Reflection Visualization      Challenge    I work as a client partner in a data and insights company. One of my long time clients is a  manufacturer of products for the process industry and provider of related services and  solutions. Their customers are companies like dairies, oil firms, pharmaceuticals, chemicals  and the like. In a recent project we were assigned with the development of personas for the  typical functions within their customers’ organization. The overall objective was to make the  innovation process and communication activities more customer-focused. The personas  would help the organization get a better understanding of customers’ needs, requirements,  expectations and pain points in their everyday work.   The project sponsor understood the value of qualitative insights and had some experience in  design thinking. But most managers within my client had an engineering background and  had - as described in the course - a prevention mindset. They were obsessed with total  quality and lean management both in the area of production and product quality, as well as  in innovation. They dislike uncertainty and vagueness, and like hard facts and data, lots of  data, which they can analyze to the highest possible extent. So applying design thinking  elements to informing their future communication and innovation activities was somewhat  revolutionary to them.      Selection    In order to gain acceptance for the project outcome from all stakeholders involved, the  project team knew that a mix of tools and methods is required. In the What Is Phase we  applied In Depth Interviews with 40 customers from three countries and six different  functions, coming from several industries. I agree that a sample size of 25 - 40 is sufficient  for this kind of research, as mentioned in the course. In addition, the team condensed the  main insights from previous work we had done for that client.  When the team was almost done with the development of the personas, we decided to  apply the tool of visualization. To get a common understanding among the innovation and  communication managers and gain their buy-in, we wanted to transfer the key  characteristics of the personas, what is typical for each one and in how far they differ from  each other. And we wanted to do this using many media – not only the verbal description  and the key elements in words, but also sketches. This way we wanted to make the personas  more tangible, to give them an emotional dimension and a personality the managers can  relay to.      Application    We hired a professional graphic designer and briefed him by giving him the written  description of the five personas we had developed. One week later, the designer presented  us with drawings for each one of the personas. These included a full body sketch of the  persona itself, positioned within a number of smaller sketches, depicting typical situations  the person finds themselves in - either in their business life or in their private context. These

sketches were supposed to visually depict the expectations, values and the mottos in their  lives. So while a control-possessed persona might be depicted as a stamp collector, someone  who loves technical challenges would be shown repairing their old-timer car.       Insight    The visualization of the personas provided several insights, some of these on unexpected  domains. An example: The project team wanted to produce a diverse set of personas, so two  of the five personas bore female names and the designer sketched female persons for these  two. However, when the female managers saw the drawings, they protested that the female  personas were drawn as being too model-like, too attractive and too close to the  sexy/attractive young woman archetype as used in consumer goods advertising. This came  as a surprise to their male colleagues. But to me, this may have been a manifestation of the  male-dominated company culture. I think the female managers in this case found a way to  express their feelings about some superiors’ policy of underestimating or underpromoting  women in the workforce.   Another insight relates to the typical situations which the graphic designer used. Some of  these provoked discussions among the managers and with the project team, which we  otherwise would not have had. This helped us refine some core elements of the description  of the personas and clear some sources of misunderstanding. If we hadn't produced the  drawings, we would not have notice that the same wordings meant different things to  different people.      Approach    Visualization proved to be a very powerful and useful tool in this challenge. As an  improvement, the next time I would involve the stakeholders (the managers) into the  visualization. For example, in an activation workshop I would engage the managers and ask  them to brainstorm and describe what might be typical situations for each persona in their  business and private lives. Ideally, I would have the graphic designer also in the conference  room, catching the suggestions from the brainstorming and turning these into drawings.


Reflection Visualization Challenge I work as a client partner in a data and insights company . One of my long time clients is a manufacturer of products for the process industry and provider of related services and solutions . Their customers are companies like dairies , oil firms , pharmaceuticals , chemicals and the like . In a recent project we were assigned with the development of personas for the typical functions within their customers ’ organization . The overall objective was to make the innovation process and communication activities more customer - focused . The personas would help the organization get a better understanding of customers ’ needs , requirements , expectations and pain points in their everyday work . The project sponsor understood the value of qualitative insights and had some experience in design thinking . But most managers within my client had an engineering background and had - as described in the course - a prevention mindset . They were obsessed with total quality and lean management both in the area of production and product quality , as well as in innovation . They dislike uncertainty and vagueness , and like hard facts and data , lots of data , which they can analyze to the highest possible extent . So applying design thinking elements to informing their future communication and innovation activities was somewhat revolutionary to them . Selection In order to gain acceptance for the project outcome from all stakeholders involved , the project team knew that a mix of tools and methods is required . In the What Is Phase we applied In Depth Interviews with 40 customers from three countries and six different functions , coming from several industries . I agree that a sample size of 25 - 40 is sufficient for this kind of research , as mentioned in the course . In addition , the team condensed the main insights from previous work we had done for that client . When the team was almost done with the development of the personas , we decided to apply the tool of visualization . To get a common understanding among the innovation and communication managers and gain their buy - in , we wanted to transfer the key characteristics of the personas , what is typical for each one and in how far they differ from each other . And we wanted to do this using many media – not only the verbal description and the key elements in words , but also sketches . This way we wanted to make the personas more tangible , to give them an emotional dimension and a personality the managers can relay to . Application We hired a professional graphic designer and briefed him by giving him the written description of the five personas we had developed . One week later , the designer presented us with drawings for each one of the personas . These included a full body sketch of the persona itself , positioned within a number of smaller sketches , depicting typical situations the person finds themselves in - either in their business life or in their private context . These sketches were supposed to visually depict the expectations , values and the mottos in their lives . So while a control - possessed persona might be depicted as a stamp collector , someone who loves technical challenges would be shown repairing their old - timer car . Insight The visualization of the personas provided several insights , some of these on unexpected domains . An example : The project team wanted to produce a diverse set of personas , so two of the five personas bore female names and the designer sketched female persons for these two . However , when the female managers saw the drawings , they protested that the female personas were drawn as being too model - like , too attractive and too close to the sexy / attractive young woman archetype as used in consumer goods advertising . This came as a surprise to their male colleagues . But to me , this may have been a manifestation of the male - dominated company culture . I think the female managers in this case found a way to express their feelings about some superiors ’ policy of underestimating or underpromoting women in the workforce . Another insight relates to the typical situations which the graphic designer used . Some of these provoked discussions among the managers and with the project team , which we otherwise would not have had . This helped us refine some core elements of the description of the personas and clear some sources of misunderstanding . If we had n't produced the drawings , we would not have notice that the same wordings meant different things to different people . Approach Visualization proved to be a very powerful and useful tool in this challenge . As an improvement , the next time I would involve the stakeholders ( the managers ) into the visualization . For example , in an activation workshop I would engage the managers and ask them to brainstorm and describe what might be typical situations for each persona in their business and private lives . Ideally , I would have the graphic designer also in the conference room , catching the suggestions from the brainstorming and turning these into drawings .