Example Reflection – Visualization

Challenge

I am in the Promotion and Marketing Department of a pharmaceutical company and I worked on  medications since I joined their team several years ago. Lately, they had a new product a lot different than  the ones we used to promote, it is a collagen supplement. And they asked me to put and elaborate a  Marketing plan to launch it. I believe we are now in uncertain circumstances and we need to elaborate an  innovative action plan different than the ones we previously followed. Hence, I thought to join the team and  make it a group work in order for everyone to share their ideas.

Selection

Our team is facing a new and different setting so we need to find a different way to put our action plan by  using our imagination. We need to develop a detailed and clear picture of the current situation in the  market. I believe a lot in visual thinking that’s why the first tool I used is Visualization in order to trigger our  creativity and to organize our potential useful ideas using different shapes and colours. And most  importantly, visualization will help us to develop a unified comprehension of our current situation and a clear  identification of our customers that will lead us to put a detailed and specific plan.

Application

After receiving the product training, everyone knew that there are 2 indications for our product:   1) Skin aging          &            2) Joint pain.   So I started by asking them the first question “Who are our customers?” and I began writing or sketching on  the white board their answers. Then, I have put a circle around all points that are related to skin aging and a  square around all points related to joint pain. Hence, we agreed that we have 2 types of customers that are  completely different. I, then, drew 2 big circles one in blue representing the customer for skin aging and one  in red representing the customer for joint pain. In each circle I gathered all the criteria related to this  customer such as the below. We also noticed that in the intersection of the 2 circles there is a small category  of customers mid-age women with early joint pain.

This helped us to visualize the bigger pool of potential customers which is the skin aging category, so we have  to double our efforts here.

Joint Pain

1.Elderly  2.Male + Female  3.For Pain  4.Poly-medicated an Price issue  5.Not familiar with collagen  6.Based only on prescriptions  7.Consults only Orthopaedists  8.Used to medications, doesn’t trust

supplements

9.Get it from pharmacies only

Skin Aging

1.Young Age  2.Female  3.For Beauty  4.No or few chronic medication/no price issue  5.Familiar with collagen for skin  6.Not only based on prescriptions  7.Consults Dermatologists, pharmacists and

beauty specialists

8.Trusts supplements   9.Get it from Pharmacies, Online stores,

Beauty shops

Middle Age women with

early arthritis

Etc.

Etc.

First Category  Second Category

Then we moved to the second question “How does the process goes in each category from the customer to  the purchase of the product?”. For this section I have created a unified diagram to be used for all types of  clients, they just need to fill the shapes or add sticky notes on them. I thought that if we follow the same  approach we will have a unified, clear elaborated picture in our heads that will help us to position any of our  ideas more easily. The diagram starts with the client who goes to the first level of influence or reference that  will refer him/her to the second level of influence or the purchase location.

For the first category, the only first level of influence is the doctor orthopaedist who will prescribe the  product and will send the patient to the pharmacy to get it. As per the second level in this category, it will be  the pharmacist who will advise the patient to be compliant to the full treatment period.

Whereas for the second category, the case is much different. There are several first level of influence, such as  the dermatologists, the friend’s previous experience with the product, the social media adds or influencers,  the pharmacist or the beauty consultants. And the second level in most of these cases is the purchase  location which is also different, it could be not only the pharmacy but also the beauty shop or the para- pharmaceutical online stores.

The third question was “At what level we should target our effort and budget to influence the customer’s  decision to get our product? And How?”. I also decided to visualize this point on the same previous diagrams  but with a different colour and shape. Then I divided our team into 4 groups and each group will work on one  of the below categories:

1. Handling the diagram of joint pain with the orthopaedists and pharmacists   2. Handling the diagram of the skin aging with the dermatologists and pharmacists   3. Handling the diagram of the skin aging with the social media influencers and online stores  4. Handling the diagram of the skin aging with the beauty consultants and the beauty shops

Then each group presented what they prepared and other team members shared their reflection and ideas  and we discussed it all together in order to fine-tune our final diagrams.

And finally after reaching the final diagrams with the different types of customers, the different level of  influence and the points that we should tackle, we were able to put one clear and specific action plan for  each of the previously mentioned 4 categories separately.

Insights

What I have learned from this experience is that visualization is a very important tool in design thinking  especially in an unstable or uncertain environment that we are not used to. It helped us to start by thinking  in a non-verbal way, to organize our ideas and to trigger some parts of our thinking and creativity. And most  importantly it helped us to ensure that all our team members are aligned and have a clear and complete  picture of the current market situation. When we all work on the same diagram we can easily understand  other’s point of view and even faster. It also makes it easier to position any idea or reflection while each one  is sharing his/her perspectives.

Approach

When each of the 4 groups worked on its diagram separately, each one changed it and added shapes to  answer their needs and to show their ideas in the way they find it more suitable. Even though the skeleton of  the diagram was the same but each group found a different way to adjust it according to their perspectives  and we tried at the end to agree on a unified template presenting all ideas clearly. So next time, I will surely  start with the visualization but when it comes to the template diagram creation I won’t do it ahead of time  alone, instead I am thinking about creating it all of us together in order to start with the most suitable  graphic that helps everyone in visualizing their ideas.


Example Reflection – Visualization Challenge I am in the Promotion and Marketing Department of a pharmaceutical company and I worked on medications since I joined their team several years ago . Lately , they had a new product a lot different than the ones we used to promote , it is a collagen supplement . And they asked me to put and elaborate a Marketing plan to launch it . I believe we are now in uncertain circumstances and we need to elaborate an innovative action plan different than the ones we previously followed . Hence , I thought to join the team and make it a group work in order for everyone to share their ideas . Selection Our team is facing a new and different setting so we need to find a different way to put our action plan by using our imagination . We need to develop a detailed and clear picture of the current situation in the market . I believe a lot in visual thinking that ’s why the first tool I used is Visualization in order to trigger our creativity and to organize our potential useful ideas using different shapes and colours . And most importantly , visualization will help us to develop a unified comprehension of our current situation and a clear identification of our customers that will lead us to put a detailed and specific plan . Application After receiving the product training , everyone knew that there are 2 indications for our product : 1 ) Skin aging & 2 ) Joint pain . So I started by asking them the first question “ Who are our customers ? ” and I began writing or sketching on the white board their answers . Then , I have put a circle around all points that are related to skin aging and a square around all points related to joint pain . Hence , we agreed that we have 2 types of customers that are completely different . I , then , drew 2 big circles one in blue representing the customer for skin aging and one in red representing the customer for joint pain . In each circle I gathered all the criteria related to this customer such as the below . We also noticed that in the intersection of the 2 circles there is a small category of customers mid - age women with early joint pain . This helped us to visualize the bigger pool of potential customers which is the skin aging category , so we have to double our efforts here . Joint Pain 1.Elderly 2.Male + Female 3.For Pain 4.Poly - medicated an Price issue 5.Not familiar with collagen 6.Based only on prescriptions 7.Consults only Orthopaedists 8.Used to medications , does n’t trust supplements 9.Get it from pharmacies only Skin Aging 1.Young Age 2.Female 3.For Beauty 4.No or few chronic medication / no price issue 5.Familiar with collagen for skin 6.Not only based on prescriptions 7.Consults Dermatologists , pharmacists and beauty specialists 8.Trusts supplements 9.Get it from Pharmacies , Online stores , Beauty shops Middle Age women with early arthritis Etc . Etc . First Category Second Category Then we moved to the second question “ How does the process goes in each category from the customer to the purchase of the product ? ” . For this section I have created a unified diagram to be used for all types of clients , they just need to fill the shapes or add sticky notes on them . I thought that if we follow the same approach we will have a unified , clear elaborated picture in our heads that will help us to position any of our ideas more easily . The diagram starts with the client who goes to the first level of influence or reference that will refer him / her to the second level of influence or the purchase location . For the first category , the only first level of influence is the doctor orthopaedist who will prescribe the product and will send the patient to the pharmacy to get it . As per the second level in this category , it will be the pharmacist who will advise the patient to be compliant to the full treatment period . Whereas for the second category , the case is much different . There are several first level of influence , such as the dermatologists , the friend ’s previous experience with the product , the social media adds or influencers , the pharmacist or the beauty consultants . And the second level in most of these cases is the purchase location which is also different , it could be not only the pharmacy but also the beauty shop or the para- pharmaceutical online stores . The third question was “ At what level we should target our effort and budget to influence the customer ’s decision to get our product ? And How ? ” . I also decided to visualize this point on the same previous diagrams but with a different colour and shape . Then I divided our team into 4 groups and each group will work on one of the below categories : 1 . Handling the diagram of joint pain with the orthopaedists and pharmacists 2 . Handling the diagram of the skin aging with the dermatologists and pharmacists 3 . Handling the diagram of the skin aging with the social media influencers and online stores 4 . Handling the diagram of the skin aging with the beauty consultants and the beauty shops Then each group presented what they prepared and other team members shared their reflection and ideas and we discussed it all together in order to fine - tune our final diagrams . And finally after reaching the final diagrams with the different types of customers , the different level of influence and the points that we should tackle , we were able to put one clear and specific action plan for each of the previously mentioned 4 categories separately . Insights What I have learned from this experience is that visualization is a very important tool in design thinking especially in an unstable or uncertain environment that we are not used to . It helped us to start by thinking in a non - verbal way , to organize our ideas and to trigger some parts of our thinking and creativity . And most importantly it helped us to ensure that all our team members are aligned and have a clear and complete picture of the current market situation . When we all work on the same diagram we can easily understand other ’s point of view and even faster . It also makes it easier to position any idea or reflection while each one is sharing his / her perspectives . Approach When each of the 4 groups worked on its diagram separately , each one changed it and added shapes to answer their needs and to show their ideas in the way they find it more suitable . Even though the skeleton of the diagram was the same but each group found a different way to adjust it according to their perspectives and we tried at the end to agree on a unified template presenting all ideas clearly . So next time , I will surely start with the visualization but when it comes to the template diagram creation I wo n’t do it ahead of time alone , instead I am thinking about creating it all of us together in order to start with the most suitable graphic that helps everyone in visualizing their ideas .