he Designing for { a step-by-step praject auide ) | | | JEANNE LIEDTKA, TIM OGILVIE AND RACHEL BROZENSKE eter eee] Pablishing‘Copyrighted Material Table of Contents What you'll find in this field book. And where. The Four Questions 1 ‘The Tools 4a The steps 5 Secondary Research 44 Direct Observation 46 Step 1: dentify an Opportunity 6 ethnographic interdews a Step 2: Scope Your Project 8 prec aes 7 Step 3: Draft Your Design Brief 10 Value Chain analsis a Step 4: Make Your Plans 2 aching Sa Step 5:Do Your Research 16 Forse se Step 6: Identity Insights 18 00 Sa se Step 7: Establish Design Criteria 20 ‘Goat Posts a Step &: Brainstorm Ideas 2 neared in Step 9: Develop Concepts 2 “anchors = Step 10: Create Some Napkin Pitches 6 RBA Ma ine Step 11: Surface Key Assumptions 28 Forced Connections i Step 12: Make Prototypes 0 Combinatorial Play %4 Step 13: Get Feedback from Stakeholders 32 ‘sallzaion Bases 6 Step 14: Run Your Learning Launches 34 vesaniee ‘8 Step 15: Design the On-Ramp 36 Senjbomring a Lia ila 8 o-Creation Tools 82 Templates and Resources 85 ‘An Example Project 107 ‘Acknowledgements 133The Four Questions‘Copyrighted Material 2. TheDesignng for Grouth Feld Book What is? Because our goal in addressing a challenge isto envision and implement an improved future state, iis always ‘tempting to jump right tothe future and get started solving. Many managers have been taught that creative thinking starts with brainstorming solutions. But the ‘design process is human-centered and starts with the present, not the future—it begins with what is happen: ing now. Innovative ideas are generated from insights about the current realty for real users, and without ‘those insights, the imagination starves. That is why the ‘What is stage is so important. ‘What is starts with the identification ofthe right kind ‘of problem for design thinking to solve. Then it creates ‘a design brief to move us into action. Ths stage ends with the identification of design criteria that point the ‘way toward opportunities that were always there but ‘were hidden. We call this the reframe. The reframe feeds the imagination forthe next stage: What if. By taking the time to develop deep insight into your problem or ‘opportunity and its context before you stat trying to ‘generate solutions, you are also establishing the refer- ‘ence point for change, the constraints that shape it, and the criteria for what success looks like. What if? (Once you have thoroughly explored and documented What i, you can look toward the future and one of our favorite questions: What f? The What stage looks lke the kind of creatve and generative process that we expected design thinking tobe all along, but it's surpris- ingly discipined in its approach, Thisis because we want to push beyond simplistic expressions of new possibile (the kind of output that an intial brainstorming session might produce) and ative at robust concepts that can be evalu- ated, prototyped, and (if promising enough) developed. Initially, the idea of actives ke brainstorming makes most ‘managers nervous. Its not the kind of thinking that we are trainedin ether at schoollor at work. Instead, we are ‘rained to think ctcally, to debate and poke Rees. This kind of citcal thinking isimportant—But not yet! Alot of research tells us that if we allow that kindof judg- ing into our process too eal it wil dive creative ideas right out the door. An important part of asking What Jf involves putting those hole-poking skils on hold and exploring a wide range of possibilities. Successful design thinkers use clever mental tools and tricks to get out of the habit of breaking things down and ctizng them.‘Copyrighted Material What wows? By the time we ask What wows, we have covered a lot of tertory Through the exploration of What is, ‘we learned about the stakeholders we hope to serve, Through brainstorming and concept development in (What if, we have homed in on some concepts that we believe have real potential to create value for our stake- holders and meet organizational objectives at the same time. Now itis time to make hard choices, identifying the best concepts—those that wow—in order to guide cour next steps. Typically, the "wow zone” fora business concept oc curs at the intersection of three itera: your targeted stakeholders want, you are able to produce and deliver it, and doing allows your organization to achieve its objectives To assess whether your new ideas have the potential to ‘wow, you stat by identifying the key assumptions that ‘must hold true for your concepts to be successful and the data you'd need to test them. You look atthe data you've already got to work with, Then, you create a pro- totype of your ideas that wil alow you to engage your stakeholders and get some high-quality feedback. This ill the stage for our final question, What works?, ‘when you take these concepts int the field and actually ‘est your assumptions with stakeholders. ‘The Four Questions 3 What works? Thisis the final stage ofthe design process—when your ‘exciting high-potential concepts come face-to-face with your actuel stakeholders in the real word, It represents the key cifference between invention and innovation: Invention is doing something in a novel way; innovation requires thatthe invention be implemented and create ‘value. Invention doesn’t necessarily produce better out ‘comes for real people; only innovation does that We are all tempted to fallin love withthe new concepts. ‘we have nurtured so carefully inthe fist three stages of the process. And we have stressed the idea of keeping many options open—butin real if we know itis too ‘expensive to keep all our options open and try every- thing. Yet when you develop just ane concept, you are apt to come up empty-handed if your key stakeholders ate not interested in your masterpiece. The choice of which concepts to move forward is best not lft to the same person who created them (you!) The right person isthe same one who inspired you in the frst place: the customer, Instead of observing targeted stakeholders as they navigate the world of What is, you now need ther to take a walk with you into several possible futures—and ‘to engage them in co-creating a solution with you, This means putting your prototypes in their ands and refin- ing them on the basis of their input until you arrive at 2 version that is ready for proof-of-concept testing in the ‘marketplace, using the learning launch tool. This final step ofthe journey will give you enough information to make more soid data-based investment decisions.The Steps‘Copyrighted Material 5 TheDesigning for Growth eld Book Step 1: Identify an Opportunity So that's it! Four simple questions. And we'e ready to ‘get started, We'll begin by making sure you've got the right kind of problem to work on ‘As you identify your growth opportunity i's important to.consider whether design thinking is fit for solving it Design thinking isan approach to solving problems especialy suited to conditions of high uncertainty, Its a set of methods that manage risk by placing small bets fast. This approach isnot suitable for every challenge. In many cases, more linear methods may work better. For operational challenges where the required change is ‘more incremental and where we have good data from the past that allows us to predict the future, we often find traditional analytic methods to be more resource efficient, The table shown at right wil help you choose ‘an opportunity that i suited to the unique methods of design thinking Think about Zipcar, the innovative car-sharing service ‘The original creation of Zipcar was an ideal it for design thinking, The firm set out to create a new category of ‘transportation service: car rental by the hour, with an ‘element of social responsibilty through resource sharing More than a year after Zipcar proved its model the ‘dense urban context, it sought to extend its service into small university towns. This follow-on challenge could be ‘addressed with more linear analytic methods, since the yearplus of operating data from urban markets could help eliminate many of the unknowns ‘So, as you choose where to play, use the six questions as ‘8 guide to find your opportunity Write down an area of opportunity you think you might like to explore:‘Copyrighted Material Now ask yourself the following questions: Question Is the problem human-centered? Cer) eet Deep understanding ofthe actu people (users) iwoled is bath possible 2d important Tee are Peay ‘There are few human beings involved in the problem or the solution 7 How clearly do you understand the problem itself? We have a hunch about the problem andlor opportunity, but explore and get agreement We understand the problem clearly and are sure we're solving the right one What’s the level of uncertainty? These are many unknowns age and smal), and past data unl to hep us The past sa good predictor of the future What's the degree of complexity? There are many connecting and interdependent facets ofthe problem: it shard to know where to start The path to solving the problem is clear, and analytic methods have succeeded in solving simi problems in What datas already available to you? ‘Tere i very litle evant existing data toanalyze There are several lear sources of analogous data What's your level of curiosity and influence? im excted to explore more and can get group of people wing to help me The problem feels routine to me, and [have o follow exiting systems‘Copyrighted Material 8 TheDesigning for Growth Feld Book Step 2: Scope Your Project Framing a project and refining its scope are crucial for Jot your notes here: effectively pursuing new opportunities, Use the frame- ‘work on the facing page to expand (or focus) your think ing about your projet. Start by thinking about your project in terms of the area ‘of opportunity you want to explore, and write that in the ‘enter box. Ty to start your statement with an action vet, (For example, if you're working to improve online ‘ordering for a clathing retailer, your initial statement could be something ike, "Help people buy clothes for work”) ‘Then, explore your project from both broader and narrower perspectives. s there a higher-level challenge ‘out there that might unlock more opportunity? ("Help people look and feel great") Is there a more focused project that would address a specific barrier that needs tobe addressed? (“Help people ensure that online purchases fit”) Even when your project definition seems realy clear, i's worth exploring the reasons and barriers to make sure you're aiming atthe right opportunity. Once you've looked both broad and narraw, select a project scope that feels actionable, with enough possiblity to make it interesting and enough traction that you can do some- thing aboutit.‘Copyrighted Material Thesteps 9 What is a broader area of What is a broader area of ‘opportunity around this? ‘opportunity around this? Ask yourself 5 START HERE ‘Ask yourself ‘What's one mazon Current area of opportunity: ‘What's anther reason this matters? this matters? ‘Ask yourself Ask yourself ‘What's one barrier What's another baie that gets inthe way? that getsin the way? Whats a narrower area of What isa narrower area of ‘opportunity focused on this? ‘opportunity focused on this?‘Copyrighted Material 40 the Designing for Grouth Field Book Step 3: Draft Your Design Brief ‘Awell-constructed project process is rooted in a design Jot your notes here: brief that laifies the scope of the project, its intent, the ‘questions it hopes to explore, and the target group of stakeholders—internal and external—that it wants to ‘explore them with. The design brief keeps you focused ‘on your business objectives and the strategic opportuni: ties and vulnerabilities your project is meant to address. We spend time carefully thinking through our plans and ambitions because even though ur environment is full of uncertainty, the management of our design project doesn’t need to be. Since some key elements of the design process are uncontrollable, itis all the more important to drive ambiguity out of the management of the project itself. Thats the role of your design briet—to help you get as much dat, control, and transparency into the management of your project as possible, it should also be useful for keeping important stakeholders (your boss, your partners, et) informed, ‘The design brief should be limited to two pages so that it's concise and simple to update as the project moves ahead. Here isa template you can use ‘As we move forward, we want to keep in mind that the design brie is always a workin progress that may change as our understanding of the problem evolves See D4G pages 44-46 for ational detail and examples.‘Copyrighted Material “The steps Det Project, ‘What isthe problem or opportunity? Description | Describe the project in a few sentences, as you would in an eleva Scope ‘What is within the scope ofthe project and whats outside it? What effort st adac nt to this particular projec? Constraints What constants do you need to work within? ‘What requirements musta successful solution meet? Target Users Who are you designing for Tyto be as specific as possible. Wham do you need to understand? Why re they important? Exploration What key questions will you need to answer through your research? Questions | Whatare you curious tolean about your stakeholders and how they think and behave? These may include stakeholder need o understand better, emerging teehrical possbities ard new business models Expected What outcomes would you ke to see? Outcomes Success How wil you measure success? Metrics‘Copyrighted Material 12 The Designing for Grouth Feld Book Step 4: Make Your Plans Every challenge is ifferent, so take some time to Jot your notes here: develop a plan that's custom-made for your challenge. Think about your time frame. Consider what tools you right use, (Hint: There's a great planning guide on the {acing page) Will you work alone or with others? (Hint: ‘The more the merrier especially when exploring What. isand What if) Where will you work? (Hint: “war room" or other location where you can hang posters helps) When will ou get started? The sooner the better! ‘There are three different elements you will want to consider explicitly: activites (what tools you will use and ‘what you will do}, people (the stakeholders and support ers youll rely on), and research (how youll gather data toinform your work). Let's look at each in tur,Your Project Plan ‘Copyrighted Material The steps 13 How will you approach your journey through the four questions? Take same time to investigate what tool to use and the order in which youll use them. We suggest that you read ahead now and review the upcoming steps to familiarize yourself with the array of available tools before making your choices below. Before you begin 1 Step 1: Identify an Opportunity 1 Step 2: Scope Your Project 1 Step 3 Draft Your Design Brief 1D Step 4: Make Your Plans (you are here) What is? 1 Step 5: Do Your Research 1 secondary research 1 direct observation 1D ethnographic interviews 1D job tobe done 1 value chain analysis 1 journey mapping 1 personas 1D 360 empathy 1 creating posters 1 Step 6: lent Insights 1 Step 7: Establish Design teria What if? 1 Step 8: Brainstorm ideas 1 blue cares and trigger questions 1B analogies! thief and doctor 1 wostidea 1 contra-logic 1 change perspectives 1 Step 9: Develop Concepts 1 anchors 1D bring-bul-buy map 1 forced connections 1B combinatorial play 1 Step 10: Create Some "Napkin Pitches What wows? 1 Stop 11: Surface Key Assumptions 1 Step 12: Make Prototypes 1D visualization basics 1 storyteling 1 storyboarding What works? 1 Stop 13: Get Feedback ram Stakeholders 1 co-creation tools 1B Step 14: Run Your Learing Launches 1D Step 15:Desion the On-Ramp‘Copyrighted Material 14 The Designing for Grouth Feld Book Your People Plan Now it's time to think about the human beings who are the target of your efforts or whose help you need in order to succeed. Think about the whole range of people your project might impact—customers (internal and externa), col leagues, partners, decision makers, thought leaders, competitors. List ther here. ‘Whois already in your network? What's the status of your relationship? Who's notin your network? Where will ou locate them? What's your strategy for engaging the ones most critical to your success? ‘One key when approaching a project full of ambiguity isto take the time to consider people as the complex, multi- faceted creatures they are, complete with needs and wants and motivations, Not only will your efforts help you build ‘alignment and support, they might also provide insights and clues to opportunities that await. Think about a few ofthe most important stakeholders —customers, colleagues, partners—whose cooperation you need and ask yourself the folowing questions: Stakeholder/User #1 Stakeholder/User #2 Stakeholder/User #3 Name Name Name Whats theicurent point of view? How | Whatis their curent point of view? How | Whats ther current point of view? How wither behavior or actions need tobe | wiltheirbehavioror actions need tobe | wil ther behavior or actons need tobe different inorder to adress my challenge? | different inorder to address my chalenge? | diferentin order to adress my challenge? \What am curious aboutrelatedto this | Whatam| curious about related to this | Whatam| curious about related to this stakeholder stakeholder stakeholder How-an | develop empathy for this How can! develop empathy for tis How can I develop empathy for this stakeholder stakeholder stakeholder‘Copyrighted Material The steps 15 Your Research Plan \When it comes to design thinking, our inspiration comes frorn data. But it’s not simply data that we've grown accus- tomed to from reading financial ports and studying compiled survey data. Instead, we're looking for data on a very human scale—indlvidual stories about people and their needs and how they relate to your opportunity Take a moment to think about whom you might eed to interview or observe in order to gather thiskind of human-centered data, Later on inthe field book, youl explore afew different approaches to help you gather the information and make sense Cf it In the meantime, use ths space to begin your research plan. You can always come back later to add to or adjust Poe Cr UD Peed Se oe ot Cen ae the team is eer eon oa eer cae happen? | responsible?