1. Challenge: Describe your challenge, including all relevant information.    The idea comes from a national park resort plan while I was in my former architecture company.  The client wants to develop a 3.5-square-kilometer mountain land near a reservoir and makes it  into one of the best destination for family tourism in Eastern China. After a few rounds’  discussion with the client, we decided to plan a national park resort of campground, safari zoo  and most exciting, a kid zoo where a family can adopt a docile animal and live with them for a  couple of days everytime they visit the zoo. And in the strategy plan chapter, we came with an  idea to build an APP that those animal adopters, especially kids, can use to check their pet’s  everyday life and know more about all the animals live in the zoo.    To achieve these goals I have to design this system as a binding service for the animal adoption  program.    2. Selection: In your own words, briefly describe the tool you selected (e.g., what it is and why  you selected it for your challenge -- including any appropriate video lecture references).    As our main tool we decided to choose Visualization tool, which is described by many authors as  a “the mother of all design tools”. As a method it refers to any activity, which makes information  beyond text and numbers into images, maps and stories.    Visualization method is used to visualize our ideas to make them more convenient, simple and  real for the our audience and us because in fact, visualization is not about drawing. It is about  imagining. What is more, visualization is a right-brain tool, which is simply about human: emotion  and intuition. As a business consultant we also need to use “left brain” techniques, however, will  be used in further part of our project.    3. Application: Describe how you applied the tool you selected to your challenge (e.g., what you  did and how the tool was applied effectively or ineffectively).    First of all, we decided to keep the idea simple. We used huge blackboard to draw a graphic of  the problem. We have taken into account all possible factors.The vision kids get of animals are  basically from cartoon characters, which is very different from real animals.Kids know animals  from their parent’s story and interpretation, maybe the action of animal is very difficult for them  to read.They really enjoy interact with animals, talk with animals, even imitate animals’ voice.  To the tourists, the signage of each animal is very important, sometimes even more important  than the animal itself.    We made meetings with all groups of staff in the zoo and we discussed their threats and  opportunities, which were seen by them according to the zoo project. They helped us to draw  another components to the graph and they also gave huge, important, incredible feedback.

4. Insight: Describe the insight you gained from applying the tool you selected to your challenge  (e.g., how an insight affected your thinking about the challenge and about design thinking more  broadly).    What we have learned from the application of the visualization tool in the design thinking  process is that the biggest advantage constitute shared learning with all members. During the  meetingwith hospital employees, they were able to easily find themselves on the graph and see  connection between them and other employees and also see possible drawbacks. What is more,  visualization tool helped them in the process of identification advantages and disadvantages in  the problem space (variables) and it was easy for them to check what they now, and on the other  hand, don’t know - ask questions and share feelings, opinions.    5. Approach: Describe what you might do differently next time -- applying the same tool you  selected or a different one -- and the reason(s) why.    I strongly believe that in the second approach I would use the same method of Visualization.  However, I think that in the second time with possessed experience it would be much easier to  apply it in the practice. All in all, visualization method is a perfect tool to be used in the  consulting  projects, when we have to think like our customers. What is more, our team was composed with  not only business consultants but also with the computer programmers with broad experience in  artificial intelligence. It would be really difficult to complete the project without the visualization  tool, because it enables an easy way to go through the complex problems.


1 . Challenge : Describe your challenge , including all relevant information . The idea comes from a national park resort plan while I was in my former architecture company . The client wants to develop a 3.5 - square - kilometer mountain land near a reservoir and makes it into one of the best destination for family tourism in Eastern China . After a few rounds ’ discussion with the client , we decided to plan a national park resort of campground , safari zoo and most exciting , a kid zoo where a family can adopt a docile animal and live with them for a couple of days everytime they visit the zoo . And in the strategy plan chapter , we came with an idea to build an APP that those animal adopters , especially kids , can use to check their pet ’s everyday life and know more about all the animals live in the zoo . To achieve these goals I have to design this system as a binding service for the animal adoption program . 2 . Selection : In your own words , briefly describe the tool you selected ( e.g. , what it is and why you selected it for your challenge -- including any appropriate video lecture references ) . As our main tool we decided to choose Visualization tool , which is described by many authors as a “ the mother of all design tools ” . As a method it refers to any activity , which makes information beyond text and numbers into images , maps and stories . Visualization method is used to visualize our ideas to make them more convenient , simple and real for the our audience and us because in fact , visualization is not about drawing . It is about imagining . What is more , visualization is a right - brain tool , which is simply about human : emotion and intuition . As a business consultant we also need to use “ left brain ” techniques , however , will be used in further part of our project . 3 . Application : Describe how you applied the tool you selected to your challenge ( e.g. , what you did and how the tool was applied effectively or ineffectively ) . First of all , we decided to keep the idea simple . We used huge blackboard to draw a graphic of the problem . We have taken into account all possible factors . The vision kids get of animals are basically from cartoon characters , which is very different from real animals . Kids know animals from their parent ’s story and interpretation , maybe the action of animal is very difficult for them to read . They really enjoy interact with animals , talk with animals , even imitate animals ’ voice . To the tourists , the signage of each animal is very important , sometimes even more important than the animal itself . We made meetings with all groups of staff in the zoo and we discussed their threats and opportunities , which were seen by them according to the zoo project . They helped us to draw another components to the graph and they also gave huge , important , incredible feedback . 4 . Insight : Describe the insight you gained from applying the tool you selected to your challenge ( e.g. , how an insight affected your thinking about the challenge and about design thinking more broadly ) . What we have learned from the application of the visualization tool in the design thinking process is that the biggest advantage constitute shared learning with all members . During the meetingwith hospital employees , they were able to easily find themselves on the graph and see connection between them and other employees and also see possible drawbacks . What is more , visualization tool helped them in the process of identification advantages and disadvantages in the problem space ( variables ) and it was easy for them to check what they now , and on the other hand , do n’t know - ask questions and share feelings , opinions . 5 . Approach : Describe what you might do differently next time -- applying the same tool you selected or a different one -- and the reason(s ) why . I strongly believe that in the second approach I would use the same method of Visualization . However , I think that in the second time with possessed experience it would be much easier to apply it in the practice . All in all , visualization method is a perfect tool to be used in the consulting projects , when we have to think like our customers . What is more , our team was composed with not only business consultants but also with the computer programmers with broad experience in artificial intelligence . It would be really difficult to complete the project without the visualization tool , because it enables an easy way to go through the complex problems .