PROCESS MAP – BRAUN

Note : I’m not a designer with clients but a person with projects.

They need to be imagined, prototyped, tested, produced,

funded…I consider all of these to be components of a design

process.

Step 00: Empathy ?

• Before the Design Thinking class, my working process rarely involved a long detailed analysis of the different stakeholder’s expressed needs, silent fears and hopes. For one, I know my stakeholders pretty well. Also if you insist too much on a methodology in France, you can lose clients, especially in the not-for-profit sector where a lot depends on “affinities”.

• I have learned that « Say, Do, Think and Feel » (as well as drawing some general conclusions about the context) are essential steps at the heart of good design.

• I wonder however, how much of the “empathy map” should be shared WITH the stakeholders….

• Conclusion : Behind every “wish” and “wishful thinking” lies a “problem” that one needs to get a handle on. Defining a “design challenge” when imagining citizen’s initiatives is important. It goes along with thinking of projects as “services”.

Step 01a: Ideate (during and after conversations).

Again, I have not « ideated » freely enough in my recent practice.

After 2-3 ideas, I usually grab one and go with it, hoping to be able to expand and change it as we progress.

It has become clear to me that my new « process » should include TONS of ideas (mine but also other project stakeholders) that we play with in order to clear the air…and agree to disagree on what to do together…

I also think it is important to categorize the ideas and see what larger themes emerge. Choosing the “most improbable”, the “easiest”, my “favorite” in order to then explore the pros and cons in greater depth also helps zero in on essential facets of a subject. All this is indispensable for being innovative !

Step 01b: Ideate and sketch

Step 02a: Technical specs + scenarios of « use »

The rapid screen designs at this stage help definefunctions and links betweentechnology and context of use.

I agree, the screens can be quite rudimentary. The important thing is to get a feel for a situation, a process, a flow…and define what doesn’t work as quickly as possible.

These diagrams also set the stagefor future graphic designs.

Step 02b :Technical specs + scenarios of use

This is a way of getting our team to agree on what we are doing….and what has to be done…

I love diagramming information flows, seeing how the parts of a given project inter-relate.

Other “scenarios” are also important, including how and when people fit in and interact…

Informal pretotyping

• Now that I’ve better understood what « design thinking » can bring, it has become clear that my « process » needs to include many many fast, informal prototypes…

• …and tests with potential stakeholders who quickly reveal shortfalls etc.

• The results of the tests need to inform a second round of pretotypes…and tests….

• …only then can a more formal level of prototyping occur…

• COMMENT : the process is iterative. For me, it doesn’t need to be very technical at first, but as we work through iterations, technical considerations come to the fore…

Step 05 : Create prototype.

Step 06 : Test prototype and collect feedback.

Detailed scenarios for testing

Drawing situations can help people better understand the nature of a project, especially one which includes a service.

Note : testing prototypes

Thus far, our “tests” have been superficial. We present screen shots and ask for feed back. We talk to end-users and sometimes to other stakeholders at one removed from the public at large. The Design Thinking class has helped impress upon us the importance of getting lots of feedback, fast and often.

Even with our superficial feed back loops, the shared insights have always had an impact on the design and “end result”….

This much said : our major problem remains the word “end”. We don’t like it.

Once a prototype has been created, it needs to evolve. With not for profit associations that depends on public funding, often a “one shot deal”.

The challenge is : how to share the responsibility of continuing the design process beyond the “finished prototype”.

This means including the stakeholders in the design process, making them “co-responsible” and personally engaged/committed to perfecting and adapting the project…over time….

Step 07 : Put finished site on line, participate in making it « come to life » and collect data…

Step 07 : Describe work in progress, with other stakeholders (often during grant writing process)

Writing up “reports” at different stages of the design process is really important.

It brings to light disagreements, new solutions, etc.

It is surprising to find out whowrites what, for what reasons andwhere each stakeholder imposeslimits on risk and sharing….

Goal : share and extend ongoing design process….

Step 08 : Promote and attempt to link project to many new contexts of use…in order to find new stakeholders, new “users”….and new projects that need a new “design”….

Step 09 : ..in order to come up with the next « step » in what is an ongoing process….

In sum : Our design process is grounded in conversation and exchange.

It centers on diagrams of how people, situations, objects and interfaces fit together and inter-relate.

It is « iterative » - we go from rough drafts to sequences of prototypes.

We have partners who use the prototypes and give us feedback.

A great deal of time is spent writing (collective) descriptions of what is at stake.

Promoting the project in a variety of contexts is part of the design work.

Now that I have a deeper understanding “Design Thinking” I shall attempt to be more open and systematic about the underlying methodology.