Exploring Possibilities in Design Thinking: Stage 1 – What Is?
Stage 1: What is?
This stage focuses on understanding the current situation before trying to solve a problem. The goal is to identify the real problem or opportunity rather than assuming or defining it too narrowly.
Key Points:
✅ Pay close attention to current problems to uncover new opportunities.
✅ Avoid framing the problem too narrowly, as it can limit innovative solutions.
✅ Dissatisfaction with the present often holds clues to future innovations.
✅ Find out what customers dislike and what trade-offs they don’t want to make.
Example:
Consider Swiffer, a popular floor cleaner by P&G. Initially, they focused on creating a better mop. However, by studying customer dissatisfaction, they realized people didn’t want to deal with dirty water and wringing mops. This insight led to the development of a disposable, easy-to-use cleaning tool—the Swiffer.
Tools Used in Stage 1: "What is?"
1. Visualization
✅ Uses images instead of text to present data or ideas.
✅ Helps in storytelling and making concepts more relatable.
✅ Makes customer experiences feel real and human to designers.
✅ Reduces misinterpretation since pictures are clearer than text.
Example:
Instead of writing a report on customer dissatisfaction, a company might create an infographic or a customer experience storyboard to make the pain points clearer.
2. Journey Mapping
✅ Visually represents a customer’s experience with a company.
✅ Helps businesses understand customer emotions at each touchpoint.
✅ Highlights pain points and areas of improvement.
Example:
Imagine you order food online. A journey map of your experience might include:
- Step 1: Browsing the menu (Exciting)
- Step 2: Ordering (Smooth but could be improved)
- Step 3: Waiting for delivery (Frustrating if late)
- Step 4: Receiving the food (Happy or disappointed based on quality)
By analyzing this map, a food delivery company can find ways to reduce waiting time or improve packaging.
3. Value Chain Analysis
✅ Examines how a business interacts with suppliers, distributors, and partners.
✅ Helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
✅ Business equivalent of journey mapping but focuses on company operations.
Example:
A clothing brand might analyze its value chain and realize:
- Raw materials come from a supplier that has slow delivery.
- Manufacturing is efficient.
-
Distribution takes too long.
By spotting the delay in raw materials, they can switch suppliers or improve logistics.
4. Mind Mapping
✅ Organizes large amounts of data to find patterns and insights.
✅ Helps teams collaborate and share their understanding of a problem.
✅ Creates a visual representation of ideas.
Example:
A car company collects customer feedback from various sources (surveys, social media, complaints). They use a mind map to group common issues like:
- Comfort issues (seats too hard, leg space limited)
- Technology problems (slow infotainment system)
- Fuel efficiency concerns
By analyzing the mind map, they can prioritize fixing key customer pain points.
Summary: Differences Between Tools
| Tool | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Visualization | Use images to simplify complex data | Creating a storyboard to show customer pain points |
| Journey Mapping | Understand customer emotions & interactions | Mapping steps in online food delivery |
| Value Chain Analysis | Analyze internal processes & partnerships | Identifying delays in clothing production |
| Mind Mapping | Find patterns in large data sets | Categorizing customer feedback on car issues |
