Visualisation is great for reaching a common innovative view in an  international context.

Challenge: Describe your challenge, including all relevant information.

I work as a consultant in management and organization. One of my clients asked me to analyze its  activity to design a new system of information. After some workshops with the European teams (and  a lot of mind mapping), I had a clear view of what was needed except one single central thing : I had  to define what was a service and what was its lifecycle trough the operations in order to change the  operating model.

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).

I started by asking different departments to get some insights about what they considered as a  service. I collected many definitions, each incompatibles one with the others. So, a couple of weeks  ago, I assembled a team for a meeting and proposed something new. I stood in front of the  whiteboard and drew a rectangle.

“This is a service. Now let’s describe what happens to it.”

Visualization is a very useful tool in my field to summarize complex concepts on a very concise  manner. Here I wanted the people around the table to forget about their preconceived ideas from  their experience and just focus on that blank rectangle. It didn’t matter whether this rectangle was a  B2B or B2C. It didn’t matter either if it was packaged, priced or delivered. This was just a rectangle  and it was a good, neutral, start.

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).

The first participants started to tell me how the service was provided to the client. I drew some kind  of pipe to reflect the workflow. Then the commercial team stated that a service can contain several  items. As someone replied that those items should be the services packaged into something bigger, I  drew smaller rectangles into the first one. Then the financial department explained us how those  services were billed, partly to the customer and partly to its insurer. I continued drawing.

Two hours later and after a lot of back and forth to refine the initial picture, we reached an  agreement and were able to formulate a common definition. As a result, we had a brand new  definition that led later to a major change in the business model and a potential 40% growth in  revenue (which make this picture as valuable as a Chagall).

(Sorry, I am not allowed to publish neither the picture nor the definition.)

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).

This method proved very well suited to the challenge I was facing. Not only we defined what we were  talking about on a very efficient way but we also came to a lot of new valuable ideas. Actually I  expected that result but the client expressed his surprise: in his mind its employees were not able to  innovate, thus my presence ; I proved that, using the right methods, they were.

Another benefit I noticed was haw helpful was a drawing to reach an agreement at an international  level : it would have been much harder to come to a common verbal definition with English, German,  Polish, Belgian, Spanish, and French people around the table.

Approach: Describe what you might do differently next time -- applying the same tool you selected  or a different one -- and the reason(s) why.

Considering the results, I will definitely apply the same tool for similar challenges.

As an alternative usage for the same tool, I wanted to talk about the use of a good visualisation so  summarize an “sell” such a complex and rather theoretical concept. However, I spent the last days  trying to explain those results to other collaborators (mostly executives) and I’ve had some hard  times to reflect the evolution in the participant’s thinking as I only had a static drawing. Next time I  will record the whiteboard to keep track of the changes we make on the picture.


Visualisation is great for reaching a common innovative view in an international context . Challenge : Describe your challenge , including all relevant information . I work as a consultant in management and organization . One of my clients asked me to analyze its activity to design a new system of information . After some workshops with the European teams ( and a lot of mind mapping ) , I had a clear view of what was needed except one single central thing : I had to define what was a service and what was its lifecycle trough the operations in order to change the operating model . 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 ) . I started by asking different departments to get some insights about what they considered as a service . I collected many definitions , each incompatibles one with the others . So , a couple of weeks ago , I assembled a team for a meeting and proposed something new . I stood in front of the whiteboard and drew a rectangle . “ This is a service . Now let ’s describe what happens to it . ” Visualization is a very useful tool in my field to summarize complex concepts on a very concise manner . Here I wanted the people around the table to forget about their preconceived ideas from their experience and just focus on that blank rectangle . It did n’t matter whether this rectangle was a B2B or B2C. It did n’t matter either if it was packaged , priced or delivered . This was just a rectangle and it was a good , neutral , start . 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 ) . The first participants started to tell me how the service was provided to the client . I drew some kind of pipe to reflect the workflow . Then the commercial team stated that a service can contain several items . As someone replied that those items should be the services packaged into something bigger , I drew smaller rectangles into the first one . Then the financial department explained us how those services were billed , partly to the customer and partly to its insurer . I continued drawing . Two hours later and after a lot of back and forth to refine the initial picture , we reached an agreement and were able to formulate a common definition . As a result , we had a brand new definition that led later to a major change in the business model and a potential 40 % growth in revenue ( which make this picture as valuable as a Chagall ) . ( Sorry , I am not allowed to publish neither the picture nor the definition . ) 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 ) . This method proved very well suited to the challenge I was facing . Not only we defined what we were talking about on a very efficient way but we also came to a lot of new valuable ideas . Actually I expected that result but the client expressed his surprise : in his mind its employees were not able to innovate , thus my presence ; I proved that , using the right methods , they were . Another benefit I noticed was haw helpful was a drawing to reach an agreement at an international level : it would have been much harder to come to a common verbal definition with English , German , Polish , Belgian , Spanish , and French people around the table . Approach : Describe what you might do differently next time -- applying the same tool you selected or a different one -- and the reason(s ) why . Considering the results , I will definitely apply the same tool for similar challenges . As an alternative usage for the same tool , I wanted to talk about the use of a good visualisation so summarize an “ sell ” such a complex and rather theoretical concept . However , I spent the last days trying to explain those results to other collaborators ( mostly executives ) and I ’ve had some hard times to reflect the evolution in the participant ’s thinking as I only had a static drawing . Next time I will record the whiteboard to keep track of the changes we make on the picture .