Said Catania

Peer-graded Assignment: Reﬂection

October 13, 2020

Using Visualization

As a tool for improving our projects

To share an understanding of a problem or situation among a very diﬀerent group

or set of target audiences, I rely on Visualization. Having a Branding/Design

background, taking a Visual Thinking approach comes natural before attempting to

identify and deﬁne possible solutions to each problem presented. I use this approach

often with our internal customers/stakeholders, who are diﬀerent units working to

apply either technological or operational innovations to improve on their mission or

the delivery of the cluster of services to our customers. I work at The Panama Canal.

We cater to the Maritime Industry. Our clients are shippers of all kinds. To give you

some perspective, by providing a short, relatively inexpensive passageway between

these two great bodies of water, the Canal has inﬂuenced world trade patterns,

spurred growth in developed countries, and has been a primary impetus for economic

expansion in many remote areas of the world. For example, a vessel laden with coal

sailing from the east coast of the United States to Japan via the Panama Canal saves

about 4,800 kilometers (3,000 miles) versus the shortest alternative all-water route,

and for a vessel laden with bananas sailing from Ecuador to Europe the distance saved

is about 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles). I mainly doodle when it comes to the

visualization of a problem and bring forth a with a set of questions in order to prompt

PEER-GRADED ASSIGNMENT: REFLECTION 1

for discussion and allow a a diﬀerent group of stakeholders to learn from each other in

the process of deﬁning the scope, boundaries, key elements, and relationships

between all the points to consider when identifying opportunities and pain points that

may give for improvements or solutions related to our main service which impacts

directly on Global Maritime Commerce.

Application

We use something similar to a straw man graphic for our layout. To develop the

graphic, we collect any existing material available to understand the environment. The

existing material may be from procedure docs to marketing communication material,

news, etc. If it provides additional help, we use previous research to reinforce the

notion that every service is tied together to interact and internal processes enable the

organization to provide our services eﬃciently. Then, a template is developed with a

column on the left to identify Partners and other players within our organization, labor

unions, advocacy groups, and other entities that may add constraints to how the

organization operates. While using a simple template and using simple shapes and

icons available in our design database or on the Internet. If this view doesn’t work, then

I will create a diﬀerent type of visual that better suits our purpose. For the activity, I

create small clusters of 4-3 participants each representing a diﬀerent organization or

area of interest. Each group receives a poster-size copy of the template that they can

write on directly, or use sticky notes to make comments. I give them a couple of simple

questions to answer, such as: 1) What’s missing 2) What would you change in order to

ﬁt your “problem space”? 3) What key insights come as a result of this? Then, I provide

15-20 minutes to discuss all the questions and mark up the spaces in the graph. Then I

have each group report out on their answers to those questions while pointing to the

PEER-GRADED ASSIGNMENT: REFLECTION 2

mark-ups on their poster. As each group reports out, I record commonalities in the

insights of each group, and then additional insights that come from the group

discussion on an additional copy of the graphic. After the session, I bring everything

together in order to create a revised layout that incorporates all feedback and

proposed changes that the group agreed to.

Insight & Approach

This is what I have learned from this experience regarding multiple groups: It’s

crucial that they have a clear understanding of the situation they as a group are

working to solve, the more valuable aspect of the activity is found in shared insights

and shared learning that happens during the process. 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 problems. They

can quickly identify where they are in the graphic and can more quickly gain new

insights about relationships between key entities instead of taking time to identify

them.

They can also identify other variables – 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.

Next time, I would switch it up and use the visualization activity as a starting point

for most of our design thinking activities. Then the revised end product that

incorporates their combined feedback can serve as a cool reference for current and

future work. This way, with every upcoming meeting or activity with the teams, they

have a better understanding of the process and even incorporate it to their work

culture.

PEER-GRADED ASSIGNMENT: REFLECTION 3


Said Catania Peer - graded Assignment : Reﬂection October 13 , 2020 Using Visualization As a tool for improving our projects To share an understanding of a problem or situation among a very diﬀerent group or set of target audiences , I rely on Visualization . Having a Branding / Design background , taking a Visual Thinking approach comes natural before attempting to identify and deﬁne possible solutions to each problem presented . I use this approach often with our internal customers / stakeholders , who are diﬀerent units working to apply either technological or operational innovations to improve on their mission or the delivery of the cluster of services to our customers . I work at The Panama Canal . We cater to the Maritime Industry . Our clients are shippers of all kinds . To give you some perspective , by providing a short , relatively inexpensive passageway between these two great bodies of water , the Canal has inﬂuenced world trade patterns , spurred growth in developed countries , and has been a primary impetus for economic expansion in many remote areas of the world . For example , a vessel laden with coal sailing from the east coast of the United States to Japan via the Panama Canal saves about 4,800 kilometers ( 3,000 miles ) versus the shortest alternative all - water route , and for a vessel laden with bananas sailing from Ecuador to Europe the distance saved is about 8,000 kilometers ( 5,000 miles ) . I mainly doodle when it comes to the visualization of a problem and bring forth a with a set of questions in order to prompt PEER - GRADED ASSIGNMENT : REFLECTION 1 for discussion and allow a a diﬀerent group of stakeholders to learn from each other in the process of deﬁning the scope , boundaries , key elements , and relationships between all the points to consider when identifying opportunities and pain points that may give for improvements or solutions related to our main service which impacts directly on Global Maritime Commerce . Application We use something similar to a straw man graphic for our layout . To develop the graphic , we collect any existing material available to understand the environment . The existing material may be from procedure docs to marketing communication material , news , etc . If it provides additional help , we use previous research to reinforce the notion that every service is tied together to interact and internal processes enable the organization to provide our services eﬃciently . Then , a template is developed with a column on the left to identify Partners and other players within our organization , labor unions , advocacy groups , and other entities that may add constraints to how the organization operates . While using a simple template and using simple shapes and icons available in our design database or on the Internet . If this view does n’t work , then I will create a diﬀerent type of visual that better suits our purpose . For the activity , I create small clusters of 4 - 3 participants each representing a diﬀerent organization or area of interest . Each group receives a poster - size copy of the template that they can write on directly , or use sticky notes to make comments . I give them a couple of simple questions to answer , such as : 1 ) What ’s missing 2 ) What would you change in order to ﬁt your “ problem space ” ? 3 ) What key insights come as a result of this ? Then , I provide 15 - 20 minutes to discuss all the questions and mark up the spaces in the graph . Then I have each group report out on their answers to those questions while pointing to the PEER - GRADED ASSIGNMENT : REFLECTION 2 mark - ups on their poster . As each group reports out , I record commonalities in the insights of each group , and then additional insights that come from the group discussion on an additional copy of the graphic . After the session , I bring everything together in order to create a revised layout that incorporates all feedback and proposed changes that the group agreed to . Insight & Approach This is what I have learned from this experience regarding multiple groups : It ’s crucial that they have a clear understanding of the situation they as a group are working to solve , the more valuable aspect of the activity is found in shared insights and shared learning that happens during the process . 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 problems . They can quickly identify where they are in the graphic and can more quickly gain new insights about relationships between key entities instead of taking time to identify them . They can also identify other variables – 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 . Next time , I would switch it up and use the visualization activity as a starting point for most of our design thinking activities . Then the revised end product that incorporates their combined feedback can serve as a cool reference for current and future work . This way , with every upcoming meeting or activity with the teams , they have a better understanding of the process and even incorporate it to their work culture . PEER - GRADED ASSIGNMENT : REFLECTION 3