10

Design
Thinking
Tools TURN
CREATIVITY
AND DATA
INTO
GROWTH
FACULTY RESEARCH FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA DARDEN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
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Visualization

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to create better value for customers along
the chain and uncovers important clues
Visualization is about using images.
about partners’ capabilities and intentions.
It’s not about drawing; it’s about visual
Value chain analysis is the business-side
thinking. It pushes us beyond using
equivalent of customer journey mapping.
words or language alone. It is a way of unlocking a
It begins by working backward from value
different part of our brains that allows us to think
creation for the ultimate end customer and
nonverbally and that managers might not normally
then adding the capabilities and bargaining
use.
power of other key suppliers.
When you explain an idea using
words, the rest of us will form our own
mental pictures, usually informed by
our training. When you say, “We need a
new growth platform,” the IT specialist
sees servers and code and the marketing
guru sees an advertising campaign.
If instead you present your idea to us
by drawing a picture of it, you reduce
the possibility of unmatched mental

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models.

Journey Mapping
Journey mapping (or
experience mapping) is an
ethnographic research method that focuses on tracing

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the customer’s “journey” as he or she interacts with
an organization while in the process of receiving a Mind Mapping
service, with special attention to emotional highs and
Mind mapping is used to
lows. Experience mapping is used with the objective of
represent how ideas or other
identifying needs that customers are often unable to
items are linked to a central idea and
articulate.
to each other. Mind maps are used to
It’s done by laying out a hypothetical view of what
generate, visualize, structure and classify
a certain customer group’s journey looks like, even
ideas to look for patterns and insights that
the part that doesn’t include your firm. Then conduct
provide key design criteria. We do this by
pilot interviews with a small number of customers to
displaying the data and asking people to
be sure you’re accurately capturing the steps. Finally,
cluster them in ways that allow themes
identify essential moments of truth and themes from
and patterns to emerge. To succeed, mind
the interviews and identify a number of dimensions
mapping must be a team sport.
that you believe to be useful in understanding the
Tap into the power of visualization to
differences in the data you have gathered. The purpose
communicate the key components of what
is to produce a set of hypotheses for testing.
we have learned and display them as clearly

3
and simply as possible. Create posters that
Value Chain Analysis capture key themes and trends in the data,
Value chain analysis examines how an then invite a group of thoughtful people to
organization interacts with value chain tour the visual data and note any learnings
partners to produce, market and distribute that they believe should inform new ideas,
new offerings. Analysis of the value chain offers ways then cluster those learnings into themes.
Look for connections between clusters and

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We tend to get anxious about showing customers unfinished, unpolished “stuff.” Get
over it. Innovation is about the learning, and customers have the most to teach us.

insights. Pose the question, “Based on what following three categories: what you know, what
we have learned, if anything were possible, you don’t know and can’t know, and what you don’t
what attributes would our design have?” know but could. The third category is pay dirt for the

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creation of thought experiments. Identify what it
would take to get the data quickly, then design your
Rapid Concept
thought experiment, paying special attention to the
Development
data that could prove you wrong.
Rapid concept development

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assists us in generating
hypotheses about potential new business
Rapid Prototyping
opportunities. Rapid prototyping techniques allow us
In the first stage, we take the design to make abstract new ideas tangible to
criteria, the customer personas and their potential partners and customers. These
pain points and the value chain insights include storyboarding, user scenarios, experience
we have unearthed in our research and journeys and business concept illustrations — all of
use all of it to generate new ideas — lots which encourage deep involvement by important
of them. In the second stage, we assemble stakeholders to provide feedback.
the ideas into a manageable number of Prototyping is all about minimizing the “I” in ROI.
interesting concepts. Finally, in stage The cost of a simple 2-D prototype could be as low as
three, we elaborate on the business design a pen and some paper. Business concept prototypes
behind that handful of concepts. We want generally take visual and narrative forms: images and
to generate ideas quickly and get them out stories. They can even include role-playing and skits.
to customers to have a look at them as soon Play with your prototype; don’t defend it. Let others
as possible. validate it — not the people who created it.

Assumption Testing
Assumption testing focuses
on identifying assumptions
underlying the attractiveness
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of a new business idea and using available
Customer Co-creation
Customer co-creation incorporates
techniques that allow managers to 8
data to assess the likelihood that these
assumptions will turn out to be true. These
assumptions are then tested through
thought experiments, followed by field
experiments.
Once you have determined which
assumptions are most critical to the
potential attractiveness of your new
concept, identify the data that allows you
to conclusively test key assumptions. Here,
we are identifying the information we need
and then figuring out how to get it.
Sort the data you need into one of the

10 Design Thinking Tools 3

Darden Ideas to Action

engage a customer while in the process

of generating and developing new
business ideas of mutual interest. They
are among the most value-enhancing,
risk-reducing approaches to growth
and innovation.
In our Six Sigma world, which
values perfection and polish, we tend to
get anxious about showing customers
unfinished, unpolished “stuff.” Get over
it. Innovation is about the learning, and
customers have the most to teach us.
The sooner we get something in front
of them that they can react to, the faster
we will get to a differentiated value-
added solution.
Engage a diverse and candid group
of customers one at a time. Provide
them with visual stimulus, but nothing fancy at

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this stage. Leaving parts of the concept incomplete
Storytelling
is a great way to elicit the customers’ creativity and Storytelling is exactly how it
competence. Offer two or three options and begin sounds: weaving together a
exploring one they are drawn to. story rather than just making
a series of points. It is a close relative of

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visualization — another way to make new
Learning Launches
ideas feel real and compelling. Visual
Learning launches are designed to test storytelling is actually the most compelling
the key underlying value-generating type of story. All good presentations —
assumptions of a potential new-growth whether analytical or design-oriented — tell a
initiative in the marketplace. In contrast to a full persuasive story.
new-product rollout, a learning launch is a learning Like images, stories allow us to access
experiment conducted quickly and inexpensively to emotions and emphasize experiences. They
gather market-driven data. add the richness of context and allow us to
We call them launches, rather than experiments, “sell” a problem as well as its solution. With
because they are meant to feel real to both launchers any luck, they keep their audiences awake.
and customers. Only then can they yield reliable data. Good stories follow some basic principles:
They are an extension of the co-creation process, but Be sure to identify your audience. It is critical
at this stage, we are asking customers to put their to create a storyboard; it allows us to pay
money where their mouths are. People who say they careful attention to flow and logic. Set the
will buy remain only potential customers. The only scene to sell the problem, make your cast of
true test of the value of an idea for customers is their characters feel real and work the plot; all good
willingness to part with cold hard cash. (For more on stories unfold with some tension, and maybe
learning launches, please see “The Learning Launch: some surprises develop — here is where you
How to Grow Your Business With the Scientific think about how to combine data and pictures
Method.”) to drive home your points. For the climax,
unveil your resolution to the problem. Make
it compelling. And don’t forget the use of
metaphors and analogies to bring your story to
life! ▪

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JEANNE LIEDTKA is the United About Darden Executive Education

Technologies Corporation Professor Darden Executive Education is a top-
of Business Administration at the ranked, global provider of executive
Darden School of Business. She development. Delivered by the University
is an expert on design thinking of Virginia Darden School Foundation and
and how it can be used to fuel taught by the Darden School of Business’
innovation and organic growth. Her highly acclaimed faculty, Darden Executive
upcoming book, Design Thinking for Education prepares and inspires leaders
the Greater Good, studies design-led to succeed in a global marketplace.
innovation projects in government Offering more than 30 short courses and
and social sectors. partnering with leading organizations
worldwide to develop custom business
solutions, we provide personalized,
transformational learning experiences at
our location in Charlottesville, Virginia,
in Washington, D.C., and online. Darden
shapes the way the world does business
through our research — energized by 10
research Centers of Excellence — and
This article originally appeared on Darden Ideas to Action on draws upon our collective knowledge
22 July 2016. and experience to cultivate responsible,
innovative leaders.
COPYRIGHT © 2017
THE RECTOR AND VISITORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Darden Ideas to Action shares business knowledge —

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University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

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