Let’s get to know Peter.
A mentor once told me, “If you want to get to know your customer, get to know your customer.” By saying that he was encouraging me to interact with them face-to-face whenever possible rather than learning about them from a distance. Ever since then I have made an effort to find the people that will use my products, and with a video camera and a clipboard in hand I meet them where they are.
One human-centered approach to satisfying the needs of our customer is to spend time with them as they go about their normal routines during the time of day that they might benefit from our yet-to-be-designed product. By paying close attention to them and their lived experiences we can identify actions we can take to improve their days. This empathetic approach to design improves our chances of making the right product for them.
One good way to visualize their experience is with Journey Maps.
Peter’s Journey Map
Above is an example of a journey map I created that shows a typical day in the life of a child with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, which can be disruptive to a productive school day.
The goal of this type of exercise is to collect data directly from the customers (like Peter, his parents, his doctor, etc), display it in a graphical way that illustrates where opportunities exist, and highlight the most promising areas for further exploration and product development. The data supporting the Journey Map can come from internet based research, interviews, in-person observation of the customers, and more.
Ultimately the goal of Design Thinking and graphical tools like journey maps is to organize the product development effort and communicate to a team where the research suggests we should focus our efforts.
Creativity thrives within boundaries. Tools like these can provide healthy boundaries that increase our chances of success. And then we get to design!