What is ? ” perspective , we did run into smaller situations where the different users had different perceptions of how it should flow from one process to other as each group had a different visual model on it . I feel that one single tool may not be effective as much as augmenting another tool with the primary one . Along with Mind Mapping as the primary tool , Visualization , from Module 1 , as the secondary tool would be a great combination for this exercise that I did . Visualization would help to draw the different flows and then overlap one over the other to show the similarities and synergies between the different processes . It would also help to build a better visual diagram of the how different roles within these different processes handle the same data but at different stages of the overall flow . Representing similar or connected blocks with same colors would help to identify similar groups of users and how they can think and work collectively for that piece application and reduce redundant steps or data points . It would also help to bring in another dimension such as similar roles across the different groups and help study that pattern as well .