The Discover, Analyze, Create, Develop Design Thinking Framework for product managers

You’ve heard about Design Thinking or even tried it. It is a simple-to-understand tool for solving problems, developing strategy, and most commonly for us product professionals, for developing a new product or service. And while it is simple to understand, that doesn’t mean it is easy to apply. I’ve seen Design Thinking mistakes, and I’ve made my own as well, which limit the results this powerful tool can provide. When you apply Design Thinking, wouldn’t you like to know you are getting the most from it?

That is why Tom Granzow is with us. He has applied Design Thinking to hundreds of projects and also trained over 1200 people to use it properly. Tom has held senior innovation roles with an emphasis on medical devices and equipment and now shares his 35 years of experience and knowledge with others as the founder of Granzow Design Strategies.

Summary of some concepts discussed for product managers
[2:23] Why is Design Thinking one of your primary tools?

I think of Design Thinking as a framework and set of tools for problem solving. There are four key things that Design Thinking helps me accomplish:

1. Getting closer to the customer
   
2. Turning insights from customer research into action
   
3. Driving collaboration
   
4. Experimenting and iterating
   

Design Thinking is a common framework that helps me communicate with other folks and get everybody on the same page.

[5:09] Tell us about the phases of the Design Thinking framework: Discover, Analyze, Create, Develop.

I modified these phases from Vijay Kumar’s model in 101 Design Methods.

1. Discover

a. Frame: Frame out the customer problem and what you’re trying to accomplish for your business.

b. Research: Build empathy. Understand customer problems.

2. Analyze

a. Facts: What did customers say and do?

b. Interpret: What did the customer research mean?

c. Synthesize: Identify patterns and turn them into something actionable for the team like design principles, journey maps, and personas.

3. Create

a. Brainstorm: Use a structured method, such as:

• Yes, and. Don’t say “no.” Say “yes, and” to keep the idea going.
  
• Creative matrix: Use this to break a big problem down into bite-sized chunks you can try to solve. Identify key problems on the horizontal axis and potential stimuli like materials and processes on the vertical axis. Brainstorm within each of those squares.
  

b. Visualize: Build a sketch, rendering, or prototype.

c. Combine idea fragments: Instead of trying to pick out idea fragments, combine them into bigger concepts.

4. Develop

a. Test and refine: Put your ideas in front of customers, get feedback, and iterate.

b. Repeat: Cycle through testing and refining many times.

[14:18] What do people typically get right when applying Design Thinking?

Companies that I have worked with really want to understand the customer. They don’t always have the right tools, and that’s what I’ve been able to help with.

People understand the Design Thinking framework. I try not to call it a process, since teams already have their processes and don’t want new ones. Once people go through the training, they understand the framework and tools and can apply them.

I’ve been very happy about the participation I’ve gotten. As long as I can explain what we’re trying to do, the engagement is amazing.

Design Thinking helps with collaboration. It’s fun and engaging. People like doing the Design Thinking activities.

[17:44] What do people tend to get wrong when applying Design Thinking?

Some people think Design Thinking is supposed to be a really structured and linear process. In reality, it’s iterative and messy. We’re not trying to say it’s super structured, but we’re adding a little bit more common language, tools, and expected deliverables. When people talk negatively about Design Thinking, I don’t think they understand how we’re trying to use it. It’s a framework that’s very flexible.

Another misconception is that Design Thinking is all about sticky notes and workshops. Sticky notes and brainstorming are tools.

You need to start with the user. Understand your customer instead of starting with a product or feature. Even worse, sometimes people want to use Design Thinking and start with a particular tool. Instead, start with your user and what you’re trying to accomplish.

People think Design Thinking is expensive or takes a lot of time. It’s a framework and set of tools, and it’s flexible. You don’t have to do all these steps. Design Thinking provides the tools to help with each part of the process. Teams can save time downstream by doing work upfront to understand the customer.

I teach two-day classes around Design Thinking, and I think they’re great. People get excited and walk away wanting to use Design Thinking. But that’s not enough. They also need help after that. You can’t learn Design Thinking in a two-day class. If you want to get good at it, you have to spend more time. Initially, you should probably hire somebody to help you with Design Thinking activities.

I’ve never liked the term Design Thinking. I worked with a professor at the University of Michigan who led an integrated product development class. I talked to him about Design Thinking, and he said, “We’ve been doing this forever. This isn’t new. Designers don’t own this. This is a process, set of tools, and framework that have been around for a while.” I kind of agree. I think the term Design Thinking is polarizing. I prefer the terms human-centered design, user-centered design, or customer-centered design. It’s about problem solving.

[24:53] How do you structure a Design Thinking workshop?

I typically do one- or two-day workshops with teams. I follow the discover, analyze, create, and develop framework.

1. Discover: I immerse the team in what we already know about the topic, from existing research and information from users.
   
2. Analyze: We pull out key insights. We do some exercises to generate and prioritize insights, such as affinity diagramming and writing “how might we…” statements.
   
3. Create: We brainstorm solutions. Then we go through prioritization exercises.
   
4. Develop: We evaluate the solutions and refine them, perhaps by considering importance vs. difficulty.
   

[27:08] In the analyze phase, you need to know what the customer said. Sometimes teams translate what they heard into company-speak and lose what the customer actually said. Have you seen this happen?

Yes, in that scenario you’re not really listening to the customer. You already have in your head what you want to hear. You spin what you’re hearing to fit what you’re already thinking about. Start with what the customer said and did. Write it down. Only then, interpret it.

[28:49] How do you put prototypes in customers’ hands instead of just showing them to customers?

I plan out the activities I want the customer to do with the prototype. I may show it to them and ask for their initial impression. Then I give it to them and see how they interact. Then I give them specific activities to do.

Action Guide: Put the information Tom shared into action now. Click here to download the Action Guide.
Useful links:

• Connect with Tom on LinkedIn
  
• Check out Stryker’s Xpedition powered stair chair
  

Innovation Quote

“The increasing complexity of products, services, and experiences has replaced the myth of the lone creative genius with the reality of the enthusiastic interdisciplinary collaborator.”  – Tim Brown, IDEO

Thanks!

Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below.