Isabelle Laurent

Design Thinking assignment – Horse Industry

Challenge:  I was a member of a high-end saddlery company. This company is specialized in making and selling  luxurious leather equipment for riders and horses.   One of the company’s goal was to modernize the horse industry and bring novelty to the field.   They came up with a little piece of electronics and two sensors that would allow to evaluate the  quality of horses’ canter and jump when approaching an obstacle and landing, the regularity of  strides, the symmetry, the speed, the height of the jumps, and especially locomotive recovery after  effort. Detailed and valuable indicators for measuring performance and progress with certitude.  Information would then be sent to a mobile application after every training session.  The company wanted this product to be portable and easily switchable between different kinds of  equipment.  We had all the company’s means at our disposal as well as the many stakeholders that came with  it. For instance, employees from various departments such as sales representatives and international  riders. The one rule was to spend as little as possible given the high price that had cost all the  research and development as well as the cost of the materials themselves.  The challenge was to find of way of displaying those three pieces of electronics on a horse in  constant movement.    Selection:  We chose to use visualization to help us identify how people would imagine this 3-piece product  would fit on a horse.   Visualization allows people taking part in the experience to put on paper what they imagine in their  minds without giving them many barriers such as feasibility. Knowing what people that would  actually be using and/or selling this product are imagining in their minds was the appropriate tool  choice.      Application  We chose to benefit from several gatherings organized by the company where most guests were  either sales representatives working for the firm or international riders. In the middle of 3 different  events, we asked 10 of them (6 riders and 4 sales representatives every time) if they would  participate in our visualization exercise, explaining we wanted to value their opinion as they would  be hands-on the product at the end. Having riders’ perspectives was logical as they would use it,  and sales representatives are horses’ specialists themselves and often riders as well, and they  understand their clients’ needs and expectations very well and know in which form they would sell  the product best once it will be launched. We had the opportunity of having riders coming from  all disciplines (dressage, cross-country, show-jumping, hunter, western style, …) as the product  would answer to a common need: better monitor horses’ health and performance indicators in  order to improve both of them.  We pitched the product in front of them and showed it, then we gave every one of them a big sheet  of paper with a picture of a fully equipped (bridle and saddle) horse in the middle and asked them  to imagine where the product would fit in this picture. We told them to try and not think of the  technical feasibility and imagine that anything was possible. They had approximately 5 minutes to  think and draft. Once they would be done with the drafting, they would show their sheet and  quickly explain what their idea was, leaving the conversation flow between all stakeholders.   Keeping them in an informal environment was intentional, in order for them to feel as comfortable

as possible with the visualization exercise and for them to dare drafting anything that popped in  their minds.      Insight  By applying the visualization tool, we wanted to understand how people that would interact with  the product on a regular basis were imagining its location on a live horse.  We were surprised to notice a cleavage between riders and sales representatives. They did all draw  or represent both sensors being placed on both reins of the bridle, because of the symmetry they  offer, and the fact that it feels very easy to attach two sensors to thin pieces of leather reins.  But coming to the piece of electronic itself (that was a little bit bigger than the sensors), riders  imagined it to be part of the saddle itself, whereas sales representatives imagined it to be positioned  underneath the saddle in a little leather pouch attached to the girth located on the horses’ belly.   Riders put the practical side first, as they thought they wouldn’t need to switch the electronics from  one saddle to another as just use the same saddle for various horses without having to move the  piece of electronics. Sales representatives saw the opportunity of having a very flexible commercial  speech, given that clients that used different equipment for every one of their horses could use the  same product and move it easily from one horse to another. Both “groups” agreed on the fact that  the product had to be placed on the equipment and not on the horse directly.  We had assumed that all three pieces of the product would be placed at the same spot or close, but  that was not what came out of the experience. We also noticed that some sales representatives were  changing their minds in order to stick more to the riders’ ideas, being influenced.    Approach   I think visualization was the appropriate tool to use in order to get insights from people that would  actually use and deal with the product in a daily manner. However, I would have maybe not mixed  the audience with both riders and sales representatives, as the first group thought a lot in a sense  that they would need to manipulate the product every day, and the latter thought of how they could  expose it in a simple and very adaptable manner.   I realized how the various people being part of this visualization exercise could impact the actual  result of the process.   Next step for me was to go on to prototyping and benefit from the fact that riders could try out  the product and the product placement easily.


Isabelle Laurent Design Thinking assignment – Horse Industry Challenge : I was a member of a high - end saddlery company . This company is specialized in making and selling luxurious leather equipment for riders and horses . One of the company ’s goal was to modernize the horse industry and bring novelty to the field . They came up with a little piece of electronics and two sensors that would allow to evaluate the quality of horses ’ canter and jump when approaching an obstacle and landing , the regularity of strides , the symmetry , the speed , the height of the jumps , and especially locomotive recovery after effort . Detailed and valuable indicators for measuring performance and progress with certitude . Information would then be sent to a mobile application after every training session . The company wanted this product to be portable and easily switchable between different kinds of equipment . We had all the company ’s means at our disposal as well as the many stakeholders that came with it . For instance , employees from various departments such as sales representatives and international riders . The one rule was to spend as little as possible given the high price that had cost all the research and development as well as the cost of the materials themselves . The challenge was to find of way of displaying those three pieces of electronics on a horse in constant movement . Selection : We chose to use visualization to help us identify how people would imagine this 3 - piece product would fit on a horse . Visualization allows people taking part in the experience to put on paper what they imagine in their minds without giving them many barriers such as feasibility . Knowing what people that would actually be using and/or selling this product are imagining in their minds was the appropriate tool choice . Application We chose to benefit from several gatherings organized by the company where most guests were either sales representatives working for the firm or international riders . In the middle of 3 different events , we asked 10 of them ( 6 riders and 4 sales representatives every time ) if they would participate in our visualization exercise , explaining we wanted to value their opinion as they would be hands - on the product at the end . Having riders ’ perspectives was logical as they would use it , and sales representatives are horses ’ specialists themselves and often riders as well , and they understand their clients ’ needs and expectations very well and know in which form they would sell the product best once it will be launched . We had the opportunity of having riders coming from all disciplines ( dressage , cross - country , show - jumping , hunter , western style , … ) as the product would answer to a common need : better monitor horses ’ health and performance indicators in order to improve both of them . We pitched the product in front of them and showed it , then we gave every one of them a big sheet of paper with a picture of a fully equipped ( bridle and saddle ) horse in the middle and asked them to imagine where the product would fit in this picture . We told them to try and not think of the technical feasibility and imagine that anything was possible . They had approximately 5 minutes to think and draft . Once they would be done with the drafting , they would show their sheet and quickly explain what their idea was , leaving the conversation flow between all stakeholders . Keeping them in an informal environment was intentional , in order for them to feel as comfortable as possible with the visualization exercise and for them to dare drafting anything that popped in their minds . Insight By applying the visualization tool , we wanted to understand how people that would interact with the product on a regular basis were imagining its location on a live horse . We were surprised to notice a cleavage between riders and sales representatives . They did all draw or represent both sensors being placed on both reins of the bridle , because of the symmetry they offer , and the fact that it feels very easy to attach two sensors to thin pieces of leather reins . But coming to the piece of electronic itself ( that was a little bit bigger than the sensors ) , riders imagined it to be part of the saddle itself , whereas sales representatives imagined it to be positioned underneath the saddle in a little leather pouch attached to the girth located on the horses ’ belly . Riders put the practical side first , as they thought they would n’t need to switch the electronics from one saddle to another as just use the same saddle for various horses without having to move the piece of electronics . Sales representatives saw the opportunity of having a very flexible commercial speech , given that clients that used different equipment for every one of their horses could use the same product and move it easily from one horse to another . Both “ groups ” agreed on the fact that the product had to be placed on the equipment and not on the horse directly . We had assumed that all three pieces of the product would be placed at the same spot or close , but that was not what came out of the experience . We also noticed that some sales representatives were changing their minds in order to stick more to the riders ’ ideas , being influenced . Approach I think visualization was the appropriate tool to use in order to get insights from people that would actually use and deal with the product in a daily manner . However , I would have maybe not mixed the audience with both riders and sales representatives , as the first group thought a lot in a sense that they would need to manipulate the product every day , and the latter thought of how they could expose it in a simple and very adaptable manner . I realized how the various people being part of this visualization exercise could impact the actual result of the process . Next step for me was to go on to prototyping and benefit from the fact that riders could try out the product and the product placement easily .