Janet Galletti

University of Virginia

Janet Galletti

In November 2019

andrew58@gmail.com

Hello, and thank you so much for your review. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.  Saying Hi! from Berlin, yours Janet.

Applying the Design Thinking tool: Visualization

“I hate that lady!”

In a Workshop I coached a visualization process and participated an extraordinary turnaround.

Challenge and selection

First of all, I want you to gain a deeper insight of the setting and topic in which the visualization process  took place.

Last week I was a coach in a three-day-workshop about business model innovation. I coached a team of  four designers who worked in a design studio with a focus on branding and marketing in the B2B sector.  I call the design company I worked with DS, because I cannot share the real name for data protection  reasons. The DS-team contented the CEO, the CFO and two employees, one designer and one editor,  all of them were female.

Within three workshop days, we went through a process which was close to a real design thinking  process:

-  At first, we pointed out the DS-challenge regarding their business model.

-  Secondly, we defined the target group.

-  Thirdly we developed three questions and interviewed some people about how the marketing  process in their company was actually working, and which problems usually go along with  marketing.

-  Fourthly, we described the new customer experience and developed an approach for the new  business model.

Before the workshop took place, I thought about the challenge of applying a design thinking tool and  decided the visualization-tool would suit best for the definition of one special member the target  group. This was the second step of the process. I decided to do so, because also Anna Jones  constated that the visualization-tool is suited both for researching and for understanding the users  and customers (Anna Jones on Visualization, Design Thinking for Innovation, UVA,  min. 3:04).

Application

I gave the DS-team the assignment to think about one member of their typical target group for three  minutes alone and take some notes. Then they should share their thoughts.

It turned out, that all DS-members had in mind almost the same picture of one special type of person,  who was standing for their typical target group. The person was a female marketing leader of a medium  sized company with around 500 employers. Demographical attributes like age, gender, number of  children and income were very similar. This surprised me because I knew, that the DS-company had  more than this type of customers.

After that, they visualized the person on a flipchart. The CFO took a pencil and drew the person, referring  to the instructions, the other DS-members told her (see picture 1). They called her Tina.

Then we started thinking about problems which would occur in Tina’s daily work and which were the  jobs-to-be-done to make her happy. We hang up the flipchart and stood side by side to Tina. Within this  process, the DS-team talked a lot about their frustration and worries concerning Tina. The biggest  discussion topic was that Tina does not have the insights of strategic marketing knowledge which the  DS-team needs to do a good job. The frustration led to the following testimony: “I hate that lady”. When  the designer said that, her colleagues agreed.

Insights

I tried to handle the situation and asked them to visualize some positive aspects regarding Tina on the  flipchart as well (in picture 1 you see the red handwriting on the flipchart). But the frustration was  ongoing, and all of the positive aspects had a negative or unsympathetic touch. It turned out, that they  cannot do a good job for Tina, as a representative of their main target group.

We started thinking about alternatives for their business model because in step one they constated that  they both worked with medium sized and small companies. Then they visualized two representatives of  the other target groups in small companies (Marcel und Mia, as you see in picture 2). The DS-team was  much more creative, and they had many ideas within short time how to make Marcel and Mia satisfied  and do a better job.

In the end, the DS-team decided to change their main target group and, in the future, not to focus Tina,  standing for a marketing leader of a medium sized company with around 500 employees. The team  decided to change their business model and accompany smaller companies in their marketing  processes. Pivotal for the decision to make that holistic change were their strong emotions and the  frustration coming along with the visualized Tina and the barriers which hindered the DS-team on doing  a great creative marketing process for Tina.

Approach

The continuing non-verbal confrontation with the flipchart-tall visualized Tina was the key for the DS- team to verbalize the problems regarding the work with their main target group.

Looking back, I think about what would have turned out, if I would have had enriched the process with  even more elements of visualization. There would have been some possibilities to do so. For example:

If I - in the first place - had given them the assignment to draw a picture of their typical target group and  not just even to take notes, maybe their distinct problem with Tina would have become visible much  earlier. Also, I could have asked them to visualize the positive aspects regarding Tina on the flipchart,  rather than writing them down.

In addition to that, I really liked the fact that, in the end, we had two versions of Tina: On the one hand  we had one flipchart-tall visualized Tina with two catchy attributes like her bag and her plait. One the

hand we had a smaller version of Tina with the same catchy attributes on a post-it to work with and to  place her where ever she was needed within the creative process (as you see in picture 2). I didn’t plan  this before, but I will keep on drawing detailed pictures and small pictures which are easy to handle  within the moderation of a design thinking process.

All in all the DS-team could have also added more visualization-details to Tina, use more colors to go  more into the inductive reasoning process Anna Jones refers to, and to trigger the right side of the  teams’ brain more (Anna Jones on Visualization, Design Thinking for Innovation, University of Virginia,  min. 0:19). I didn’t tell them to do so. It was the team’s own decision to leave Tina uncomplete. I took  note that the visualized Tina had no eyes, no nose and no mouth. This was the first reflection within the  visualization process that made me think about the DS-teams relationship to her. My approach for the  next time will be to do an ongoing reflection of the visualizing-process within the process and to enable  the team to visualize more. When they hold back with visualizing (i.e. if they don’t visualize face- attributes), it will be a sign of some kind of barrier regarding the subject. For a coach it would be  recommendable to dive deeper into the subject then.

Picture 1

Visualization of Tina

Picture 2

That’s me at the Seminar with three visualized members of different target groups.

Tina as a marketing leader, stands for the old target group. Marcel and Mia as CEOs of small  companies stand for the new target group.


Janet Galletti University of Virginia Janet Galletti In November 2019 andrew58@gmail.com Hello , and thank you so much for your review . If you have any questions , feel free to contact me . Saying Hi ! from Berlin , yours Janet . Applying the Design Thinking tool : Visualization “ I hate that lady ! ” In a Workshop I coached a visualization process and participated an extraordinary turnaround . Challenge and selection First of all , I want you to gain a deeper insight of the setting and topic in which the visualization process took place . Last week I was a coach in a three - day - workshop about business model innovation . I coached a team of four designers who worked in a design studio with a focus on branding and marketing in the B2B sector . I call the design company I worked with DS , because I can not share the real name for data protection reasons . The DS - team contented the CEO , the CFO and two employees , one designer and one editor , all of them were female . Within three workshop days , we went through a process which was close to a real design thinking process : - At first , we pointed out the DS - challenge regarding their business model . - Secondly , we defined the target group . - Thirdly we developed three questions and interviewed some people about how the marketing process in their company was actually working , and which problems usually go along with marketing . - Fourthly , we described the new customer experience and developed an approach for the new business model . Before the workshop took place , I thought about the challenge of applying a design thinking tool and decided the visualization - tool would suit best for the definition of one special member the target group . This was the second step of the process . I decided to do so , because also Anna Jones constated that the visualization - tool is suited both for researching and for understanding the users and customers ( Anna Jones on Visualization , Design Thinking for Innovation , UVA , min . 3:04 ) . Application I gave the DS - team the assignment to think about one member of their typical target group for three minutes alone and take some notes . Then they should share their thoughts . It turned out , that all DS - members had in mind almost the same picture of one special type of person , who was standing for their typical target group . The person was a female marketing leader of a medium sized company with around 500 employers . Demographical attributes like age , gender , number of children and income were very similar . This surprised me because I knew , that the DS - company had more than this type of customers . After that , they visualized the person on a flipchart . The CFO took a pencil and drew the person , referring to the instructions , the other DS - members told her ( see picture 1 ) . They called her Tina . Then we started thinking about problems which would occur in Tina ’s daily work and which were the jobs - to - be - done to make her happy . We hang up the flipchart and stood side by side to Tina . Within this process , the DS - team talked a lot about their frustration and worries concerning Tina . The biggest discussion topic was that Tina does not have the insights of strategic marketing knowledge which the DS - team needs to do a good job . The frustration led to the following testimony : “ I hate that lady ” . When the designer said that , her colleagues agreed . Insights I tried to handle the situation and asked them to visualize some positive aspects regarding Tina on the flipchart as well ( in picture 1 you see the red handwriting on the flipchart ) . But the frustration was ongoing , and all of the positive aspects had a negative or unsympathetic touch . It turned out , that they can not do a good job for Tina , as a representative of their main target group . We started thinking about alternatives for their business model because in step one they constated that they both worked with medium sized and small companies . Then they visualized two representatives of the other target groups in small companies ( Marcel und Mia , as you see in picture 2 ) . The DS - team was much more creative , and they had many ideas within short time how to make Marcel and Mia satisfied and do a better job . In the end , the DS - team decided to change their main target group and , in the future , not to focus Tina , standing for a marketing leader of a medium sized company with around 500 employees . The team decided to change their business model and accompany smaller companies in their marketing processes . Pivotal for the decision to make that holistic change were their strong emotions and the frustration coming along with the visualized Tina and the barriers which hindered the DS - team on doing a great creative marketing process for Tina . Approach The continuing non - verbal confrontation with the flipchart - tall visualized Tina was the key for the DS- team to verbalize the problems regarding the work with their main target group . Looking back , I think about what would have turned out , if I would have had enriched the process with even more elements of visualization . There would have been some possibilities to do so . For example : If I - in the first place - had given them the assignment to draw a picture of their typical target group and not just even to take notes , maybe their distinct problem with Tina would have become visible much earlier . Also , I could have asked them to visualize the positive aspects regarding Tina on the flipchart , rather than writing them down . In addition to that , I really liked the fact that , in the end , we had two versions of Tina : On the one hand we had one flipchart - tall visualized Tina with two catchy attributes like her bag and her plait . One the hand we had a smaller version of Tina with the same catchy attributes on a post - it to work with and to place her where ever she was needed within the creative process ( as you see in picture 2 ) . I did n’t plan this before , but I will keep on drawing detailed pictures and small pictures which are easy to handle within the moderation of a design thinking process . All in all the DS - team could have also added more visualization - details to Tina , use more colors to go more into the inductive reasoning process Anna Jones refers to , and to trigger the right side of the teams ’ brain more ( Anna Jones on Visualization , Design Thinking for Innovation , University of Virginia , min . 0:19 ) . I did n’t tell them to do so . It was the team ’s own decision to leave Tina uncomplete . I took note that the visualized Tina had no eyes , no nose and no mouth . This was the first reflection within the visualization process that made me think about the DS - teams relationship to her . My approach for the next time will be to do an ongoing reflection of the visualizing - process within the process and to enable the team to visualize more . When they hold back with visualizing ( i.e. if they do n’t visualize face- attributes ) , it will be a sign of some kind of barrier regarding the subject . For a coach it would be recommendable to dive deeper into the subject then . Picture 1 Visualization of Tina Picture 2 That ’s me at the Seminar with three visualized members of different target groups . Tina as a marketing leader , stands for the old target group . Marcel and Mia as CEOs of small companies stand for the new target group .