Mind Mapping

Challenge

I am part of a small team working at an AI (Artificial Intelligence) software startup. Our proprietary technology is a data  mining engine that sorts through and classifies large amounts of user data. After analyzing and extracting key patterns  from the data, the system offers predictions and recommendations. To showcase our AI automation system we decided  to develop a smart home/IoT (Internet of Things) product that could provide a variety of data sets including daily usage  patterns from home consumers. We wanted something that would follow the trend of automation and energy–saving  products in the home. After some market research we narrowed down our product to the home heating and cooling  sector. We knew that we wanted to develop a product that could work with air conditioners in some way. The challenge  we faced was finding the exact functionality and product features that would be right for the Asian market (we are  based in S.Korea) and could fit our project criteria in terms of timing and budget. We carried out some interviews and  received questionnaire data from the relevant consumer segments but we needed an effective way to analyze and see  the patterns from our consumer research and so we turned to design thinking.

Selection

Rather than having one or two people write a long report analyzing the research data we decided to use Mind Mapping.  Our product was to be something that every person in the home could use as everyone in South Korea uses air  conditioning, and so we felt that it was important to get everyone in the team involved in analyzing the data. We wanted  to find a creative and more engaging way for everyone in our team to view our research data and give their feedback on  it. The Mind Mapping process outlined by Ana Diaz and Jamie Mason, using the yard sale/art gallery analogy,  seemed like the perfect way to get everyone involved and really extract some useful insights from our data. In our case,  there were a variety of stakeholders that we opened up the Mind Mapping process to, starting with all 12 employees in  the startup and also invited a selection of the interviewees. As our office was located in a share office with other  startups, we also invited other startup company members to take part as all of them were in one of our potential  customer segments – users of air conditioners at home with an interest in technology.

Application

We took one of the large meeting rooms in our office, and laid out all the data from our interviews and questionnaires  on post-it notes on the walls in the style of gallery exhibition. The data was segmented by each user’s housing conditions  and accordingly their air conditioning usage eg living in family apartment or living in a studio apartment. Other  information relating to lifestyle and daily routine was displayed such as occupation, interests and home habits.  Importantly, data relating to pain points with air conditioner usage for each user was also displayed.  We gave each  participant a guide sheet of the Mind Mapping tour, which allowed them to note down information they found  particularly interesting for each stakeholder, and also note down their thoughts and insights. We let some people take  the tour on their own while some went in pairs. After a view hours, we gathered everyone together and went through  each of the stakeholder data and reviewed the feedback from all the participants. We mapped out all the patterns and  insights from each stakeholder in one large stakeholder map.

Insight

This approach to Mind Mapping ended up being very useful. Previously we had analyzed our research data using written  reports and presentations made by a small team of individuals who then shared their findings with the rest of the team  in a group discussion setup. By involving more stakeholders and team members in the data analysis process  and making  it more creative and fun for everyone we found that we were able to discover more patterns and extract some outlying  insights and trends. More specifically for the challenge which we faced, which was to find specific functionality for our

device relating to air conditioning, this Mind Mapping tool helped us discover one feature that we had previously looked  over in our research. We were planning a product which would automatically control a regular room air conditioning  unit and replace the need for a remote control. A focus was always on considering the needs of the home owner/renter  but during this Mind Mapping session we discovered a new user, the home owner/renter’s pet. We had previously  overlooked pets in our interview and surveys, and the question of pet ownership arose when several of our team  members questioned why some users were leaving their air conditioning on for long time periods when they were out of  their homes.

Another key insight that we learnt from the Mind Mapping session was that we didn’t necessarily need to restrict our  consumer to one sector such as home user. In our group discussion when we were discussing the feedback and thoughts  on the data collectively it became clear that there were potentially other environments in which the product could be  used, most notably the office and workplace. As most of our stakeholders worked outside of the home, in offices or  retail stores, it became clear that quite a few people had issues with air conditioning in these places as well. This made  us realize that we needed to go back and find research data on air conditioning usage in these environments too.

Approach

Overall, the Mind Mapping tool proved very successful as it gave us a much more diverse range of feedback and  allowed us to discover important outlier data such as the pet owners in the home using air conditioning, but also it  showed us that we needed to go back and research some other potential avenues for our product such as business  premises. In terms of the actual application of the Mind Mapping process, we learnt that it was better to get people  to initially analyze the data in groups, because we found that looking through it with other people created a more  engaging experience. We only used post-it notes to display the data and information but I think that adding some  more visual elements such as photos and/or simple sketches would visually make the displays and tour more  interesting, and in turn help spark more creativity. Another idea which we had to improve the process is to add a  gaming element to it. So we thought of removing or hiding some data, and getting users to fill in/guess what could  go there.


Mind Mapping Challenge I am part of a small team working at an AI ( Artificial Intelligence ) software startup . Our proprietary technology is a data mining engine that sorts through and classifies large amounts of user data . After analyzing and extracting key patterns from the data , the system offers predictions and recommendations . To showcase our AI automation system we decided to develop a smart home / IoT ( Internet of Things ) product that could provide a variety of data sets including daily usage patterns from home consumers . We wanted something that would follow the trend of automation and energy – saving products in the home . After some market research we narrowed down our product to the home heating and cooling sector . We knew that we wanted to develop a product that could work with air conditioners in some way . The challenge we faced was finding the exact functionality and product features that would be right for the Asian market ( we are based in S.Korea ) and could fit our project criteria in terms of timing and budget . We carried out some interviews and received questionnaire data from the relevant consumer segments but we needed an effective way to analyze and see the patterns from our consumer research and so we turned to design thinking . Selection Rather than having one or two people write a long report analyzing the research data we decided to use Mind Mapping . Our product was to be something that every person in the home could use as everyone in South Korea uses air conditioning , and so we felt that it was important to get everyone in the team involved in analyzing the data . We wanted to find a creative and more engaging way for everyone in our team to view our research data and give their feedback on it . The Mind Mapping process outlined by Ana Diaz and Jamie Mason , using the yard sale / art gallery analogy , seemed like the perfect way to get everyone involved and really extract some useful insights from our data . In our case , there were a variety of stakeholders that we opened up the Mind Mapping process to , starting with all 12 employees in the startup and also invited a selection of the interviewees . As our office was located in a share office with other startups , we also invited other startup company members to take part as all of them were in one of our potential customer segments – users of air conditioners at home with an interest in technology . Application We took one of the large meeting rooms in our office , and laid out all the data from our interviews and questionnaires on post - it notes on the walls in the style of gallery exhibition . The data was segmented by each user ’s housing conditions and accordingly their air conditioning usage eg living in family apartment or living in a studio apartment . Other information relating to lifestyle and daily routine was displayed such as occupation , interests and home habits . Importantly , data relating to pain points with air conditioner usage for each user was also displayed . We gave each participant a guide sheet of the Mind Mapping tour , which allowed them to note down information they found particularly interesting for each stakeholder , and also note down their thoughts and insights . We let some people take the tour on their own while some went in pairs . After a view hours , we gathered everyone together and went through each of the stakeholder data and reviewed the feedback from all the participants . We mapped out all the patterns and insights from each stakeholder in one large stakeholder map . Insight This approach to Mind Mapping ended up being very useful . Previously we had analyzed our research data using written reports and presentations made by a small team of individuals who then shared their findings with the rest of the team in a group discussion setup . By involving more stakeholders and team members in the data analysis process and making it more creative and fun for everyone we found that we were able to discover more patterns and extract some outlying insights and trends . More specifically for the challenge which we faced , which was to find specific functionality for our device relating to air conditioning , this Mind Mapping tool helped us discover one feature that we had previously looked over in our research . We were planning a product which would automatically control a regular room air conditioning unit and replace the need for a remote control . A focus was always on considering the needs of the home owner / renter but during this Mind Mapping session we discovered a new user , the home owner / renter ’s pet . We had previously overlooked pets in our interview and surveys , and the question of pet ownership arose when several of our team members questioned why some users were leaving their air conditioning on for long time periods when they were out of their homes . Another key insight that we learnt from the Mind Mapping session was that we did n’t necessarily need to restrict our consumer to one sector such as home user . In our group discussion when we were discussing the feedback and thoughts on the data collectively it became clear that there were potentially other environments in which the product could be used , most notably the office and workplace . As most of our stakeholders worked outside of the home , in offices or retail stores , it became clear that quite a few people had issues with air conditioning in these places as well . This made us realize that we needed to go back and find research data on air conditioning usage in these environments too . Approach Overall , the Mind Mapping tool proved very successful as it gave us a much more diverse range of feedback and allowed us to discover important outlier data such as the pet owners in the home using air conditioning , but also it showed us that we needed to go back and research some other potential avenues for our product such as business premises . In terms of the actual application of the Mind Mapping process , we learnt that it was better to get people to initially analyze the data in groups , because we found that looking through it with other people created a more engaging experience . We only used post - it notes to display the data and information but I think that adding some more visual elements such as photos and/or simple sketches would visually make the displays and tour more interesting , and in turn help spark more creativity . Another idea which we had to improve the process is to add a gaming element to it . So we thought of removing or hiding some data , and getting users to fill in / guess what could go there .