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Insights for

Innovation
Seeing with New Eyes

IDEO U
© 2018
Insights for
Innovation
A Toolkit For Seeing With New Eyes

ABOUT THIS TOOLKIT WITHIN THIS TOOLKIT YOU’LL FIND

Throughout the IDEO U Insights for Innovation course,  +  A n overview of each lesson
we have created a set of activities for you to do, so you
 +  Tips
can “learn by doing” along the way.
 +  Advanced materials
These tools are a companion piece for the course, but
have also been designed to be useful to you on your  +  Project Assignment Worksheets
own projects. The more you continue to practice this in
 +  A nd much much more
your work, the better you’ll get at discovering insights
that inspire innovation. We encourage you to keep practicing and have fun!

IDEO U • INTRODUCTION • INSIGHTS FOR INNOVATION © 2018 • 2


Choosing a
Challenge

IDEO U
Lesson 0 Assignment: Choosing your
project challenge
We believe in learning by doing. Consider your five-week experience a sandbox – or a place to take risks and try out new
methods. You need a problem on which to practice these insights-gathering tools, so that at the end of the course you feel
equipped to take them out and apply them to the challenges in your own organizations and communities.

What is a WHAT IS A PROJECT CHALLENGE? TIPS FOR CHOOSING A CHALLENGE


• Consider a problem you aren’t as familiar with. It is
project A project challenge is a “How might we” statement that
invites you to apply what you’ve learned in this course to easier to see with fresh eyes in a new context, because you
come in with fewer assumptions.
challenge? a “real life” situation or scenario.
• What excites you? Choose a challenge you can’t wait to dig
We have crafted a series of project challenges for you to into. (We think that all of these challenges offer opportunities
choose from. Framing your own challenge can be difficult and to uncover rich, important insights.)
time consuming – it could take the whole five weeks if you let • Who do you have access to? We want to make sure you
it! We instead want you to be able to jump right into trying out can go out and explore your challenge over these five weeks, so
these new skills. choose one you feel confident about being able to immerse in.

The challenge you select will serve as the common thread EXPLORING YOUR CHALLENGE
throughout your course experience. Each assignment will
After choosing your challenge, consider the
help you explore your chosen challenge from a new angle, and
following questions:
position you for the final project.
++ What existing assumptions might you have around
CHALLENGES
the challenge?
++ How might we design new products and services
for the modern 70 year old? ++ W hy is there a chance for a new opportunity in the
current landscape?
++ How might we design a better experience for people on
public transportation in your area? ++ What makes this challenge appealing to you and
what do you hope to learn and explore?
++ How might we inspire households to adopt healthier
eating habits?
++ How might we encourage children to read more?

++ How might we encourage more purposeful collaboration


in the workplace?
IDEO U • INTRODUCTION • CHOOSING YOUR PROJECT CHALLENGE © 2018 • 4
Choose a Challenge:
Modern 70 Year Old
Take a closer look at each of our project challenges.

Challenge HOW MIGHT WE PROVIDE NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES


FOR THE MODERN 70 YEAR OLD?
Time passes, and we age. That’s about as certain as death
and taxes. As we age, our daily routines can become trickier.
Fortunately, there are many products that help with the
aging process. You might have noticed the buttons on your
grandfather’s telephone that appear larger than life. Or maybe
lifts on public transportation that allow the elderly to get to
their seat easier. Or even a service for improving quality of
life, like global tourism for senior citizens. But what else has
yet to be invented? How might you provide new products and
services for today’s 70 year old?

IDEO U • INTRODUCTION • CHOOSING YOUR PROJECT CHALLENGE © 2018 • 5


Choose a Challenge:
Public Transportation
Take a closer look at each of our project challenges.

Challenge HOW MIGHT WE IMPROVE THE COMMUTING EXPERIENCE FOR


PEOPLE ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN YOUR AREA?
Since the Industrial Revolution, public transportation
has moved large numbers of people within residential
and commercial districts and from urban areas to towns,
suburbs, and villages cost-effectively and efficiently. Research
has shown that public transportation can improve health
benefits, save people and cities money, bridge gaps in social
and economic mobility, and improve our environment.
Unfortunately, many people dread their commute each
day, and as a result, more people choose other methods
of transportation. But what if we reimagined the public
transportation system? How might you improve the
commuting experience for people on public transportation
in your area?

IDEO U • INTRODUCTION • CHOOSING YOUR PROJECT CHALLENGE © 2018 • 6


Choose a Challenge:
Healthier Eating Habits
Take a closer look at each of our project challenges.

Challenge HOW MIGHT WE INSPIRE HOUSEHOLDS TO ADOPT HEALTHIER


EATING HABITS?
As a child, would you rather have eaten carrots or dessert?
For most children, the answer is dessert. It just tastes
better at that age. In 2013, an estimated 43 million children
(under the age of five) suffered from early obesity globally,
a 60% increase since 1990. Some might blame this increase
on a shift in exercise habits with the advent of video games,
tablets, and cell phones. Others might point to the family
structure and a decline in family mealtime routines.
Regardless of the cause, children have less focus and energy
without proper nutritional intake. So, what might you do
to solve this challenge? How might you inspire households
to adopt healthier eating habits?

IDEO U • INTRODUCTION • CHOOSING YOUR PROJECT CHALLENGE © 2018 • 7


Choose a Challenge:
Children Reading
Take a closer look at each of our project challenges.

Challenge HOW MIGHT WE ENCOURAGE CHILDREN TO READ MORE?


Reading has been proven to have extremely positive efects
on childhood development. Children who are avid readers
often have better communication skills, more empathy,
higher self-esteem, and advanced brain development.

Yet studies have shown that reading for pleasure


has declined sharply in recent years for children.
Interestingly enough, the digital revolution has
dramatically increased platforms to read on. But therein
might lie the problem. Children are choosing to chat with
friends online, watch movies and television, and game
instead of reading for pleasure. But what if we could make
reading fun again? How might you get kids to read more?

IDEO U • INTRODUCTION • CHOOSING YOUR PROJECT CHALLENGE © 2018 • 8


Choose a Challenge:
Collaboration in the Workplace
Take a closer look at each of our project challenges.

Challenge HOW MIGHT WE ENCOURAGE MORE PURPOSEFUL


COLLABORATION IN THE WORKPLACE?
When tackling complex challenges in the workplace, it’s
important to bring together diverse perspectives and skill
sets. Once in place, teams need to find ways to collaborate.
Collaboration in the workplace isn’t getting any easier:
individuals can be spread out across the globe, share different
values, and feel pressure to be independently efficient rather
than collaborative.

What might you do to promote cross-pollination and different


ways of working together? How might you encourage more
purposeful collaboration in the workplace?

IDEO U • INTRODUCTION • CHOOSING YOUR PROJECT CHALLENGE © 2018 • 9


Practice
Observing

IDEO U
Practice
Observing
IDEO U Lesson Overview

LEARNING GOAL ACTIVITIES MINDSET INTRODUCTION

The goal of this lesson is to


help you practice how to
What’s in your bag?
Warm up by getting curious. BE CURIOUS Observing is listening with
your eyes. In this course
listen with your eyes in order you’ll be discovering how
to understand what people Whose life? TOOLS to listen with your eyes
value and care about. Practice interpreting what to what people care about
you see. Observation worksheets, through their spaces, with
journal to take notes, their objects and how they
Whose life? pen, camera to document interact with other people.
Learn what an expert sees. whenever possible.
Whose life?
Compare an observation to
an interview.

HOW TO

6 Tips for Observing.


What to look for in the
real world.

PROJECT ASSIGNMENT

Plan the who, what and where


for your Project Challenge
observations.

IDEO U • PRACTICE OBSERVING • LESSON OVERVIEW © 2018 • 11


6 Tips for
Observing
Use these tips when planning and
conducting observations.

OBSERVE LIKE A PRO TAKE NOTE

To heighten your attention before and during an observation: WHAT What are they doing? What sparks your curiosity?

1  Look for things that prompt behavior


HOW  H
 ow are they doing it? Are there any behaviors or
2 Look for adaptations objects involved?

3 Look for what people care about WHY  Why are they doing it?

4 Look for body language

5 Look for patterns


REMEMBER

6 Look for the unexpected Approach your observations with an open and curious mind.
Stay away from generalizations, judgment, evaluation,
assumptions, and prescriptions (should/would/could).

IDEO U • PRACTICE OBSERVING • 6 TIPS FOR OBSERVING © 2018 • 12


Advanced Observation Tips
Here are some advanced tips to help you prepare for your observations.

What to A O
Look for ACTIVITIES. What activities areOBJECTS. Are there any
people engaged in? Why might objects being used? If so, how,
these activities be important? and why are they important?

E U
ENVIRONMENTS. Take note USERS. Interview users to
of spaces and locations. better understand their
What’s unique about them? needs.
How do they support or
frustrate people?

I
INTERACTIONS. Who’s
interacting with users in this
context? What’s the purpose
of these interactions? What’s
the tone?

IDEO U • PRACTICE OBSERVING • ADVANCED INTERVIEW TIPS © 2018 • 13


Try It: Lesson 1 Assignment TIME ESTIMATE

1.5 HRS

Practice Observing
Now it’s time for you to practice listening with your eyes. We want you to get
out in the world and start observing your target audience and their behaviors.
STEP 1—PLAN FOR OBSERVING

Create an observation plan, with answers to these four questions:

WHO TO VIEW? WHERE TO GO ONLINE? WHERE TO GO OFFLINE? WHAT THINGS TO


What types of people do Where can you observe Where can you observe WATCH FOR?

you want to observe in your target audience your target audience in the What are you curious to
order to learn and get online? Are they on social real world? learn? What themes will
inspired? media? you be looking for?

STEP 2—OBSERVE OTHERS

Choose 1-2 people and observe them. Practice using the 6 Tips for Observing and pay attention to how and why people do what
they do. Bring your notebook, your plan, and a camera.

STEP 3—SHARE BACK

Create a high-level summary of how you practiced observing. Bring it to life with a photo, story or quotation.

WHO DID YOU OBSERVE? WHERE DID YOU OBSERVE? WHAT ARE 1-3 IF YOU’RE FEELING BOLD,
OBSERVATIONS THAT WHAT MIGHT BE MOTIVATING
SPARKED YOUR CURIOSITY? THE BEHAVIOR YOU
OBSERVED?

REFLECT ON YOUR PROJECT CHALLENGE

Considering what you observed, where are you curious to dig deeper and learn more? Think about user groups, specific contexts,
or scenarios. Your observations should pique areas of interest around your challenge that you will further explore during
interviewing.
IDEO U • PRACTICE OBSERVING • PROJECT ASSIGNMENT © 2018 • 14
Learning
from
Extremes

IDEO U
Learning
from
Extremes
IDEO U Lesson Overview
LEARNING GOAL WHY MINDSET INTRODUCTION

The goal of this lesson is to


understand how learning
Why We Learn from Extremes.
Stretching beyond STRETCH Through instruction and
hands-on activities, you’ll
from extreme perspectives assumptions. learn why it’s important
can stretch your thinking TOOLS to look at extremes, and how
so that you can see beyond to go about identifying
your assumptions and get
ACTIVITIES Worksheet for coming up extreme people to interview
to bold, new ideas. Identifying Extremes. with your own extremes, and observe.
Finding edges to explore. Post-its and markers for
brainstorming, and your
Experts Identify Extremes. journal to take notes
Watch an IDEO team
in action.


PROJECT ASSIGNMENT

Identify extremes to learn


from for your Project
Challenge and interview/
observe one of them.

IDEO U • LEARNING FROM EXTREMES • LESSON OVERVIEW © 2018 • 16


Identifying
Extremes
You can learn a lot from extreme behaviors.
You just need to know where to look for them.

Steps to STEP 1 STEP 2

Identify What lenses can you use to identify possible extremes?


Consider:
Take your lens and think about how you can stretch the
edges of that lens to imagine and identify specific people
Extremes  + Demographics (age, gender, ethnicity) and behaviors?
 + Behaviors (experts vs. newbies)
 + Motivations (what drives someone to do something) STRETCH = LEVEL OF COOKING EXPERIENCE

Has never Does it as a


done it Does it regularly professional

Extremes Extremes

a cooking class for a chef at a top


young children restaurant

GET SPECIFIC = WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

IDEO U • LEARNING FROM EXTREMES • PROJECT ASSIGNMENT © 2018 • 17


Balancing
Extremes
Here are some advanced tips for
learning from extremes.

Strive for You’ll want to be mindful of getting a balanced perspective.


Balance If you only observe and interview experts, for example,
you’ll only hear a particular set of perspectives.

If the extremes you choose aren’t well balanced, and you have
a good reason for this, just be sure to articulate why.

UNBALANCED PERSPECTIVE

IDEO U • LEARNING FROM EXTREMES • ADVANCED TIPS—BALANCING EXTREMES © 2018 • 18


Try It: Lesson 2 Assignment TIME ESTIMATE

1 HR

Identify Extremes (1/2)


Extremes help us get out of our comfort zones and stretch beyond normal
ways of thinking. Identify 5-8 extreme people or behaviors to help you see new
angles of your project challenge.

STEP 1—DESCRIBE TYPICAL USERS TO COME UP WITH LENSES

Describe the typical users of your project challenge in terms of their demographics and behaviors. Your answers to
these two questions are ‘lenses’ you’ll use to stretch your thinking. Come up with 2-3 lenses that can help identify extreme
people and behaviors.

WHAT ARE THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS? WHAT ARE THEIR BEHAVIORS?


(e.g. age, income level, occupation, life stage, culture) (e.g. level of expertise, familiarity with a product or service,
preferences, routines, social norms, motivations, things they
do or say)

IF YOU NEED INSPIRATION, CONSIDER USING SOME OF THESE


COMMON LENSES:

Level of expertise (newbie to expert)


Attitudes (liberal to conservative)
Income level (low to high)
Life stage (independent to relies on others)
Familiarity with a product or service (low to high)
Social media behaviors (uninterested to addicts)
Attitude toward tech (luddite to early adopter)
Exercise habits (inactive to hyper healthy)

IDEO U • LEARNING FROM EXTREMES • PROJECT ASSIGNMENT © 2018 • 19


Try It: Lesson 2 Assignment TIME ESTIMATE

1 HR

Identify Extremes (2/2)


Extremes help us get out of our comfort zones and stretch beyond normal
ways of thinking. Identify 5-8 extreme people or behaviors to help you see new
angles of your project challenge.

STEP 2—IDENTIFY EXTREMES STRETCH EXAMPLE = LEVEL OF COOKING EXPERIENCE

Has never Does it as a


Choose one lens, and come up with five to eight potential done it Does it regularly professional
extremes. This could be people, behaviors, or extreme
situations. Who are a few people you might learn from,
attitudes they might possess, or situations you might observe?
Sketch it out, go beyond broad demographics (e.g. young and
old), and get specific.
Extremes Extremes
WHAT ARE YOU CURIOUS TO LEARN?

Select one to two extremes and consider what you are curious
to learn from each.

Note: In the next assignment you will dive into interviewing.


Use this brainstorm to help identify potential people you might
talk to and questions you might ask during an interview. a cooking class for a chef at a top
young children restaurant

GET SPECIFIC = WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

IDEO U • LEARNING FROM EXTREMES • PROJECT ASSIGNMENT © 2018 • 20


Conducting
A Great
Interview

IDEO U © 2018 • 21
Conducting
A Great
Interview
IDEO U Lesson Overview
LEARNING GOAL ACTIVITIES MINDSET INTRODUCTION

The goal of this lesson is to


learn how to conduct a great
An Interview Gone Wrong.
And how to make it right DEEPEN Asking the right kinds of
questions is just one aspect of
interview so you can get  becoming a great interviewer.
deeper, more honest answers TOOLS Setting the stage is equally as
HOW TO
that inspire great insights. important. The activities and
5 Tips for Interviewing. Interview worksheets, tools in this lesson will help
Conducting an awesome materials to bring to your you hone your skills at both.
conversation. interview potentially
including: your journal
to take notes, audio recorder,
PROJECT ASSIGNMENT camera to capture photos,
Prepare questions for your discussion guide, consent
interviews and set the stage forms, compensation and pen.
for trust, openness and
sharing. Conduct 2 great
interviews for your Project
Challenge.

IDEO U • CONDUCTING A GREAT INTERVIEW • LESSON OVERVIEW © 2018 • 22


5 Tips for
Interviewing
Use the following 5 tips to design and conduct
an awesome conversation.
Semi-structured interviews follow a discussion guide, which helps
keep the conversation on target, but still allows for spontaneity.
The goal is to empathize with interviewees and to see things from
their point of view.

Interview ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS BUILD RAPPORT

Discussion Open-ended questions allow room to truly hear how a


person experiences the world. Interviews are more fruitful
Your body language, how you listen, the tone of your voice and
your posture matter as much—if not more—than the questions
Guide as a conversation. Always ask participants to explain you ask.
their reasoning. Keep asking “why” until you get to the
underlying meaning. + BODY LANGUAGE
Non-verbal cues such as eye contact, nodding, and smiling
signal that you’re engaged and interested.
SHOW ME
+ MINIMIZING YOUR PRESENCE
Ask participants to show you the things they interact
with (objects, spaces, tools) instead of just talking about them. Try not to make interviewees feel that you’re more
It might prompt an even richer conversation. Don’t be afraid knowledgeable than they are. Avoid making them feel
to ask: “Can you show us how you do that?” tested or interrogated.

START BROAD AND FINISH DEEP MIND THE GAP

Pacing matters. First, get to know the person, then explore Keep in mind, what they say might not match up with what
your topics of interest and conclude by digging deeper into the they do. They might not be able to verbalize—or even be aware
most interesting areas. of—what they need. Tune into the things that don’t match up—
said or not said. Then ask!

IDEO U • CONDUCTING A GREAT INTERVIEW • 5 TIPS FOR INTERVIEWING © 2018 • 23


Advanced
Interview Tips
Here are some advanced tips for
conducting a great interview.

Helpful TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHEN… ALLOW FOR PREGNANT PAUSES.

Tips for Ask participants to tell a story about an event in their past,
e.g. “Tell me about a time when you made a significant
Try not to fill any silence. After asking a question give them
time to reflect and answer. Don’t assume you know what
Going discovery in your lab.” they’re going to say or put words in their mouth. Let them
articulate their thoughts in their own words.
Deeper 5 WHY’S. THINK ALOUD.
STAY UNBIASED.
Asking “why” in response As participants perform an
to five consecutive answers exercise, ask them to think Observe and ask questions without judging. Don’t correct,
pushes the interviewee aloud to uncover relevant refute or challenge.
to examine and express the motivations, concerns,
motivations behind their perceptions and reasoning.
INTERVIEW CURVE // 60–90 MINS
behavior and attitudes.
Thank
Evoke Yous
ASK NAÏVE QUESTIONS. Stories
Project
Unassuming questions encourage people to explain the Introductions
logic of their behaviors. Be careful to pose these questions
with genuine curiosity to avoid sounding patronizing.
Emotional
Highpoint
Introduce Build Push
Yourself Rapport Back

IDEO U • CONDUCTING A GREAT INTERVIEW • ADVANCED INTERVIEW TIPS © 2018 • 24


Capturing
an Interview
It can be easy to forget to capture useful thoughts
and images for storytelling after an interview.
Here are some prompts to help you in the moment.

What to CAPTURE NOTES ABOUT TOP 3 IMAGES TO CAPTURE DURING EACH INTERVIEW

Capture + Interesting Quotes CONTEXT SHOT In-home, environment, city

During the + Problems PORTRAIT SHOT A close-up in context, action shot

Interview + Opportunities ARTIFACT SHOT Close-up that gives insight into their


personal story
+ Interpretations

+ Ideas

+ Insights

IDEO U • CONDUCTING A GREAT INTERVIEW • ADVANCED INTERVIEW TIPS © 2018 • 25


Try It: Lesson 3 Assignment TIME ESTIMATE

Conduct an Interview
1.5 HRS

As you plan for and conduct an interview, think back to our tips for interviewing
and how you might use these to get to deeper, more honest answers.
STEP 1—PLAN YOUR INTERVIEW

First, you’ll have to choose your interviewee. If you are able, find one of the people you identified in your Extremes assignment, or
someone related to your project challenge. However, interviewing a friend, family member, or colleague is also a valuable way to
practice.

Identify topics that you want to learn more about and write eight to ten questions that will help you do just that. Return to the 5
Tips for Interviewing for guidance.

These questions should range from getting to know someone, to theme-specific questions for your project challenge, to digging
deeper into specific areas of interest. Have at least one or two questions that will help you explore the extreme attitudes,
behaviors and situations you brainstormed in Assignment 2.

Remember, be wary of leading and ‘yes or no’ questions!


STEP 2—CONDUCT YOUR INTERVIEW

Conduct your interview. Set the stage, ask your questions, and listen actively.

STEP 3—SHARE BACK

Create a high-level summary of your interview. Capture a few key quotes. Include a photo, video clip, or tell a story.

WHO DID YOU INTERVIEW? WHAT ARE 1-3 HIGHLIGHT MOMENTS FROM THE INTERVIEW?
Why did these stick out to you? Maybe it gave you a window
into motivations, unmet needs, or the WHY...?

REFLECT ON YOUR PROJECT CHALLENGE

How has your understanding of your selected problem and your focus evolved based on what you uncovered in your interview?
Remember, each assignment will help you understand your project challenge from a new point of view, and set you up to craft
your final insights.

IDEO U • CONDUCTING A GREAT INTERVIEW • PROJECT ASSIGNMENT © 2018 • 26


Immersing
in Empathy

IDEO U © 2018 • 27
Immersing
in Empathy
IDEO U Lesson Overview

LEARNING GOAL WHY MINDSET INTRODUCTION

The goal of this lesson


is to learn how to create
Why Empathy Matters.
A visceral way to inspire SENSE Empathy experiences are
important because they
immersive experiences that action. help us look beyond our
get you beyond intellectual TOOLS assumptions by putting
understanding to obtain ourselves in the shoes of
ACTIVITIES
a more visceral sense of Empathy Worksheets will the people we’re designing
another’s perspective. An Exercise in Empathy. help you design and try for. Emotional triggers
Cycling commutes an immersive experience. are motivating for both
around the world Use your journal to capture individuals and teams. And
 thoughts and whenever sharing these emotional
possible document your experiences helps bond and
HOW TO experience with your camera. align colleagues and clients
4 Tips for Empathy around a common goal.
Immersion. Immersive empathy is one of
Ways to experience new the most powerful tools we
perspectives.  use in our work at IDEO.

PROJECT ASSIGNMENT Of course, aspects of empathy


are embedded in all of the
Design and conduct an lessons throughout this
immersive empathy course, but the difference here
experience for your Project is that you are immersing
Challenge. yourself directly into an
experience to evoke empathy.

IDEO U • IMMERSING IN EMPATHY • LESSON OVERVIEW © 2018 • 28


4 Tips for
Empathy
Immersion
Designing immersive empathy experiences for
yourself can be challenging. Here are a few tips to
help you get started.

Ways to 1 CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE.

Design an Think of ways you can alter your perspective to better relate
to someone who sees things differently than you do. See what
Immersive you discover.

Empathy 2 LIMIT YOURSELF.

Experience Consider who you’re designing for and any aspect of their
experience that you might take for granted. What happens
when you take that ability away from yourself?

3 DO IT YOURSELF.
Have you personally experienced the products, services or
experiences you’re creating? How can you do something
firsthand to understand what it might feel like?

4 ENGAGE IN AN ANALOGOUS EXPERIENCE.


Is there some quality of the experience you are designing
(confusion? steep learning curve? fast pace?) that you could
experience analogously?

IDEO U • IMMERSING IN EMPATHY • 4 TIPS FOR EMPATHY IMMERSION © 2018 • 29


Try It: Lesson 4 Assignment TIME ESTIMATE

Conduct an Empathy Experience (1/2)


1.5 HRS

Design and conduct an empathy experience to better understand a different perspective.


The following steps will help walk you through the planning and implementation process.

STEP 1—PLAN FOR WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN

Think about people you want to better understand for your project challenge. If you could walk in their shoes, what would you
want to know? Come up with five different answers to this question:

WHAT’S IT FEEL LIKE TO _______?


Consider common challenges, demographics, behaviors,
motivations, lifestyles, and needs.

STEP 2—BRAINSTORM IDEAS

Using the 4 Tips for Empathy Immersion (Change your Perspective, Limit Yourself, Do it Yourself, and Engage in an
Analogous Experience) as your inspiration, brainstorm 5-10 ideas for experiences that would help you better understand a
different perspective.

STEP 3—DESIGN IT

Pick one of your ideas for an empathy experience and design it in more detail by answering the following questions.

WHAT WILL YOU DO? HOW WILL YOU DO IT? WHAT PROPS OR TOOLS DO WHOSE HELP WILL
YOU NEED? YOU NEED?

IDEO U • IMMERSING IN EMPATHY • PROJECT ASSIGNMENT

© 2018 • 30
Try It: Lesson 4 Assignment TIME ESTIMATE

Conduct an Empathy Experience (2/2)


1.5 HRS

Design and conduct an immersive empathy experience to better understand


a different perspective.

STEP 4—CONDUCT YOUR EMPATHY EXPERIENCE

As you carry out your empathy experience, make note of how you feel, what you are learning and what is surprising.

STEP 5—SHARE BACK

Create a high-level summary of the empathy experience you conducted.

WHAT DID YOU DO? AND HOW DID IT FEEL? WHAT ARE 1-3 HIGHLIGHTS FROM YOUR EMPATHY EXPERIENCE?
Describe your empathy experience and how you conducted Summarize any moments that stood out or your reflections
it. To help bring it to life, include illustrations or photos. on what you learned.

REFLECT ON YOUR PROJECT CHALLENGE

How has your understanding of your project challenge evolved based on what you uncovered during your empathy experience?
Remember, each assignment will help you understand your challenge from a new point of view, and set you up to craft your final
insights.

IDEO U • IMMERSING IN EMPATHY • PROJECT ASSIGNMENT © 2018 • 31


Sharing
Insights

IDEO U
Sharing
Insights
IDEO U Lesson Overview

LEARNING GOAL ACTIVITIES MINDSET INTRODUCTION

The goal of this lesson


is to learn how to share
The Anatomy of an Insight.
Leveraging what MOTIVATE Take what you’ve learned—
through observation,
compelling, quality you’ve learned interacting with extremes,
insights that will inspire TOOLS interviewing, and immersing
and motivate others in empathy—and turn it
to innovate.
HOW TO Post its, pens, Sharing into compelling insights
 Steps for
4 Insights Worksheets, an that you’ll share with others.
Summarizing Insights. open space to work and This is a critical step that
Narrow down and make move ideas around, your turns insights into fuel for
sense of it all. journal, printed photos innovation.
& images. Use your Insights
 Report Worksheet as a Even if you are working
PROJECT ASSIGNMENT
guide, but get creative with independently, it’s still
Summarize and share the any other tools you need great practice to capture
insights that you gathered to share your insights and your insights to motivate
throughout this course for motivate others. and guide yourself!
your Project Challenge.

IDEO U • SHARING INSIGHTS • LESSON OVERVIEW © 2018 • 33


4 Steps to Summarize
& 3 Tips to Craft Insights
Once you’ve learned through observation, interviewing,
empathy and extremes, move through the 4 steps to
summarize insights. Also, use the 3 tips to craft your
insights making them compelling and motivating.

4 Steps to 1 CAPTURING INDIVIDUAL DATA POINTS 3 CRAFTING INSIGHTS TO SHARE WITH OTHERS

Summarize On post-its, capture quotes, observations and interpretations


you have from your interviews, observations, empathy
Work to make your insights informative, inspiring and
memorable. Try and try again. Share what you are working
Insights immersion and learnings from extremes. on with others for feedback. What’s working and what isn’t?

2 CONNECTING THEM TOGETHER IN MEANINGFUL WAYS 4 STORYTELLING YOUR POINT OF VIEW THROUGH
WORDS AND VISUALS
Notice themes and patterns and cluster your post-its when
they have similar topics. Try out a few things you might call Pull your themes together into a story. Use visuals to bring
that theme. your points to life for others.

3 TIPS FOR CRAFTING A GOOD INSIGHT

As you work on sharing the most important things you’ve learned with others, focus on these 3 qualities of a good insight:

  1 INFORM Does it shed light on what people need and want?

  2 INSPIRE Is it motivating? Does it make you FEEL something in order to DO something?

  3 MEMORABLE Is it phrased in a way that will stick with you and be easy to share with others?

IDEO U • SHARING INSIGHTS • 4 STEPS TO SUMMARIZE & 3 TIPS TO CRAFT INSIGHTS © 2018 • 34
The Anatomy
of an Insight
Here’s how you know you have an
insight worth sharing.

SHARING WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED WHAT’S AN INSIGHT?

Insights are the heart and soul of creating solutions. You can’t For something to be an insight, it needs to be:
leverage the richness of what you’ve learned in the field to AUTHENTIC Supported by observations with real people.
inform your team or your work if it’s locked inside your head.
NON-OBVIOUS “News you can use” that goes beyond an
Sharing your learnings aloud allows you to bring them to observation or something someone would immediately think
life in the shape of stories. When we communicate insights of when describing the subject.
in a compelling way, we motivate people to take action.
REVEALING Offers a (previously hidden) glimpse into how
people think or feel. It helps interpret the “Why?” behind
human behavior.

IDEO U • SHARING INSIGHTS • THE ANATOMY OF AN INSIGHT © 2018 • 35


Summarizing Insights
Step 1 Capturing
The first step is to capture your raw learnings as data
points. On post-it notes, capture quotes, observations
and interpretations from your interviews, immersive
empathy exercises and learnings from extremes.

CAPTURING YOUR RAW LEARNINGS PROMPTS TO HELP YOU CAPTURE DATA POINTS

+ TOP 10  + MOTIVATIONS 


DATA POINTS
For each person or activity, note the 10 most What did he/she care about most? What
Raw learnings are the recollections of what stood out during a
interesting or inspiring things you heard or motivates him/her?
conversation or observation. Turn them into data points: direct
observed.
quotes, anecdotes, feelings, interactions, things that caught + FRUSTRATIONS 
your eye, interpretations... + UNEXPECTED  What frustrated him/her? What does he/she
WHERE TO START What were the most inspiring stories or struggle with?
unexpected events?
Start with the individuals you met and the places you visited. + READ BETWEEN THE LINES 
+ INTERESTING STORIES 
WHAT TO FOCUS ON Tune into participants’ emotions,
What was the most memorable and contradictions, workarounds, body language
Focus on the things you found MOST interesting or
surprising story? and surprises. Resist the urge to project your
unexpected. Don’t worry about interpreting these stories yet!
own ideas.
+ INTERACTIONS 
ONE POINT PER POST-IT
What was compelling about the way he/she
Write each data point on a separate post-it note, so you can
interacted with his/her environment?
move it around in Step 2 “Connecting”.

HOW TO CAPTURE
Capture each data point as a statement, phrase or visual.
Push yourself to think beyond words and communicate your
notes visually whenever possible.

IDEO U • SHARING INSIGHTS • ADVANCED TIPS—SUMMARIZING INSIGHTS STEP 1 CAPTURING © 2018 • 36


Summarizing Insights
Step 2 Connecting
The second step is to connect your data points together
in meaningful ways. Notice themes and patterns.
Cluster your post-its when they have similar topics.
Then give each cluster a headline.

LOOKING FOR THEMES

+ RE-ARRANGE POST-ITS INTO “CLUSTERS” + LOOK FOR LINKS BETWEEN THEMES.


Which data points (quotes, stories, anecdotes, etc.) are Group several related themes into larger categories. What
related to each other in some way? contradictions do you find? What feels surprising and why?
+ ACTIVELY LISTEN AND LOOK FOR MEANING + HIGHLIGHT BEST STORIES FOR A THEME.
Talk about your post-its with others. Compare and contrast. Which quote, story, anecdote, or observation best brings
Make connections between stories. your theme or headline to life?
+ WRITE HEADLINES. + DIG DEEPER.
Craft a concise label or headline for each cluster. Regroup the information and write new versions of your
+ SORT AND RE-SORT YOUR INSIGHTS INTO
headlines until they feel strong. Dig deeper by asking
CLUSTERS AND THEMES. “Why?” several times.
Look for patterns and tensions in the ways your clusters or + EDIT BRUTALLY.
themes relate to each other. It’s not about capturing everything. It’s about surfacing the
best of the best.

IDEO U • SHARING INSIGHTS • ADVANCED TIPS—SUMMARIZING INSIGHTS STEP 2 CONNECTING © 2018 • 37


Summarizing Insights
Step 3 Crafting
The third step is to craft and share insights that
are informative, inspiring and memorable.

THE ART OF CRAFTING INSIGHTS CRAFTING WORKS WELL IN PAIRS AND TEAMS

Great insights don’t just ‘appear’ out of your observations and It’s fine to work alone, but ultimately, you’ll want to share your
conversations. You have to craft them. insights with others. Working side by side with one or more
people can help the process.
+ INTUITION IS YOUR GUIDE.
Rely heavily on what ‘feels’ meaningful and push yourself to + TRADE STORIES WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
take leaps and make connections. What are the top 3-5 most interesting things you’ve learned.
Put them into words in less than 10 minutes. Then listen
+ EMBRACE THE MESS.
to what someone else has learned on a similar challenge.
Get comfortable with the chaos. Honing insights gets a little
messy until the big idea emerges. Let the process meander + BUILD ON THE IDEAS OF OTHERS.
and flow until things feel anchored. Use what they say to spark new thoughts.
+ DON’T RUSH THE PROCESS. + LISTEN ACTIVELY.
It may take a while to find meaning, so give it some time Engaging and paying close attention to details is critical to
to emerge. the process.
+ PRESENT YOUR INSIGHTS TO OTHERS FOR FEEDBACK.
Do a quick presentation to someone you trust. Pull it together
in 2 hours or less and then share. Ask them what’s working
and what isn’t. What/s confusing? What’s informative,
inspiring, and memorable?

IDEO U • SHARING INSIGHTS • ADVANCED TIPS—SUMMARIZING INSIGHTS STEP 2 CONNECTING © 2018 • 38


Summarizing Insights
Step 4 Storytelling
The fourth step is to pull your themes together into a
story, using visuals that bring your points to life.

GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR INNER STORYTELLER WHEN SHARING STORIES

Great insights don’t just ‘appear’ out of your observations and + STAY AWAY FROM GENERALIZATIONS.
conversations. You have to craft them. These include judgments, evaluations, assumptions and
+ BRING CREATIVITY AND YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE
prescriptions (thoughts that start with “should, would or
TO THIS PROCESS. could”)
There’s no ‘right’ answer. It’s about sharing your unique + TELL SPECIFIC STORIES.
point of view to motivate others. Try out different storytelling Focus on the individuals and talk about what actually
techniques such as photography, video, metaphors and happened. It helps to begin stories with “One time...” or “After
vignettes. such and such happened...”
 XPERIMENT with the wording and structure to best
+ E + TELL IT THROUGH WORDS AND PICTURES.
communicate your insights. Experiment with words, charts, images and prototypes until
+ INTUITION IS YOUR GUIDE. you have a robust way to express your thinking.
Rely heavily on what ‘feels’ meaningful and push yourself to + BE DESCRIPTIVE.
take leaps and make connections. Share vivid details. Use physical senses and emotions to give
+ GATHER FEEDBACK from others as you craft and practice
texture to stories.
telling your story. What’s working and what isn’t? + EDIT AND FILTER.
Don’t be afraid to let go of superfluous information or
patterns that don’t move the project ahead.

IDEO U • SHARING INSIGHTS • ADVANCED TIPS—SUMMARIZING INSIGHTS STEP 2 CONNECTING © 2018 • 39


Final Project
Assignment

IDEO U
Try It: Final Project Assignment TIME ESTIMATE

1-2 HRS

Sharing Insights
Now it’s time to distill what you’ve learned from the previous lessons. Move through the
‘Steps for Summarizing Insights’ to narrow down and create 1-3 insights for your
final project.
STEP 1—CAPTURE

Capture individual data points. Grab your post-its and capture quotes, observations, and interpretations.

STEP 2—CONNECT

Connect data points together in meaningful ways. Cluster different data points around similar themes.

STEP 3—CRAFT

Craft 1-3 insights to share with others. Write multiple versions of each statement, utilizing the ‘3 tips for crafting a good
insight’. The more you write it, the closer you will get to something powerful.

STEP 4—PREPARE TO TELL THE STORY

For the final project, you will bring your insight statements to life using images, quotes, and stories. From your data points, start
preparing evidence for your insights.

STEP 5—SHARE BACK

Summarize the insights you crafted in Step 3 and your reflection on this process.

SHARE THE FINAL 1-3 INSIGHT STATEMENTS FROM STEP 3 WHAT WAS SURPRISING, CHALLENGING, OR EASY ABOUT THE
(CRAFT). PROCESS OF CRAFTING INSIGHTS? If possible, share a photo
The idea is to craft insight statements that inform, inspire or artifact of how you captured, connected and crafted
and are memorable. your insights.

IDEO U • FINAL PROJECT ASSIGNMENT • SHARING INSIGHTS © 2018 • 41


Ethics,
Consent &
Recruiting

IDEO U
Ethics for Engaging
Participants
Great insights come from establishing a quality and trusted
relationship with your participants. When they feel comfortable,
they go beyond superficial responses and share at a deeper
level. With this level of access and openness the interviewer must
be respectful, responsible and honest in every engagement.

Principles RESPECT SOME RULES-OF-THUMB TO GUIDE YOUR


INTERACTIONS WITH PARTICIPANTS:
of Good We honor participants’ limits and value their comfort.
Consider: Am I treating our participants as people—as Successful observations and interviews require a partnership
Ethics collaborators—rather than “subjects”? Am I aware and with other people, often strangers, sharing generously
considerate of the cultural expectations and sensitivities their time, thoughts, and feelings. Have consideration for
at play? Are my actions thoughtful and kind? their health, safety, privacy and dignity at all times.

+A
 pproach people with courtesy +K
 eep all the information you
RESPONSIBILITY
gather confidential
We act to protect people’s current and future interests. + I dentify yourself, your intent
and what you’re looking for +L
 et people know they can
Consider: Am I confident that our research isn’t harmful to
decline to answer questions or
our participants? Is a participant aware of the consequences +O
 ffer to compensate stop participating at any time
of what they have shared with me? Do I have their informed participants fairly for their time
consent? Am I sharing information about a participant that +M
 aintain a non-judgmental,
might compromise them in some way? +D
 escribe how you will use relaxed and enjoyable
this information and why it’s atmosphere
valuable
HONESTY +P
 rotect a participant’s identity
+A
 sk for permission to record and confidential data before,
Be truthful and timely in communication.
or take photos/video at the during and after the interview
Consider: Am I doing my best not to mislead participants beginning when agreed upon.
or leave them with false impressions? When and how should
+G
 et permission to use and share
we identify ourselves, what we’re doing, and the intended
the information and any photos
outcome of their participation? or video you take

IDEO U • ETHICS & RECRUITING • ETHICS FOR ENGAGING PARTICIPANTS © 2018 • 43


Participant
Consent
In private locations, such as people’s homes, or
when participants visit you, you must always
gain informed consent with all participants about
information and image capture.
INFORMED CONSENT CONSENT FORM

An observation consent We design our consent forms For illustrative purposes, +E


 xplicitly outlined potential +W
 ritten it in plain language
and confidentiality and our process of asking we have included a slightly intended uses of the data so as not to disrupt the
agreement should always for consent to be as human- more generic version of and media (e.g. to inspire the atmosphere of sharing and
be shared with and agreed to centered as possible so consent forms we might use openness
project team and to educate
by the participant. If video/ that we can have a shared at IDEO. the client)
photo/audio recordings are sense of mutual trust,
captured during the session, There are a couple of things +A
 ssured the participant
respect and understanding
the consent form should that we’ve done with this of the limits of the intended
throughout the time we are
explain what the resulting form that we’ll call to your use (we are explicit
working together.
media (film, records, photos) attention: about not commercially
might be used for and get the In many cultures, it is best publishing or broadcasting
participant’s permission for practice to introduce the their image and use it
this purpose. written consent form at the only internally)
start of the session, and
leave a copy for reference.

A NOTE ABOUT LEGAL IMPLICATIONS AND CONNECTIONS

It’s important to understand the local best practice and legal


implications of obtaining participant consent and using/
storing/sharing their information. We advise that you work
with in-country lawyers to create a consent form that protect
both the interests of the research participants and the
organization, and that is appropriate for the best practice and
legislation of your country.

IDEO U • ETHICS & RECRUITING • PARTICIPANT CONSENT © 2018 • 44


Consent Form
In private locations, such as people’s homes,
or when participants visit you, you must
always gain informed consent with all participants
about information and image capture.

HOW TO USE THIS CONSENT FORM.

1  If you are only taking pictures or sharing insights from people
for the purposes of this course and to share with the IDEO
U community, feel free to fill in the form with your personal
information and use it for your interviews and observations
to gain consent. If the participants agrees and selects “Yes” at
the end of the form, then you are fine to share anything with this
course and community.

2  If you want to use the insights, media you gather for your
work or to share more publicly, then you will need to share
this form as a starting place to discuss with your own legal
department, or use forms that your own company provides.

IDEO U • ETHICS & RECRUITING • CONSENT FORM © 2018 • 45


IDEO U • ETHICS & RECRUITING • CONSENT FORM (TO BE USED) © 2018 • 46
Recruiting
Tips

FINDING AND CONTACTING PEOPLE FOR TIPS FOR RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS


INTERVIEWS OR OBSERVATIONS
When recruiting participants, it’s important to:
Once you’ve identified specific profiles or types of people
you’d like to interview, you’ll need to go out and find them.  + A llow time to locate and recruit the right people in your
Recruiting participants is a craft and creative process project timeline. This often takes more time than you
all on it’s own. But we wanted to provide a few tips here might expect.
to help you get started.  + Establish appropriate contact. You want to ensure you’re
If you just want 1-2 people to observe, interview, connect seeing the right types of people who will help you learn.
with and learn from, here are a few ways to find them:  + A lways offer to compensate people fairly for their time.
 + Search for people online  + Be clear about the time period you will be spending
with them.
 + Send out/post a short online survey for people to
respond to  + Collect participant’s details particularly if you’re
exploring more than a few potential people to meet with
 + Reach out to family and friends with profiles or (participant’s name, address, email and phone number).
descriptions of the types of people you’d like to meet You’ll need this information to get back to them and
schedule your visit.
 + Observe people in public places (like arcades,
shopping areas or open kitchens)  + Sort through your potential participants. Are you
meeting all the right participants? Do you have a spread
If you’re looking for a larger number of participants of the types of people you’re hoping to meet?
(ten or more), we suggest that you look into using a
professional recruiter.

IDEO U • ETHICS & RECRUITING • RECRUITING TIPS © 2018 • 47


Framing Your
Own Challenge

IDEO U
Framing your own challenge
After the course finishes and you take these tools out into your
organizations and communities, use this worksheet to help you frame
your own challenges.

Challenge WHAT DO YOU KNOW ALREADY? Too Big


How might we reduce staff turnover?
Describe existing assumptions around the challenge (current
paradigms, industry norms, default mindset) and the reasons
Too small
why this problem exists.
How might we pin compensation to seniority?

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO YOU? Just right


Describe the personal or professional reasons that make How might we create a working environment
this problem appealing to you. What do you hope that inspires loyalty?
to learn and explore?
Too big
How might we get more healthy kids in the world?
FRAME THE CHALLENGE
Describe the challenge you see. Paint a picture of the current Too small
landscape and why there is an opportunity for a new solution. How might we get more kids to walk every day?

Just right
It should be: How might we positively engage kids with their own
exercise and fitness?
++ Focused on a need (rather than a functional benefit)

++ Broad enough to allow you to discover unexpected


areas of value
++ Tight enough to make the topic manageable

++ Phrased as a goal, e.g., “To understand how people


manage their time within the context of their social lives”

IDEO U • FRAMING YOUR OWN CHALLENGE © 2018 • 49


Framing your own challenge
After the course finishes and you take these tools out into your
organizations and communities, use this worksheet to help you frame
your own challenges.
FOCUS YOUR CHALLENGE
Use these questions to help focus your challenge

1. Have you baked a solution into your problem statement?  That doesn’t leave you very much room for creative thought.

2. Is your question generative and inspiring? You should feel giddy to get started.

3. Have you narrowed down your audience? Is your audience specific enough that you know what they need and care about?
You can’t solve for everyone at once.

4. Have you chosen a specific part of the journey to design for? What moment might your solution exist in? Narrowing
your timeframe helps unearth contextual needs.

5. Have you drawn on insights or inspiration to make your question juicy and interesting? Adding some texture about
what is driving the needs of your audience can help your team be more generative.

IDEO U • FRAMING YOUR OWN CHALLENGE © 2018 • 50

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