Maicol Sanchez

January 2017

Design Thinking for Innovation

University of Virginia  Final Course Assignment

Reflection: Learning Launch

Challenge

I have offered support to a start-up company in the food business to take their venture to the next  level. Among all the areas that need to be covered in this process, we have decided to leverage  Design Thinking to take a step back and think again about the overall customer experience when  consuming the company products. The portfolio of products is composed of a set of high-quality  snacks based on Japanese cuisine that is intended to be consumed as quick meals mostly for  people who prioritizes a healthy and lean lifestyle. The challenge we have identified was that some  consumers were not figuring out how to open the meal package correctly, what was creating an  issue on the overall experience to consume the product. This fact would represent a problem in the  growth of the business as they plan the expansion to a more diverse audience for those snacks,

Selection

I have selected Learning Launch for this assignment because it brings a new perspective about how  important it is to avoid confirmation bias of project team members when trying to build real impactful  innovation to the business. Also, to test the concept of learning cycles to test assumptions in fast  and cheap ways, understanding that failures are also opportunities to get insights for the business.

I have been working for the last 15 years in leadership roles in the IT industry, and I have used  different methodologies to keep evolving my operation, most of them associated on shaping  behaviors of internal teams during innovation and planning cycles, using tools like Six Thinking Hats,  Instinctive Drives System and Future Based Planning. It was interesting to realize that most of these  tools have a strong focus on the ways internal teams build plans. Learning Launches bring a  different perspective to the planning process, focusing on collecting consumer experience. I believe  it is more compatible with the speed of business changes we are living today.

Application

Based on the initial analysis the project team identified that some customers were having problems  opening the snack. As they were supposed to eat the meal with their bare hands, that was causing  them to compromise the experience of tasting a high-quality and healthy food. The snack uses a  plastic package which has printed on it the steps of how open it. Even so, there were consumers  who were not opening correctly. The assumption from the team was that the instructions in the  package should be better highlighted, so the consumers would more easily see that they should  follow the quick three steps to open it.  Also, there was an understanding that a video would help this  process.

A Learning Launch was planned to test a set of package prototypes using the red color to highlight  each of the steps that should be followed in sequence 1-2-3. Another prototype was to create a very  basic video recorded in an iPhone explaining how to open the package. Those products are sold at a  very fast pace, so there is no time for an attendant to go one by one to teach the user how to open it.

Maicol Sanchez

January 2017

After building these two prototypes, the team went to a nearby community and offered the snacks  with the new package and the video. We have tested one group just with the new package and  another one with that and the video. Different age groups were covered as well. The goal was to test  the assumptions in a fast and cheap way so we could understand if the changes would have an  impact on the customer experience. The snack itself had not changed, it was just the packaging and  the exposure to the video. They have effectively run the launch and figured out that the new  packaging helped but still didn’t produced consistent results to all the consumers tested. The video  though produced better results. With those conclusions, a new set of adjustments on the package  will be made, and an new version of the video is being built for the next round of learning launch.

Insight

The main insights we got from applying the learning launch were that assumptions need to be  validated with the target audience and that the consumers, in general, are very open and willing to  provide feedback when you engage with them properly. Initially, there was a strong belief in the  project team that small changes in the package would produce significant results and that has not  been confirmed in the learning launch. If a change in the production of the package had been  ordered based on this assumption, there would be a significant waste of money for minimal or no  impact.

Once you see how it is useful and fast to implement a learning launch, it is difficult to go back to  previous mindset about how to understand the dynamics of the customer interactions. An empathy- based approach, focused on fast interactions seems to be the best option for solving these types of  challenges.

Approach

Learning Launch tool proved to be very useful to validate assumptions, even when they were built  after initial observations and customer feedbacks. It is a process that this business will incorporate in  their day-to-day operations, as there is always room for improvement on the customer experience  and new finding will come along the way. One thing in the process that will be enhanced in the next  rounds is to be sure we give enough time for the user to test the whole experience before asking the  feedbacks. In the initial interactions, they have tried to collect the feedback while the customers were  opening the package and it was overwhelming for some of them. So, they got some additional  learnings about how to conduct the experience in the next cycles. Overall was a good a tool to  leverage and I believe it will continue to produce good outcomes for the business.

References

  Instinctive Drive System: “Natural Born Success: Discover the Instinctive Drives that Make You  Tick!”, Paul Burgess

  Six Thinking Hats: “Six Thinking Hats”, Edward de Bono


Maicol Sanchez January 2017 Design Thinking for Innovation University of Virginia Final Course Assignment Reflection : Learning Launch Challenge I have offered support to a start - up company in the food business to take their venture to the next level . Among all the areas that need to be covered in this process , we have decided to leverage Design Thinking to take a step back and think again about the overall customer experience when consuming the company products . The portfolio of products is composed of a set of high - quality snacks based on Japanese cuisine that is intended to be consumed as quick meals mostly for people who prioritizes a healthy and lean lifestyle . The challenge we have identified was that some consumers were not figuring out how to open the meal package correctly , what was creating an issue on the overall experience to consume the product . This fact would represent a problem in the growth of the business as they plan the expansion to a more diverse audience for those snacks , Selection I have selected Learning Launch for this assignment because it brings a new perspective about how important it is to avoid confirmation bias of project team members when trying to build real impactful innovation to the business . Also , to test the concept of learning cycles to test assumptions in fast and cheap ways , understanding that failures are also opportunities to get insights for the business . I have been working for the last 15 years in leadership roles in the IT industry , and I have used different methodologies to keep evolving my operation , most of them associated on shaping behaviors of internal teams during innovation and planning cycles , using tools like Six Thinking Hats , Instinctive Drives System and Future Based Planning . It was interesting to realize that most of these tools have a strong focus on the ways internal teams build plans . Learning Launches bring a different perspective to the planning process , focusing on collecting consumer experience . I believe it is more compatible with the speed of business changes we are living today . Application Based on the initial analysis the project team identified that some customers were having problems opening the snack . As they were supposed to eat the meal with their bare hands , that was causing them to compromise the experience of tasting a high - quality and healthy food . The snack uses a plastic package which has printed on it the steps of how open it . Even so , there were consumers who were not opening correctly . The assumption from the team was that the instructions in the package should be better highlighted , so the consumers would more easily see that they should follow the quick three steps to open it . Also , there was an understanding that a video would help this process . A Learning Launch was planned to test a set of package prototypes using the red color to highlight each of the steps that should be followed in sequence 1 - 2 - 3 . Another prototype was to create a very basic video recorded in an iPhone explaining how to open the package . Those products are sold at a very fast pace , so there is no time for an attendant to go one by one to teach the user how to open it . Maicol Sanchez January 2017 After building these two prototypes , the team went to a nearby community and offered the snacks with the new package and the video . We have tested one group just with the new package and another one with that and the video . Different age groups were covered as well . The goal was to test the assumptions in a fast and cheap way so we could understand if the changes would have an impact on the customer experience . The snack itself had not changed , it was just the packaging and the exposure to the video . They have effectively run the launch and figured out that the new packaging helped but still did n’t produced consistent results to all the consumers tested . The video though produced better results . With those conclusions , a new set of adjustments on the package will be made , and an new version of the video is being built for the next round of learning launch . Insight The main insights we got from applying the learning launch were that assumptions need to be validated with the target audience and that the consumers , in general , are very open and willing to provide feedback when you engage with them properly . Initially , there was a strong belief in the project team that small changes in the package would produce significant results and that has not been confirmed in the learning launch . If a change in the production of the package had been ordered based on this assumption , there would be a significant waste of money for minimal or no impact . Once you see how it is useful and fast to implement a learning launch , it is difficult to go back to previous mindset about how to understand the dynamics of the customer interactions . An empathy- based approach , focused on fast interactions seems to be the best option for solving these types of challenges . Approach Learning Launch tool proved to be very useful to validate assumptions , even when they were built after initial observations and customer feedbacks . It is a process that this business will incorporate in their day - to - day operations , as there is always room for improvement on the customer experience and new finding will come along the way . One thing in the process that will be enhanced in the next rounds is to be sure we give enough time for the user to test the whole experience before asking the feedbacks . In the initial interactions , they have tried to collect the feedback while the customers were opening the package and it was overwhelming for some of them . So , they got some additional learnings about how to conduct the experience in the next cycles . Overall was a good a tool to leverage and I believe it will continue to produce good outcomes for the business . References  Instinctive Drive System : “ Natural Born Success : Discover the Instinctive Drives that Make You Tick ! ” , Paul Burgess  Six Thinking Hats : “ Six Thinking Hats ” , Edward de Bono