Visualization – Visual Thinking in IT Projects

Challenge    I work in the IT area and I have as a goal to develop innovative technological solutions for new  businesses. My biggest challenge is to develop a solution that brings value to the business, according to  the schedule and the budget planned. These solutions are created through IT projects that serves  different areas such as sales, marketing, logistics, financial, accounting and taxes. Usually the business  areas are the project requesters and their demands are not always clear enough to create an IT solution  that adds value to the business quickly. The project development is outsourced, which increases even  more the failures risks due to poor communication. In addition, the solution validation is supported by  limited internal resources that have not always participated in the project from the beginning. My main  focus is to minimize the poor communication among stakeholders to avoid solutions without value and  reworks that undermine project timing and cost.

Selection    We have had several unsuccessful experiences to align the needs and the new solutions for the projects.  By having multidisciplinary teams, the only verbal communication, brought communication errors between  participating areas, for example, a project to develop a logistic system has the logistics area and IT area  as main stakeholders. In this case, when we talked about the need to increase the infrastructure for the  project, the logistics team understood that it was for to increase the physical area and for an IT team, it  was for to increase the servers. In order to reduce communication errors, we start with the Visual Thinking  as a support to communicate. The use of graphical elements helped to reduce the communication  mistakes, where in the cited example, we designed a group of servers to communicate that we wanted to  increase the IT infrastructure, aiming a purchase of more servers to support the new logistics system to  be developed.    Application    I use the graphical elements of the Visual Thinking according to the topic addressed in the discussion.  For example, if the intention is to approach new ideas for a problem, I use graphic elements such as  ellipses to describe the central theme of the problem within the graph, from the central theme it is  possible to branch out the ideas exposed by the team in new ellipses, where each idea is described  inside the branched chart, this technique is similar to the mind map. When the objective is to discuss the  project processes to be developed, I choose to draw a flowchart with the graphical elements that  represent the processes through rectangles, the decisions through lozenges and the expected outputs as  documents through a rectangle in portrait mode and database through a disk or even the continuity of a  new flowchart to address a new related process. When the project solution has not yet been defined and  we aim to share the problem and stimulate empathy among those involved, I use free designs to create a  story. To illustrate this approach, I use drawings as a dollar sign to represent the increased sales, the  straw man graphic to represent users, and any other elements that are present in the story told, such as  cellphone drawings to represent the development of a new mobile application or server drawings to  represent the infrastructure of a system. The composition of these elements according to the evolution of  the story resulted in the creation of a Storyboard.

Insight    By applying the Visual Thinking to project discussions, the team developed more insights when creating  new IT solutions that brought value to the business, as Storyboard helped to understand the cause of the  problem in a simple way and stakeholders became more empathic while the story was told and illustrated  with the graphic elements. In addition, during the projects executions, the team identified a decrease in  communication failures between outsourced companies that were responsible for systems development  and internal resources, which are responsible for the deliverables validation. Keeping the communication  among those involved with designed support resulted in the alignment of the communication that reduced  the rework during the execution of project, where we had more deliveries in time and on budget planned.  Finally, I emphasize that the graphic elements helped the team to quickly identify the absence of a key  element to create a new solution, the team also became more agile in the construction and validation of  the systemic processes to be implemented in the projects. The Visual Thinking stimulated the learning  and active participation of those involved, including the search for new ideas in the projects.    Approach    As the Visual Thinking reduced communication problems and we were able to deliver more projects in  less time and within budget, I added the Storytelling technique to increase empathy and insight among  those involved in finding more innovative and valuable solutions for the business. Storytelling main goal is  to sensitize people with real stories so they can reflect, because Storytelling raises the level of any  communication. Thus, while Storytelling narrates the problem, the Visual Thinking reduces the risks of  communication, as the story visualization develops over time, I can create a Storyboard with the true  emotions of the stakeholders, allowing them to have an active voice in determining the narrative to find  out the solution to the problem. Therefore, Design Thinking has two techniques that I use a lot in my  projects: Visual Thinking and Storytelling. I share that the combination of these two techniques brought a  great result for my projects, as the team became more involved in the projects, besides delivering more  innovative and competitive solutions in the IT business.


Visualization – Visual Thinking in IT Projects Challenge I work in the IT area and I have as a goal to develop innovative technological solutions for new businesses . My biggest challenge is to develop a solution that brings value to the business , according to the schedule and the budget planned . These solutions are created through IT projects that serves different areas such as sales , marketing , logistics , financial , accounting and taxes . Usually the business areas are the project requesters and their demands are not always clear enough to create an IT solution that adds value to the business quickly . The project development is outsourced , which increases even more the failures risks due to poor communication . In addition , the solution validation is supported by limited internal resources that have not always participated in the project from the beginning . My main focus is to minimize the poor communication among stakeholders to avoid solutions without value and reworks that undermine project timing and cost . Selection We have had several unsuccessful experiences to align the needs and the new solutions for the projects . By having multidisciplinary teams , the only verbal communication , brought communication errors between participating areas , for example , a project to develop a logistic system has the logistics area and IT area as main stakeholders . In this case , when we talked about the need to increase the infrastructure for the project , the logistics team understood that it was for to increase the physical area and for an IT team , it was for to increase the servers . In order to reduce communication errors , we start with the Visual Thinking as a support to communicate . The use of graphical elements helped to reduce the communication mistakes , where in the cited example , we designed a group of servers to communicate that we wanted to increase the IT infrastructure , aiming a purchase of more servers to support the new logistics system to be developed . Application I use the graphical elements of the Visual Thinking according to the topic addressed in the discussion . For example , if the intention is to approach new ideas for a problem , I use graphic elements such as ellipses to describe the central theme of the problem within the graph , from the central theme it is possible to branch out the ideas exposed by the team in new ellipses , where each idea is described inside the branched chart , this technique is similar to the mind map . When the objective is to discuss the project processes to be developed , I choose to draw a flowchart with the graphical elements that represent the processes through rectangles , the decisions through lozenges and the expected outputs as documents through a rectangle in portrait mode and database through a disk or even the continuity of a new flowchart to address a new related process . When the project solution has not yet been defined and we aim to share the problem and stimulate empathy among those involved , I use free designs to create a story . To illustrate this approach , I use drawings as a dollar sign to represent the increased sales , the straw man graphic to represent users , and any other elements that are present in the story told , such as cellphone drawings to represent the development of a new mobile application or server drawings to represent the infrastructure of a system . The composition of these elements according to the evolution of the story resulted in the creation of a Storyboard . Insight By applying the Visual Thinking to project discussions , the team developed more insights when creating new IT solutions that brought value to the business , as Storyboard helped to understand the cause of the problem in a simple way and stakeholders became more empathic while the story was told and illustrated with the graphic elements . In addition , during the projects executions , the team identified a decrease in communication failures between outsourced companies that were responsible for systems development and internal resources , which are responsible for the deliverables validation . Keeping the communication among those involved with designed support resulted in the alignment of the communication that reduced the rework during the execution of project , where we had more deliveries in time and on budget planned . Finally , I emphasize that the graphic elements helped the team to quickly identify the absence of a key element to create a new solution , the team also became more agile in the construction and validation of the systemic processes to be implemented in the projects . The Visual Thinking stimulated the learning and active participation of those involved , including the search for new ideas in the projects . Approach As the Visual Thinking reduced communication problems and we were able to deliver more projects in less time and within budget , I added the Storytelling technique to increase empathy and insight among those involved in finding more innovative and valuable solutions for the business . Storytelling main goal is to sensitize people with real stories so they can reflect , because Storytelling raises the level of any communication . Thus , while Storytelling narrates the problem , the Visual Thinking reduces the risks of communication , as the story visualization develops over time , I can create a Storyboard with the true emotions of the stakeholders , allowing them to have an active voice in determining the narrative to find out the solution to the problem . Therefore , Design Thinking has two techniques that I use a lot in my projects : Visual Thinking and Storytelling . I share that the combination of these two techniques brought a great result for my projects , as the team became more involved in the projects , besides delivering more innovative and competitive solutions in the IT business .