Design Thinking to New Drug Product Development -

A Human Centric Approach by Visualization

Visualization is adopting visual thinking and designing a path to deal with challenges

and provide best outcome using once intellectual and imaginative capabilities with sound

scientific insights.  Visualizations offers endless possibilities to design new products and

pushes us beyond using words or language alone. It is a way of unlocking different part

of our brains that allows us to think nonverbally and that many executives might not

normally use.

Challenge

Developing drug products understanding unmet patient needs particularly for paediatric

and geriatric population is huge challenge across the pharmaceutical industry. We have

adopted a human centric approach to design new products to cater unmet needs and serve

patients with best and affordable products.

Selection

The tool I have deployed is the, tool of Visualization, or Visual Thinking, to achieve a

shared understanding on human centric drug product development, among a diverse

group of stakeholders. I used this approach to gather information, then empathize, define,

ideate, prototype, and test and implement it. I have used the a relationship matrix smart

art to move from one step to the other with a set of questions or stimuli for discussion to

allow a diverse group of participants to learn from each other in the process of defining

the scope, boundaries, key elements, and interrelationships to identify opportunities for

improvements or solutions.

Application

I started the process by creating a relationship matrix graphic of the problem domain. To

had gathered literature and materials available to understand the unmet needs. Then I

conducted informal interviews with key opinion leaders, patients, received market

feedback etc. For the activity, I have divide the stakeholders into groups of 5-6

participants each representing a different business units or areas of interest. Each group

receives a poster-size copy of the graphic and ad-boards that they can write on directly,

or use sticky notes to make comments. I give them two-three questions to answer, such

as: 1) What are the unmet needs in the domain 2) What key elements are to consider for

incremental innovation? 2) What additional aspects can be considered to more accurately

reflect the problem space? 3) What key insights do we have about relationships between

the entities in the problem space? I give them approximately 30 minutes to discuss the

questions and share their view points. Then I have each group report out on their answers

to those three questions while pointing to the mark-ups on their poster. I had recorded

the cohesions in the insights from each group. After the session, I digitized all view

points as an artefact, created a view that combines the shared and new insights from the

group discussion, and then I created a revised graphic that incorporates their feedback

and proposed changes that they agreed to as a group.

Figure 1 Overview of Human Centric Approach for new product design

Insight

What I have learned from conducting this exercise with several groups is that while the overall

graphic incorporates their feedback – it was important for reinforcing their understanding of

the problem they are working to solve, the more valuable aspect of the activity is the shared

insights and shared learning that occurs while they are working to define their problem space.

The graphic gives the diverse group of stakeholders a focal point for discussion that allows

them to share their perspectives and develop insights into potential root causes of their

Key opinion  leaders  Interactions

Market feedback

Ad -Board's

Patient Journey

Observations

Generative  Sessions

Context  mapping

Defining

Problem  statement

• Workshops  • Repurposing

Product  Design

• Business Approvals • Scale up • Commercialization • Post market

surveillance

• Continuous

improvement

 Unique

compositions

 Animal POCs

 Improvements

 Clinical evaluation

 Innovative pack

designs

problems. Stakeholders could identify variables in the problem space – that is, it helps them to

identify what they don’t know, in what areas they need to obtain information or data to provide

the values for the variables. Since I discovered that the most valuable aspect is the shared

insights and learning, next time I would use the visualization activity as a starting point for a

series of design thinking activities. Then the revised graphic that incorporates their combined

feedback can serve as a reference tool throughout the remainder of their work.

The exercise not only helped understand the unmet, but it has helped us in developing new

modalities treatment options by human centric approach for designing safer and better

medicines for paediatric and geriatric patients.

Approach

The approach helped us in understanding multiple viewpoints and was an insightful journey.

The collaborative working, starting with a simple graphic started the meaningful conversation

for all the stakeholders. They could quickly related to the problem and identify where they are

problems and can more quickly gain new insights about relationships between key entities

instead of taking time to identify them.

This approach has helped us in identifying multiple unmet needs in the domain and helped us

shape various business opportunities at the same providing safer and affordable healthcare to

patients.


Design Thinking to New Drug Product Development - A Human Centric Approach by Visualization Visualization is adopting visual thinking and designing a path to deal with challenges and provide best outcome using once intellectual and imaginative capabilities with sound scientific insights . Visualizations offers endless possibilities to design new products and pushes us beyond using words or language alone . It is a way of unlocking different part of our brains that allows us to think nonverbally and that many executives might not normally use . Challenge Developing drug products understanding unmet patient needs particularly for paediatric and geriatric population is huge challenge across the pharmaceutical industry . We have adopted a human centric approach to design new products to cater unmet needs and serve patients with best and affordable products . Selection The tool I have deployed is the , tool of Visualization , or Visual Thinking , to achieve a shared understanding on human centric drug product development , among a diverse group of stakeholders . I used this approach to gather information , then empathize , define , ideate , prototype , and test and implement it . I have used the a relationship matrix smart art to move from one step to the other with a set of questions or stimuli for discussion to allow a diverse group of participants to learn from each other in the process of defining the scope , boundaries , key elements , and interrelationships to identify opportunities for improvements or solutions . Application I started the process by creating a relationship matrix graphic of the problem domain . To had gathered literature and materials available to understand the unmet needs . Then I conducted informal interviews with key opinion leaders , patients , received market feedback etc . For the activity , I have divide the stakeholders into groups of 5 - 6 participants each representing a different business units or areas of interest . Each group receives a poster - size copy of the graphic and ad - boards that they can write on directly , or use sticky notes to make comments . I give them two - three questions to answer , such as : 1 ) What are the unmet needs in the domain 2 ) What key elements are to consider for incremental innovation ? 2 ) What additional aspects can be considered to more accurately reflect the problem space ? 3 ) What key insights do we have about relationships between the entities in the problem space ? I give them approximately 30 minutes to discuss the questions and share their view points . Then I have each group report out on their answers to those three questions while pointing to the mark - ups on their poster . I had recorded the cohesions in the insights from each group . After the session , I digitized all view points as an artefact , created a view that combines the shared and new insights from the group discussion , and then I created a revised graphic that incorporates their feedback and proposed changes that they agreed to as a group . Figure 1 Overview of Human Centric Approach for new product design Insight What I have learned from conducting this exercise with several groups is that while the overall graphic incorporates their feedback – it was important for reinforcing their understanding of the problem they are working to solve , the more valuable aspect of the activity is the shared insights and shared learning that occurs while they are working to define their problem space . The graphic gives the diverse group of stakeholders a focal point for discussion that allows them to share their perspectives and develop insights into potential root causes of their Key opinion leaders Interactions Market feedback Ad -Board 's Patient Journey Observations Generative Sessions Context mapping Defining Problem statement • Workshops • Repurposing Product Design • Business Approvals • Scale up • Commercialization • Post market surveillance • Continuous improvement  Unique compositions  Animal POCs  Improvements  Clinical evaluation  Innovative pack designs problems . Stakeholders could identify variables in the problem space – that is , it helps them to identify what they do n’t know , in what areas they need to obtain information or data to provide the values for the variables . Since I discovered that the most valuable aspect is the shared insights and learning , next time I would use the visualization activity as a starting point for a series of design thinking activities . Then the revised graphic that incorporates their combined feedback can serve as a reference tool throughout the remainder of their work . The exercise not only helped understand the unmet , but it has helped us in developing new modalities treatment options by human centric approach for designing safer and better medicines for paediatric and geriatric patients . Approach The approach helped us in understanding multiple viewpoints and was an insightful journey . The collaborative working , starting with a simple graphic started the meaningful conversation for all the stakeholders . They could quickly related to the problem and identify where they are problems and can more quickly gain new insights about relationships between key entities instead of taking time to identify them . This approach has helped us in identifying multiple unmet needs in the domain and helped us shape various business opportunities at the same providing safer and affordable healthcare to patients .