Mind Mapping -tool

1. Challenge: My team is developing e-book-service. The challenge we are trying to solve is if  it should be monthly-fee-based library where you can read as many books you want by  monthly subscription or single payment based book-shop where you buy books on single  payment as in the physical book-store. There is much data on books and reading, but we do  not really know how and why people consume e-books.     2. Selection: So, we start our design thinking process from the part “what is”, which is  examining what already exists. Only after knowing well the current reality, we can move  forward generating ideas in the next phase (‘what if’).

In this first phase we first gather a big amount of data, which we then transform to clear and  understandable insights. This we could do by writing a traditional report with graphs and  percentages. Or we can use more creative Mind Mapping –technique.    Mind Mapping is a good method to find themes and patterns from a bigger amount of data. It  is more creative than just making a traditional desk research with a written report, and it can  help people use creativity and intuition, which help all the process succeed. Darton  Marketing professor Carmen Rodriguez refers in the video lecture to David Kelley (founder of  IDEO) who has stated ‘when I want to do something analytical, I make a list. When I’m trying  to do something creative, I make a mind-map’.    Mind Mapping in Design Thinking means an attempt to understand and represent the minds  of the customers –not those of the professional themselves. This goal is only achieved if  several stakeholders take part in the Mind Mapping –process. Because of that, it is also a  very good method to create a common knowledge of the challenge in the company. And at  the same time it helps create many-sided picture of the challenge. Every person has different  mind and see things differently –so, combining all these different points of view is very  productive. We chose Mind Mapping also because we are working in a fast moving digital  business, where managers do not have time to read big reports with graphs and  percentages. They rather take a look at the data in a compressed form.

3. Application: We first gathered all the existing information on reading habits and books and  e-books, and pre-analyzed them. We found three themes to be analyzed: 1) Why do people  read e-books?, 2) What devices are used when reading e-books, 3) What do we know of  willingness to pay for e-books?

Then we organized a half day workshop on the subject, asking members from several  different teams around the company to participate. We reserved four meeting-rooms; one for  each theme and one for wrap-up. We asked everyone to spend some time in each of the  three theme-rooms, where we had put all the existing information in the walls. People then  spent some time wondering in each room; reading the data, making notes of good stuff in the  sticky-note-papers. After visiting each room, we asked people to gather in the fourth wrap- up-room. There we asked people to share their ideas in the smaller groups. Then each group  presented their notes on each theme, and the sticky-note-papers were attached in the wall  under the themes.

4. Insight: Then, to find deeper insights, we asked the groups to try and find answers to the  question ‘so what’. In this phase we started to find the real insights around our three themes;  1) People read e-books because they are easily carried with, ‘always in the pocket’, and fit  well in the empty moments during the day, 2) The most used device for e-book reading is

mobile phone (because it is always in the pocket), 3) Willingness to pay for e-book is much  lower than for physical book, because e-books do not feel ‘owned’, since they are not shown  in the bookshelf.

In this case, through Mind Mapping –process we understood that to make people buy e- books on single payment, they should somehow get the feeling of ‘owning’ them. Paying for  a book, that after reading remains as bits in computer, irritates people. They were also  scared of somehow losing it in the bit-space. On the other hand, we understood that people  are familiar with the concept of library, where the book is returned after having read it, and  that is something we thought could be utilized in our project. We also found out that e-books  have a great potential in fitting the people’s daily lives. They are always carried with, and  digested in several small moments during the day. E-books seemed to fit well in people’s  daily life..

5. Approach: In this project we found Mind Mapping a very useful tool. So, we would probably  use it again in a similar situation. We also liked very much the feeling people got when  participating our workshop. It was a great way to unify people around the organization and  share knowledge on the subject with different stakeholders dealing with the challenge from  different perspective.


Mind Mapping -tool 1 . Challenge : My team is developing e - book - service . The challenge we are trying to solve is if it should be monthly - fee - based library where you can read as many books you want by monthly subscription or single payment based book - shop where you buy books on single payment as in the physical book - store . There is much data on books and reading , but we do not really know how and why people consume e - books . 2 . Selection : So , we start our design thinking process from the part “ what is ” , which is examining what already exists . Only after knowing well the current reality , we can move forward generating ideas in the next phase ( ‘ what if ’ ) . In this first phase we first gather a big amount of data , which we then transform to clear and understandable insights . This we could do by writing a traditional report with graphs and percentages . Or we can use more creative Mind Mapping – technique . Mind Mapping is a good method to find themes and patterns from a bigger amount of data . It is more creative than just making a traditional desk research with a written report , and it can help people use creativity and intuition , which help all the process succeed . Darton Marketing professor Carmen Rodriguez refers in the video lecture to David Kelley ( founder of IDEO ) who has stated ‘ when I want to do something analytical , I make a list . When I ’m trying to do something creative , I make a mind - map ’ . Mind Mapping in Design Thinking means an attempt to understand and represent the minds of the customers – not those of the professional themselves . This goal is only achieved if several stakeholders take part in the Mind Mapping – process . Because of that , it is also a very good method to create a common knowledge of the challenge in the company . And at the same time it helps create many - sided picture of the challenge . Every person has different mind and see things differently – so , combining all these different points of view is very productive . We chose Mind Mapping also because we are working in a fast moving digital business , where managers do not have time to read big reports with graphs and percentages . They rather take a look at the data in a compressed form . 3 . Application : We first gathered all the existing information on reading habits and books and e - books , and pre - analyzed them . We found three themes to be analyzed : 1 ) Why do people read e - books ? , 2 ) What devices are used when reading e - books , 3 ) What do we know of willingness to pay for e - books ? Then we organized a half day workshop on the subject , asking members from several different teams around the company to participate . We reserved four meeting - rooms ; one for each theme and one for wrap - up . We asked everyone to spend some time in each of the three theme - rooms , where we had put all the existing information in the walls . People then spent some time wondering in each room ; reading the data , making notes of good stuff in the sticky - note - papers . After visiting each room , we asked people to gather in the fourth wrap- up - room . There we asked people to share their ideas in the smaller groups . Then each group presented their notes on each theme , and the sticky - note - papers were attached in the wall under the themes . 4 . Insight : Then , to find deeper insights , we asked the groups to try and find answers to the question ‘ so what ’ . In this phase we started to find the real insights around our three themes ; 1 ) People read e - books because they are easily carried with , ‘ always in the pocket ’ , and fit well in the empty moments during the day , 2 ) The most used device for e - book reading is mobile phone ( because it is always in the pocket ) , 3 ) Willingness to pay for e - book is much lower than for physical book , because e - books do not feel ‘ owned ’ , since they are not shown in the bookshelf . In this case , through Mind Mapping – process we understood that to make people buy e- books on single payment , they should somehow get the feeling of ‘ owning ’ them . Paying for a book , that after reading remains as bits in computer , irritates people . They were also scared of somehow losing it in the bit - space . On the other hand , we understood that people are familiar with the concept of library , where the book is returned after having read it , and that is something we thought could be utilized in our project . We also found out that e - books have a great potential in fitting the people ’s daily lives . They are always carried with , and digested in several small moments during the day . E - books seemed to fit well in people ’s daily life .. 5 . Approach : In this project we found Mind Mapping a very useful tool . So , we would probably use it again in a similar situation . We also liked very much the feeling people got when participating our workshop . It was a great way to unify people around the organization and share knowledge on the subject with different stakeholders dealing with the challenge from different perspective .