DESIGN THINKING

COURSE
Conducted by,
Rohit Swarup
Chairman, Innovation & Research Foundation
Founder Director Explorra Education Pvt. Ltd.
 RECAP
Stage Objective Thinking Outcome
Finding problems (-ve experience) from First Principle First Understand
• Self & Others’ (Sec. research) Perspective Canvas
Understand
Finding problems & possibilities from
(Future
Environment’s Perspective by conducting
casting) • PESTEL Trend Analysis
• Competitor Analysis

Finding Problems by observing the Analysis Observation

organization through: Canvas
Observation
• Spradley’s 9 dimensions
• Customer Interaction Points
Finding Problems and Possibilities by Synthesis Empathy
conducting: Canvas
Empathy • Stakeholder & Experts Interviews
• Creating journey maps
• Using the Laddering technique
“If I were given one hour to save the planet,
I would spend 55 minutes defining the problem
& 5 minutes resolving it”
- Albert Einstein

What will be
the Stage 4?
PROBLEM
ARTICULATION
WHAT is Problem Articulation?

Problem articulation is the process of

Clearly, Concisely & Holistically
defining a problem
in a way that facilitates its
understanding and potential solutions
WHY Problem Articulation is Needed?
1. So that we do not miss out any important root cause / insight

2. Get a Holistic Perspective, i.e., To consider views of every stake

holder – as it may be different

3. Brings Clarity for everyone about the Actual Problem

4. To come to a Common Consensus upon the problem at hand,

a) Which problem to solve first
b) Which problems can be grouped together
c) Which problems are most important for the organization

5. Writing problem in a comprehensive and precise manner

Thinking for this Stage : zooming in and out on
a blurry picture to make out the details.
Zoom in and Zoom out i.e. Micro & Macro
 Define the Right Problem,
Problem
Articulation so as to Set
Goal the right goals &
right direction
for the Problem Solving phase

Problem Articulation has a

Structured Process consisting of different Levels
 Team Task
Level 1: Categorize all the Collected Data into…
1. Known Knowns 2. Known Unknows 3. Big Unknows
You know how to You know ways to find You don’t know how to solve them
Solve them out how to Solve them because you don’t know the Root Cause

Choose the big unknowns

required mindset required mindset required mindset
checklist thinking analytical thinking Design Thinking

required activities required activities required activities

Execution & Implementation test, search, sort, solve Immersion, engagement
 You can put abbreviation
Categorizing Know Knowns – KK
the Problems
Know Unknowns – KU
Big Unknowns - BG
KK
BU
KK

BU KU KU This is just suggestive i.e.

example how you write
these abbreviations on the
post its on your charts
 Individual Task

Level 2: Select the Problems from IDEALLY the Big Unknowns

1. From the 3 chart papers Now Each one of you selects the
top 3 problems i.e. 3 post its you feel are the most
important problems – ideally select the BU (Big Unknowns) and
KU (Known Unknowns)

2. Put all the selected ones in front of your team

3. Thus, now you will have 5 (no.of team members) x 3 = 15

data points
 Problems from observations Insights
TASK 3
(root cause of problems)

1.
Observations of all team

2.
3.
4.
members

5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
TASK 6
UNDERSTAND CANVAS
DO’S

✓
 Team Task
Level 3: Cluster the Related Information
1. Begin to look for more evidence of how these relate to one another.
a) Have any patterns emerged?
b) Is there a compelling insight you heard again and again?
c) A consistent problem the people you’re designing for face?
d) What feels significant?
e) What surprised you?

2. Start rearranging the Post-its into these new buckets : Continue to sort and
rearrange the information until you feel your themes accurately represent your
design research

3. Clustering will take some time. Arrange and rearrange the Post-its, discuss,
debate, and talk through what’s emerging. Don’t stop until everyone is satisfied
that the clusters represent the problems appropriately.
 Team Task

Level 4: Find & Label the Themes, i.e., give name to each cluster

• Name the clusters you have defined,

e.g. “safety” or “product quality”

• Ensure that no major themes i.e. problems / possibilities

that you found on the field are missing.
 Team Task

Level 5: Turn Themes → Sentences → Insights

1. Take a closer look at the themes i.e. clusters' names you have created

2. Next, you’ll transform each theme into a sentence, eg:

a) “access to capital” or “problems with distribution” will convert
to a statement like this : “There is no financial incentive for
distributors to deliver fruit in the community.”
b) Write in full sentences.

3. Now Think of the root cause that support these theme sentence i.e.
insights.

4. Each theme sentence may result in multiple insight statements.

 Team Task

Level 6: Transforming Insights into Generative Questions

1. These questions become the springboard that your team uses to

come up with innovative new solutions

2. We call these questions “How Might We” (HMW) questions

3. This technique relies on the play of the three simple, yet really
powerful words that build a healthy question
 • Triggers Action
HOW • Indicates an invitation for input, suggestions, and exploration
• It is an open question that enables each member to consider
different paths.

• Sheds Judgement & Obligation, Indicating we are still exploring

MIGHT the solutions
• Enables creative thinking, and helps people create options
more freely, & open up more possibilities
• Shows that logical and plausible solutions come later.

WE • It’s about Teamwork & Engages all the Stakeholders as

Asking a generic question might create too broad of a scope

they get us hyper-focused on small things, limiting our vision and robbing us
of an opportunity to find a creative, innovative solution.
Formula For Generating “HMW” Statement

A. How might we..

B. Action: Core Issue i.e. problem
C. For whom : Organization / Department
D. Outcome: Percentage /amount change
E. In what time frame
F. Because of the following “Insights” can be 3 or more..
 Individual Task

Level 6: Creating the HMW Statement

Formula For Generating “HMW” Statement

6A
Start the statement with
“How Might We...?”
 Individual Task

Level 6: Creating the HMW Statement

6B

1. Core Issue i.e. problem

2. Problem i.e., the Theme Statement
EXAMPLES OF HMW + Core Issue example,

• How might we ensure more people pay their taxes before

the deadline?

• How might we help employees stay productive and healthy

when working from home?

• How might we make customers feel that their information

is safe and secure when creating an account?
Broadening the Core Issue: We may now take a macro perspective i.e.
• If a problem is with behaviour → we may call it culture and environment at the
department :
✓ Enhance the Work Culture

• If it’s a delay in Purchase process → Customer dissatisfaction

✓ Enhance Customer Satisfaction / Enhance Business (Volume, Turnover, Profit etc)

• If its Employee efficiency or effectiveness → Productivity Loss

✓ Enhance Productivity

• If its lack of variety / quality → Customer dissatisfaction

✓ Enhance Customer satisfaction

• If its that customers are not buying → Is it to increase footfall or is it to increase sales or is
it to increase point of purchase ease or ease process / system :
✓ Enhance Footfall / Increase Sales / Ease Process
 Individual Task

Level 6: Creating the HMW Statement

6C

FOR Whom?
Write the department / organization for whom
you are solving the problem
e.g. Help HR/Marketing/Finance/Operations
department of TESLA
 Individual Task

Level 6: Creating the HMW Statement

6D

OUTCOME = Percentage / Amount Change

i.e., quantify the change we want to bring

Manager’s judgement : ‘by how much’ do we feel we can

contribute to solving this problem so that the stakeholders feel
satisfied with our effort.
OUTCOME = Percentage / Amount Change
We may now quantify the change we want to bring in i.e.
– Enhance the Work Culture by 2X
– Enhance Customer Satisfaction by 30%
– Enhance Business (Volume, Turnover, Profit etc) by Double
– Enhance Productivity / Enhance Business (Volume, Turnover,
Profit etc) by 10% / by 5 Lakh /day
– Enhance Footfall by 25% or 50 customers per day / Process
Efficiency by 15% or Reduce time from 30 min. to 10 min.

This depends upon, as a manager/consultant the seriousness of the

problem, feasibility i.e. practically how much should be changes for the
organization / dept. to feel satisfied
 Individual Task

Level 6: Creating the HMW Statement

6E TIME
FRAME

In What time frame, i.e., quantify the time frame of

the percentage / amount change

Manager’s judgement : we cant tell our superior that we will solve

the problem but I don’t know by when !!
In What Time Frame?
▪ Enhance the Work Culture by 2X in 3 months
▪ Enhance Customer Satisfaction by 30% in 3 weeks
▪ Enhance Business (Volume, Turnover, Profit etc) by Double in 6 months
▪ Enhance Productivity / Enhance Business (Volume, Turnover, Profit etc)
by 10% / by 5 Lakh /day in 1 week OR one Quarter
▪ Enhance Footfall by 25% per day / Process Efficiency by 15% or Reduce
time from 30 min. to 10 min. in 2 months

This depends upon, as a manager/consultant the judgement that you make for how
much time you feel it will take to bring about such a change.
CAUTION : we have not sought a solution this is only a judgement for bringing some
clarity to our clients.
 Individual Task

Level 6: Creating the HMW Statement

6F
INSIGHTS

Because of the following “Insights”

can be 3 or more..
6F1
Test the Problem Statement
whether it’s a problem or symptom
Why is this problem happening, (e.g.)
–Customer not satisfied → Why?
• Variety Not there at the store → Why?
– Company not getting good → Why?
» Factory output low → Why?
• Lack of work force due to COVID
Formula For Generating “HMW” Statement

A. How might we..

B. Action: Core Issue i.e. problem
C. For whom : Organization / Department
D. Outcome: Percentage /amount change
E. In what time frame
F. Because of the following “Insights” can be 3 or more..
 Team Task

Level 7: Select the Top 3 HMW Statements

1. Your team will select top 3 of your best problem statements

2. Use this to select the top 3

1. Trust your gut feeling

2. Choose those problem statement that feel are exciting and help you think
of ideas right away.

3. Select those that are most important to address and feel like they have the
biggest opportunity i.e. solutions for the organization, even if they feel
difficult to solve for.
 Team Task
Level 8: Quick Interaction With Experts
IS THE PROBLEM WORTH SOLVING

1. Show your problem statements (HMW) to 1 Experts, 3 Stakeholders

{You may do this later too if you don’t get time between now & ideation stage}

2. Take their help to improve your top 3 Problem Statements

3. Enhance your understanding of the problem from their perspective
4. Ensure that the problem statements are all in the same format (HMW)
 Team Task

Level 9: TOP 3 “HMW STATEMENTS”

Each team will come to next session

with their
Top 3 {HMW} Problem Statements
WHERE THIS METHOD OF ARRIVING AT A PROBLEM
STATEMENT IS MOST USED IN CURRENT TIMES?

• Have your heard of AI & Big Data 1,00,000.

• How do you find variables / parameters for algorithms??
• We use Small data, like the one you have on your chart
paper, by clustering we can find the variables,
• You can apply these to big data
 Big & Small data

A Retail store has given your team a task to make a few

decisions or find a solution based on big data e.g. a retail
store is not able to sell the brand X. The Company gives you
1,00,000 data of what people buy, segment of people, from
where do they buy, who buys what, how do people buy,
when do they buy etc. etc.

How will you go about it ?

 Big & Small data
• Its impossible for you to work on big data unless you have
some variables on which you will categorize the big data.
• Thus, we need to find variables that will go in creating an
algorithm which will help us in decision making through
this data
• How do you go about it? – Generally we go by finding
these variables though brain storming or someone higher
up tells us his / her perspective !!
 Big & Small data
• We need to follow exactly the same process we used in
our project i.e. problem finding through ethnographic
study i.e. SMALL DATA
– Deeper reasons i.e. insight (what people need / problem they
have)
– Second, you do the steps ahead to convert big data to small
data
– This can be done in a 3 week sprint
 Big & Small data
• Big data is the data behind us i.e. people have collected
that data
• Small data is in front of us i.e. rich / live data

• ALL MANAGERS SHOULD FOCUS OF SELF STUDY /

KNOWING THE ROOT CAUSE THUS, ITS IMPORTANT FOR
MANAGERS TO TEST / CHECK BY DOING AN EXERCISE TO
FIND SMALL DATA
 Stage 4 – PROBLEM ARTICULATION

Goal – Define the Right Problem

Level 1: Categorizing all the Data Level 5: Converting Themes →Sentences → Insights
Collected into 3 different categories:
Level 6: Converting Insight Statements → HMW Questions
a) Known Knowns
Formula:
b) Known Unknowns
A. How might we
c) Big Unknowns – Choose these
B. Action = Core Issue - Method is Asking Whys to get the
right Action
Level 2: Individually Selecting Top 3 C. For User: Dept./ Organization
Big Unknows → Such that A team x D. So That Outcome = Percentage / Amount Change
no.of of Big Unknowns E. Time Frame
F. Insights
Level 3: Clustering the Big Unknows
based on Related information Level 7: Selecting Top 3 HMW
Statements
Level 9
Level 4: Finding & Labelling Themes Level 8: Checking the Selected Arriving at Top 3
for the Clusters Made HMW Statements with “EXPERTS” HMW Statements
 LISTS OF TASKS (Stage 4 – Problem Articulation)

Tasks Type of Task

Level 1: Categorizing all the Data Collected into 3 different categories Team

Level 2: Individually Selecting Top 3 Big Unknows Individual

Level 3: Clustering the Big Unknowns Team

Level 4: Finding & Labelling Themes for the Clusters Made Team

Level 5: Converting Themes →Sentences → Insights Team

Level 6: Creating How Might We Statements Individual

Level 7: Selecting Top 3 Problem Statements Team

Level 8: Checking Top 3 Problem Statements with Experts Team

Level 9: Arriving at the “Top 3 Problem Statements” Team

 10 mins, Individual task

Lets’ Evaluate and

Introspect
1. Write Top 10 Points that
you gained from Stage 4
– Problem Articulation
Thank you!!