Design Thinking in 90 Seconds

Summary

Design strategy involves empathizing with customers by observing their real-life behaviors and conducting open-ended interviews to uncover their true needs. Instead of asking customers what they want, designers immerse themselves in the customers' world to gain insights and brainstorm solutions. An example is an Australian supermarket chain that created an in-store milk dispenser with old-style glass bottles, offering high-quality milk and connecting customers with the origins of their produce. This approach delights customers and differentiates the store, illustrating the power of designing with empathy and insight.

Takeaways

• 🤔 Design strategy involves thinking from the customer's perspective to create solutions that meet and exceed their expectations.
• 👣 Empathy is crucial in design strategy; it's achieved by observing customers in real-life scenarios and through open-ended interviews to understand their actions and needs.
• 🔍 Observing rather than asking is key to uncovering non-obvious insights because people may not always know what they want.
• 🌐 Immersion in the customer's world helps to identify their needs, gains, and pains, leading to more effective design solutions.
• 💡 The design strategy process includes ideation, brainstorming, prototyping, and MVP development to quickly test and refine ideas.
• 📝 Prototyping involves creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to gather customer feedback and iterate on the design.
• 🔄 The design strategy starts with understanding the customer and then offers a solution, rather than starting with a solution and trying to fit it to the customer.
• 🛒 An example of successful design strategy is an Australian supermarket chain that created a unique in-store experience by observing and empathizing with customers.
• 🥛 The supermarket chain's innovative idea of an in-store milk dispenser with old-style glass bottles provided a connection to suppliers and a unique shopping experience.
• 📈 This experience not only delighted customers but also benefited suppliers by allowing them to receive a better price for their high-quality milk.
• 💖 The design strategy's success lies in its ability to connect with customers on a deeper level, engaging their hearts and minds.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of design strategy according to the transcript?

The primary focus of design strategy is to think differently by empathizing with customers, observing their real-life scenarios, and designing solutions that not only fit but also delight their needs.

Why is it important to observe people in real-life scenarios rather than just asking them what they want?

Observing people in real-life scenarios is important because it uncovers what people actually do, which may differ from what they say they want. This approach helps in discovering non-obvious insights into customer needs and behaviors.

What does the transcript suggest about the process of immersing oneself in the customer's world?

The transcript suggests that immersing oneself in the customer's world helps in understanding their needs, gains, and pains more deeply, which is essential for developing solutions that truly resonate with them.

What is the role of brainstorming in the design strategy process as described in the transcript?

Brainstorming plays a crucial role in the design strategy process by generating multiple solutions for prototyping. It encourages creative thinking and the development of an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) of ideas in the shortest possible time.

How does the transcript illustrate the importance of taking prototypes back to customers for feedback?

The transcript illustrates the importance of customer feedback by showing how prototypes are taken back to customers to ask for their thoughts. This iterative process helps refine the design strategy and ensures the solutions meet customer expectations.

What is the significance of starting with the customer and then offering the solution in design strategy?

Starting with the customer ensures that the design strategy is customer-centric, focusing on their needs and experiences. This approach leads to more effective and relevant solutions compared to starting with a solution and trying to fit it to customer needs.

Can you provide an example from the transcript of how design strategy led to a successful in-store experience?

An example from the transcript is an Australian supermarket chain that designed an in-store milk dispenser with old-style glass milk bottles. This idea delighted customers, connected them with the suppliers, and was successful across stores.

How did the supermarket chain use customer empathy to develop a unique in-store experience?

The supermarket chain used customer empathy by following customers around, interviewing them, and observing in-store behaviors. They discovered that customers wanted to feel more connected with the suppliers of their produce, leading to the idea of the in-store milk dispenser.

What was the outcome of the in-store milk dispenser idea for both customers and suppliers?

The in-store milk dispenser idea resulted in a delightful customer experience, allowing them to see details of the cows and farms that produced the milk. For suppliers, it led to receiving a better price and a unique way to connect with customers.

What alternative outcome might have occurred if the supermarket chain had simply asked customers what they wanted?

If the supermarket chain had simply asked customers what they wanted, they might have received responses like 'cheaper produce,' which would not have led to the innovative and engaging in-store experience that they ultimately created.

How does the transcript emphasize the importance of connecting with customers' hearts and minds through design strategy?

The transcript emphasizes the importance by showing that the successful design strategy goes beyond functional needs and taps into emotional connections. The in-store milk dispenser example demonstrates how a unique experience can excite customers and create a lasting impression.

Outlines

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👟 Understanding and Empathizing with Customers

Design strategy involves thinking differently by putting yourself in your customers' shoes to create solutions that meet and exceed their needs. This approach requires empathizing with customers through real-life observations and open-ended interviews to uncover what they actually do, rather than just what they say they want. Immersing yourself in the customers' world helps you understand their needs, gains, and pains, leading to non-obvious insights.

💡 Ideation and Prototyping

After empathizing with customers, the next step is to brainstorm solutions and build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) quickly. Prototypes are then taken back to customers for feedback. This iterative process ensures that design strategies start with the customer and then develop the solution, not the other way around.

🛒 Case Study: Australian Supermarket Chain

An Australian supermarket chain wanted to create a unique in-store experience to differentiate from competitors. By observing and interviewing customers, they discovered a desire for a stronger connection with produce suppliers. This insight led to the creation of an in-store milk dispenser with old-style glass bottles, allowing customers to fill bottles with high-quality milk and learn about the farms and cows that produced it. This experience delighted customers and proved successful across stores, demonstrating the power of empathy-driven design.

💖 Connecting with Customers

The supermarket's success with the milk dispenser illustrates how empathizing and observing customers can lead to innovative solutions that excite and engage them. Rather than asking customers directly what they want, which might result in generic answers like cheaper produce, the immersive approach uncovered deeper desires, connecting with customers' hearts and minds to create a unique and successful story.

Keywords

💡Design Strategy

Design strategy involves a thoughtful approach to creating solutions that meet and exceed customer expectations by understanding their needs deeply. It is central to the video's theme as it emphasizes the importance of starting from the customer's perspective to develop products or services. In the script, a design strategy is illustrated through observing customers in real-life scenarios and conducting interviews to uncover non-obvious insights.

💡Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, which is crucial in design strategy for creating solutions that resonate with customers. The video highlights the importance of empathizing with customers by immersing oneself in their world to identify their needs, gains, and pains, as demonstrated by the supermarket chain example where customers desired a connection with their produce suppliers.

💡Observation

Observation is a key method in design strategy where designers watch and analyze customer behavior in real-life settings to gain insights. The video script mentions observing customers in a supermarket to understand what they do rather than what they say they want, which led to the discovery of a desire for a more connected in-store experience.

💡Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

An MVP is a version of a new product with just enough features to satisfy early customers and provide feedback for future product development. In the context of the video, building an MVP of ideas allows for rapid prototyping and customer feedback, which is essential for refining the design strategy and ensuring the solution meets customer needs.

💡Prototyping

Prototyping is the process of creating a sample or model of a product to test and evaluate its design and functionality. The script refers to taking prototypes back to customers for feedback, which is a critical step in the design strategy to ensure the solutions align with customer expectations and preferences.

💡Customer-Centric

Being customer-centric means focusing on the customer's needs and preferences as the central point of business strategy. The video's theme revolves around this concept, as it discusses designing solutions that start with understanding the customer deeply, rather than starting with a predefined solution.

💡Innovation

Innovation in the context of the video refers to the process of developing new ideas, products, or services that are unique and engaging. The Australian supermarket chain's in-store milk dispenser is an example of innovation, as it offers a novel experience that differentiates them from competitors and delights customers.

💡Storytelling

Storytelling is the art of telling a story to engage and persuade an audience. The video mentions using storytelling to connect with customers' hearts and minds, as seen in the milk dispenser example where customers can learn about the cows and farms that produced the milk, creating an emotional connection.

💡Feedback

Feedback is the process of receiving and incorporating responses from customers to improve a product or service. The video emphasizes the importance of feedback in the design strategy process, as it allows designers to refine their solutions based on real customer experiences and opinions.

💡Unique Aging

Unique aging, as mentioned in the video, refers to the process of creating a unique experience or product that stands out in the market. The supermarket chain's milk dispenser is an example of unique aging, as it offers a one-of-a-kind in-store experience that appeals to customers' desire for connection and quality.

💡Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a creative problem-solving technique where a group generates a large number of ideas in a short time. The video script refers to brainstorming as a method to come up with multiple solutions for prototyping, which is a part of the design strategy process to find innovative solutions that meet customer needs.

Highlights

Design strategy involves thinking differently and empathizing with customers.

Observing real-life scenarios and open-ended interviews uncover non-obvious insights.

People may not know what they want, so observation is key to understanding their needs.

Immersion in the customer's world is crucial for defining non-obvious insights.

Brainstorming solutions leads to the creation of an MVP for rapid prototyping.

Prototyping allows for customer feedback on ideas in the shortest possible time.

Design strategy starts with the customer's needs before offering solutions.

An Australian supermarket chain used design strategy to enhance in-store experience.

Customers desired a connection with suppliers and a unique in-store experience.

An in-store milk dispenser with old-style glass bottles was a winning idea.

The milk dispenser allows customers to see details of the cows and farms.

The innovative experience delights customers and has been successful across stores.

Asking customers directly might have led to a demand for cheaper produce.

Empathy and observation led to an idea that excites customers and connects with their hearts and minds.

The design strategy resulted in a unique aged experience by connecting with customers.

The supermarket chain's approach sets them apart from competitors.

Suppliers receive a better price through the innovative in-store experience.

Transcripts

design strategy is about thinking

differently putting yourself in your

customers shoes to design solutions that

not only fit their needs but delight

them by empathizing through observing

people in real-life scenarios like

shopping or through open-ended

interviews to uncover what people do

rather than what they want because if

you ask people what they want they don't

necessarily know by immersing yourself

in your customers world you can

understand their needs gains and pains

how one empathize immerse yourself in

your customers world to define the

non-obvious insights three id8

brainstorm solutions for prototype build

an MVP Minimum Viable Product of ideas

in the shortest possible time then take

those prototypes back to your customers

and ask what they think design strategy

starts with the customer then offers the

solution not the other way around for

example an Australian supermarket chain

wanted to design a unique engaging in

store experience to further set them

apart from competitors so we followed

their customers around interviewed them

and watched what was happening in store

over a considerable period customers

wanted to feel more connected with the

suppliers of their produce and in-store

experience they couldn't find elsewhere

one of the winning ideas was an in-store

milk dispenser with old-style glass milk

bottles

customers filled the bottles with single

origin high quality milk they can see

details of the cows and farms that

produced it with assurance the suppliers

receive a better price this experience

delights customers and is very

successful across stores if we had asked

what customers wanted they probably have

said cheaper produce but by empathizing

living and observing we developed an

idea that not only excites customers but

gives the story unique aged by

connecting with customers hearts and

minds

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