VISUAL THINKING IN CORPORATE WORLD

Challenge and Selection

In the Corporate world the 9 to 5 jobs become very stressful considering the workload and deadlines  people have every day. In a world like this sometimes-meeting people to interact regarding work  becomes a task. Are there ways in which this process can be made fun? Where interaction with  people with respect to work involves better visual communication?

For creating such environment, the tool I have selected is Visualization or Visual thinking. In my field  of line that is around User experience, understanding people and their behavior is important. I work  along with engineers, developers, product architects and managers. I always use visual language as a  medium to communicate with the people I work with. Using graphics such as flow charts with boxes  and other shapes or using images to represent what the content of the side is about; has always been  the ways I have worked around.

This not only helps my team mates to take a break from the monotonous way of working but also  helps them think two steps further.

Application

I always start my process with research and analysis. The data gathered are organized in pictorial  format with one word explanation of each image. I like to make the viewer get involved from the start  by making them see images to create a vibe. Later I make some ideation sketches inspired by some  reference images. I usually like to discuss all the ideas with the team to make them feel their  involvement in the process from the start. Usually in this process many more ideas are created since  the team would know what is expected and what are the limitations. Visual communication has not  only made the process more effective but also made it personalized.

The research to ideas is one phase of my process where employees have involved themselves and  have been creative. But it does not stop there. After ideas comes concepts, where the entire teams’  feedbacks and suggestions are needed. Once the team selects the ideas that are closer to the project  brief, I combine the potential merging ideas and create two to three maximum concepts. I ask the  team to vote. Here I like to use medium where the entire team can access the same board, for  example ‘The Mural’ (mostly digital medium used currently due to work from home policy). Here the  team can select the concepts each of them like by just pinning a dot above them. The most pin on  concept is selected and later, on the same board the team can discuss on final iterations of the  concept.

Insight and Approach

All this process leads to a better prototype as the involvement of the team from the start has made  the product very close to what is expected. The process is also a different approach to the corporate  employees as they feel like a part of the final product once it’s out. The project helps provide the  employees a good view of what they are working on and how much work needs to be done to achieve  the expectations. Often, I have observed, many employees are told what to do and are given a  deadline. Many do their work as told and finish the task without having a good introduction of the

product they are working on or even having felt being a part of it. As much as employees do the work  for the organization the organization works for the employees too. Making them feel a part of the  product and not just the project is important. In this process there is nothing more important than  having good communication within the team. As I mentioned before visual communication opens  people and their involvement.

Now that I am aware visual communication opens to better involvement of people, I would use this  process in all my work to the fullest. Creating this environment is necessary not only in creative field  like design and art but also in corporate world.


VISUAL THINKING IN CORPORATE WORLD Challenge and Selection In the Corporate world the 9 to 5 jobs become very stressful considering the workload and deadlines people have every day . In a world like this sometimes - meeting people to interact regarding work becomes a task . Are there ways in which this process can be made fun ? Where interaction with people with respect to work involves better visual communication ? For creating such environment , the tool I have selected is Visualization or Visual thinking . In my field of line that is around User experience , understanding people and their behavior is important . I work along with engineers , developers , product architects and managers . I always use visual language as a medium to communicate with the people I work with . Using graphics such as flow charts with boxes and other shapes or using images to represent what the content of the side is about ; has always been the ways I have worked around . This not only helps my team mates to take a break from the monotonous way of working but also helps them think two steps further . Application I always start my process with research and analysis . The data gathered are organized in pictorial format with one word explanation of each image . I like to make the viewer get involved from the start by making them see images to create a vibe . Later I make some ideation sketches inspired by some reference images . I usually like to discuss all the ideas with the team to make them feel their involvement in the process from the start . Usually in this process many more ideas are created since the team would know what is expected and what are the limitations . Visual communication has not only made the process more effective but also made it personalized . The research to ideas is one phase of my process where employees have involved themselves and have been creative . But it does not stop there . After ideas comes concepts , where the entire teams ’ feedbacks and suggestions are needed . Once the team selects the ideas that are closer to the project brief , I combine the potential merging ideas and create two to three maximum concepts . I ask the team to vote . Here I like to use medium where the entire team can access the same board , for example ‘ The Mural ’ ( mostly digital medium used currently due to work from home policy ) . Here the team can select the concepts each of them like by just pinning a dot above them . The most pin on concept is selected and later , on the same board the team can discuss on final iterations of the concept . Insight and Approach All this process leads to a better prototype as the involvement of the team from the start has made the product very close to what is expected . The process is also a different approach to the corporate employees as they feel like a part of the final product once it ’s out . The project helps provide the employees a good view of what they are working on and how much work needs to be done to achieve the expectations . Often , I have observed , many employees are told what to do and are given a deadline . Many do their work as told and finish the task without having a good introduction of the product they are working on or even having felt being a part of it . As much as employees do the work for the organization the organization works for the employees too . Making them feel a part of the product and not just the project is important . In this process there is nothing more important than having good communication within the team . As I mentioned before visual communication opens people and their involvement . Now that I am aware visual communication opens to better involvement of people , I would use this process in all my work to the fullest . Creating this environment is necessary not only in creative field like design and art but also in corporate world .