Business Strategy
The benefits of applying design thinking to business strategy are evident. No analytical or creative extreme will lead to an innovative and successful business, there needs to be a balance. There are many different tools that have been created as guides for this form of thinking. They integrate both the business perspective and the consumer’s in order to find creative ways to offer value to both.
Empathy Maps
Empathy maps are typically used by businesses to understand and connect with their consumers on an emotional level. However, this tool can be used in any for of user-centered process. We use empathy maps to understand how a consumer currently feels around a product or service in relation to how we want them to feel.
Red Balloon
"Once upon a time the trend was to hate uncertainty, to plan every path and count every step. Every day people would go through the same places and never see new things even if they were right in front of them. One day they decided to close Google Maps and start wondering. Because of that, they discovered places in the city they had never seen and felt happier and prouder of their environment. Because of that, they became more social with many stories to share but they couldn’t get other to experience it in a similar way. Until finally, Red Balloon allowed them to leave their experience in each place so other’s could see the world through their eyes."
"Once upon a time the city was a maze of unknown spaces. Every day people would walk around to discover new parks, activities and stores. One day the city map was placed in everyone’s hand. Because of that, people chose exactly were they wanted to go and ignored everything else the city offered. Because of that, they lost the opportunity to discover city and value its qualities. Until finally, Red Balloon offered the city the opportunity to be experienced in an engaging and mutually beneficial way."
Value Propositions
A innovative design or business needs to offer value to its users. Not all products are for all users, because consumers needs, fears and likes vary greatly. Value proposition canvases help clearly establish who the users are meant to be, the value that is being offered to them, and what differentiates it from similar products.
Library User Experience Design Toolkit
Inside Looking IN: Capicú
Red Balloon
Business Model Canvas
Alexander Osterwalder’s Business model canvas has become an essential tool for the development of new businesses or the analysis of existing ones. It is divided in 9 areas that consider business and user needs, with the value propositions at the center of it. It helps business strategist visualize their component and the relations between them.
Ñam-Ñam
Inside Looking IN
Red Balloon
ZAG
In Zag: The Number One Strategy for High Performing Brand, Marty Neumeier guides readers through a series of checkpoints that need to be addressed to result in a successful strategy. These 17 checkpoints breakdown businesses to their main ideas and most essential components with questions such as: What wave to you ride? What do they call you?
