3. Distilling Needs & Insights

Innovator Studio . DT Methods . 26 min Primer

As you move from empathy to define, learn both reflective and rigorous distillation techniques to draw out needs & insights with the greatest innovation potential.

Story

This Primer includes a story about Unexpected Innovation in Skiing that shows how switching from a company-centric view of the world to a customer-centric view can reveal hidden insights.

Activity

Reflect on your empathy conversations and review your notes. Document and organize key notes and quotes in a place your team can form a shared understanding of everything you’re learning. Then, ask yourself what stands out as surprising/unexpected or emotionally meaningful/resonant. These are signals that you’ve uncovered an insight (a clue as to where there’s latent innovation potential to unlock). Articulate the needs related your insights and identify the stakeholders involved.

Resources

• The distillation worksheet included in the DT Empathy Kit can be used to help draw out needs & insights.

• And, if you’re using a DT Dojo Design Project MURAL (template), it includes space to organize your notes as well as the distillation worksheet and instructions.