The visual analysis of 10 popular/ successful Design Toolkits. 4 Graduate Service Design Students from SCAD (Lauren Peters, Lindsay Vetel, Louis Finklestein, and Richard Ekelman) explore the contextual value of these Design Toolkits and Whom they are created for.
.....................
Contextualizing, analyzing, and quantifying each
toolkit, gave us a new and deeper understanding of
each.
Which also posed the question, are designers too
intimidated to write for other designers?
Or were these toolkits written in order to expand the
notion of design thinking to users who wouldn’t
normally employ these philosophies and to bring a
deeper understanding to outliers?
2. Blue Ocean Strategy
Human Centered Design
Gamestorming
Design For Intent
101 Design Methods
Business Model Generation
This Is Service Design Thinking
Design For Growth
ServiceDesignTools.Org
Double Diamond
Review and analyze ten toolkits for
design thinkers & service designers:
Toolkits:
3. Initial Group
Discussion
• Who uses these toolkits?
• What are the factors of a successful toolkit?
• What was the author’s intended use for each?
4. BO HCD GS DI DM BMG SDT DG TSD DD
Toolkit Bi-Polar Opposites
Intended Use Toolkit Outcome
Simple
Convergent
Complex
Divergent
Creating Collecting
Linear Thinking Lateral Thinking
Novice User Expert User
Passive Active
Optimization Transformation
Innovation Incremental change
Business Context Community Context
5. Segmentation Grid v.1
How does each tool influence the entirety of its Toolkit?
Rating System 0-3 / 0 - No influence, 1 - Minimal Influence, 2 - Medium Influence, 3 - High Influence
6. BO HCD GS DI DM BMG SDT DG TSD DD
Spider Diagrams v.1
Creative
Consultancies
Business
Corps
Government
Agencies
LaymenResearchers
Non-Profit
Organization
Creative
Consultancies
Business
Corps
Government
Agencies
LaymenResearchers
Non-Profit
Organization
Creative
Consultancies
Business
Corps
Government
Agencies
LaymenResearchers
Non-Profit
Organization
Creative
Consultancies
Business
Corps
Government
Agencies
LaymenResearchers
Non-Profit
Organization
Creative
Consultancies
Business
Corps
Government
Agencies
LaymenResearchers
Non-Profit
Organization
Creative
Consultancies
Business
Corps
Government
Agencies
LaymenResearchers
Non-Profit
Organization
Creative
Consultancies
Business
Corps
Government
Agencies
LaymenResearchers
Non-Profit
Organization
Creative
Consultancies
Business
Corps
Government
Agencies
LaymenResearchers
Non-Profit
Organization
Creative
Consultancies
Business
Corps
Government
Agencies
LaymenResearchers
Non-Profit
Organization
Creative
Consultancies
Business
Corps
Government
Agencies
LaymenResearchers
Non-Profit
Organization
Who is the toolkit’s intended audience?
7. BO HCD GS DI DM BMG SDT DG TSD DD
2x2 Matrices
What to expect beforehand: What to expect while using:
8. BO HCD GS DI DM BMG SDT DG TSD DD
Spider Diagrams v.2
Creative
agency client
Business Creative
agency client
Business
Project
tools
tools
tools
Research
Mapping
DGHCD
DIBMG
DM
SDT
TSD
GS
DD
BO
Strategist
Project
Manager
Design
Lead
Analyst
Operations
Manager
Project
Manager
Strategist
Project
Manager
Design
Lead
Analyst
Operations
Manager
Project
Manager
Strategist
Project
Manager
Design
Lead
Analyst
Operations
Manager
Project
Manager
Strategist
Project
Manager
Design
Lead
Analyst
Operations
Manager
Project
Manager
9. Segmentation Grid v.2
Toolkits Contain 12Types of Tools
Observational
Research
Generative
Research
Attitudinal
Research
Storytelling Vizualization
& Mapping
Reframing Metric &
Evaluation
Team Building
& Project
Management
Future
Envisioning/
Trend
Synthesis/
Convergence
Implementation
98 Total Tools101 design
methods
Game
storming
Double
Diamond
This is
Service
Design
Business
Model
Generation
Design For
Intent
Human
Centered
Design
Service
Design
Tools
Blue
Ocean
Design
For Growth
7% 5% 9% 5% 22% 4% 6% 3% 7% 6% 14% 12%
Prototyping
& Testing
44 Total Tools
2% 11% 9% 16% 7% 14% 0% 11% 12% 9% 0% 9%
56 Total Tools
7% 7% 4% 27% 20% 2% 0% 0% 21% 4% 5% 36%
23 Total Tools
13% 13% 4% 13% 13% 9% 4% 13% 4% 0% 4% 9%
34 Total Tools
21% 8% 12% 8% 21% 9% 0% 6% 9% 6% 0% 0%
16 Total Tools
6% 6% 6% 0% 13% 6% 19% 6% 19% 0% 19% 0%
102 Total Tools
25% 2% 3% 3% 1% 0% 5% 0% 60% 3% 0% 0%
88 Total Tools
0% 11% 2% 2% 16% 17% 4% 27% 2% 6% 5% 8%
54 Total Tools
5% 2% 21% 7% 13% 9% 4% 0% 7% 2% 6% 24%
15 Total Tools
0% 27% 0% 0% 2% 27% 7% 13% 0% 7% 0% 0%
Toolkits contained 12 columns of categorized tools.
10. Toolkit
Pros & Cons
ConsPros
Human Centered
Design
Good tools for
building
empathy,
context and
understanding.
Easy to
understand
visualization
tools.
Focused
implementing
a design.
Lacks project
management
tools
Does not offer
a means of
measuring
trends that
could effect
their design in
the future.
Lacks the
ability to be
generative in
it's research.
ConsPros
Design For Intent
Vast amounts
of conditional
test methods.
Accounts for
ways to
discreetly test
which factors
make the
greatest
impact in a
user's
experience.
Lacks a larger
structure from
which to build
off of
observations &
conditional
tests.
Many tools are
too open to
interpretation.
ConsPros
Service Design
Tools.Org
Many
accessible
ways to tell
visual stories.
Great
visualization
tools for all
levels of
design.
Offers many
tools for Hi to
Lo-Fi
Prototyping.
No
overarching
structure.
Lacks the
ability to
manage a
process.
Does not offer
metrics for
evaluation.
ConsPros
Blue Ocean Strategy
Excellent for
discovering
new business
opportunities
and reframing
existing
businesses,
products, and
processes.
Good project
management
tools.
Does not offer
a means to
prototype and
test concepts.
Lacks a
means to
implement a
radical new
innovation.
ConsPros
Design For Growth
Builds
understanding
and context
that informs
the design
process.
Provides many
ways to to
visualize
iterative
concepts.
Provides
Project
Management
tools.
Lacks a
means of
recognizing
and analyzing
trends.
Is a very linear
process that
requires step
by step
developments.
ConsPros
101 Design Methods
Provides easy
to understand
tools for
visualization
and mapping
process and
insights.
Offers many
tools for
synthesizing
solutions via
analyzing
research
insights.
Lacks a
method for
transformative
reframing.
Offers a great
deal of tools,
but does not
suggest an
overarching
system in
which to use
them.
ConsPros
Gamestorming
Strong
methods for
teambuilding
Offers many
tools that allow
a business
audience to
work
differently as a
creative team.
Lacks
contextual
research tools.
Prototyping
and testing
methods are
minimal.
ConsPros
Double Diamond
Strong project
management
abilities.
Creates very
defined stages
with ability to
remove the
"Fuzzy" front
end of design.
Accessible.
Lacks the
ability to
account for
trends.
Does not
demonstrate a
means for
implementatio
n or
storytelling.
ConsPros
TISDT
Offers a wide
array of tools.
Great as a
reference
book.
Provides many
techniques for
observational
research.
Does not offer
an over
arching
methodology.
Lacks metrics
for process
evaluation.
Does not
criticize or
praise any
tools offered.
ConsPros
Business Model
Generation
Very adaptive
toolkit that offers
many ways to
innovate from
trends,
generative
research, and
reframing a
problem.
Able to
breakdown a
very complex
organization.
Completely
lacks a metric
for concept
evaluation.
11. Reflection
• By trial and error, we were able to determine the best methods of
analyzing the toolkits.
• Understanding the toolkit in context changed the meaning and
values of each.
• Surprisingly, several toolkits were not created for a designer
audience.
• We are now able to view each toolkit objectively and realize the
macro to micro uses.
12. Thank You
SERV 753 / Assignment One
Rich Ekelman
Lou Fink
Lauren Peters
Lindsay Vetell
28. BLUE
OCEAN
IDEO
HCD
GAME
STORMING
DESIGN
FOR INTENT
101 DESIGN
METHODS
BUSINESS
MODEL
GENERATION
SERVICE
DESIGN
TOOLS
DESIGN FOR
GROWTH
THIS IS
SERVICE
DESIGN
THINKING
DOUBLE
DIAMOND
Service Design Toolkitsserv753
Introduction |
Analyzing the Toolkits
Despite many of our initial attempts at
evaluating the ten toolkits, we actually
learned more in our journey than would have
been possible had we just quantitatively
analyzed them from the get-go.
Our first attempt at a segmentation
grid proved to be a good fundamen-
tal overview in which we examined
macro-principles and process.
Delving deeper into each toolkit, we were able to
uncover the true nature of each; the author’s intended
audience, application, and process and set our own
biases aside. We summarized each, pulling out guid-
ing principles, vernacular, and specific tools in order to
drill down the true nature of each kit. These summaries
served as the backbone of the rest of our exploration.
When first tasked with analyzing these ten toolkits, it
became apparent that each of us carried our own
assumptions and biases based on previous experiences
with each tool.
Shortly thereafter, we found ourselves in a semantic
debate.
On top of identifying our own biases based on previous
experiences with the toolkits, we also learned that un-
derstanding the toolkit in context drastically changed
the meaning and values of each.
For instance, none of us were previously aware that
Gamestorming was intended for business people, de-
spite it explicitly stating so in the introduction. Upon
objectively quantifying the tools, we noted that a large
portion of Gamestorming tools were based on team
building and project management!
While designers and students use many of these
tools, the intended audience seems to tip more
towards the business professional or layman.
The verbiage and hand-holding through most of the
tools make it easy to understand creative process, and
even implement into the readers given context, each
suggesting that techniques and tools be applied on a
per-situation-basis.
Despite the intentions of the authors, these toolkits are still widely utilized by
users outside of the intended audience. Because of this, we categorized their
actual users into two different types: creatives and clients. Within those brack-
ets, we broke them down further into different knowledge levels, from a novice
to expert, in order to demonstrate how each toolkit may be better suited for
each individual user.
An easy way to determine what something is,
is to first determine what it isn’t;
After a lengthy discussion on our initial perceptions
of each toolkit, we whiteboarded imperative
characteristics of a successful framework.
We then turned the ten most defining components
into bipolar opposite continuums in order to plot and
compare each toolkit as a whole.
As we plotted, parallels and insights started to reveal
themselves to us.
These 2x2 matrices can help participants
decide which toolkits are more appropriate
for their needs, environment, and level of
experience within their field.
The first illustrates the user’s learning-curve combined
with the tool’s tendency to require a team member to
facilitate the steps in an activity.
The second represents what participants can expect
while using the different toolkits by mapping the level of
engagement and flexibility of each tool.
After contextualizing, analyzing, and quantifying each
toolkit, gave us a new and deeper understanding of
each.
Which also posed the question, are designers too
intimidated to write for other designers?
Or were these toolkits written in order to expand the
notion of design thinking to users who wouldn’t
normally employ these philosophies and to bring a
deeper understanding to outliers?
Toolkit
Continuums
Toolkit 2x2’s
Spider
Diagrams
Toolkit
Conclusions
After skimming the surface of each toolkit, we further
defined each segment down to the specific tool and even
the language the author used; finding that sometimes the
author was saying the same thing as another source, but
had adopted their own jargon.
We also used a ranking systemfor each tool in order to es-
tablish relevance and influence. This complex segmenta-
tion grid while thorough, did not allow us to garner many
insights, due to its fragmented nature.
Toolkits Contain 12Types of Tools
Observational
Research
Generative
Research
Attitudinal
Research
Storytelling Vizualization
& Mapping
Reframing Metric &
Evaluation
Team Building
& Project
Management
Future
Envisioning/
Trend
Synthesis/
Convergence
Implementation
98 Total Tools101 design
methods
Game
storming
Double
Diamond
This is
Service
Design
Business
Model
Generation
Design For
Intent
Human
Centered
Design
Service
Design
Tools
Blue
Ocean
Design
For Growth
7% 5% 9% 5% 22% 4% 6% 3% 7% 6% 14% 12%
Prototyping
& Testing
44 Total Tools
2% 11% 9% 16% 7% 14% 0% 11% 12% 9% 0% 9%
56 Total Tools
7% 7% 4% 27% 20% 2% 0% 0% 21% 4% 5% 36%
23 Total Tools
13% 13% 4% 13% 13% 9% 4% 13% 4% 0% 4% 9%
34 Total Tools
21% 8% 12% 8% 21% 9% 0% 6% 9% 6% 0% 0%
16 Total Tools
6% 6% 6% 0% 13% 6% 19% 6% 19% 0% 19% 0%
102 Total Tools
25% 2% 3% 3% 1% 0% 5% 0% 60% 3% 0% 0%
88 Total Tools
0% 11% 2% 2% 16% 17% 4% 27% 2% 6% 5% 8%
54 Total Tools
5% 2% 21% 7% 13% 9% 4% 0% 7% 2% 6% 24%
15 Total Tools
0% 27% 0% 0% 2% 27% 7% 13% 0% 7% 0% 0%
Project
tools
toolstools
ResearchMapping
Strategist
Project
Manager
Design
Lead
Analyst
Operations
Manager
Project
Manager
Strategist
Project
Manager
Design
Lead
Analyst
Operations
Manager
Project
Manager
Strategist
Project
Manager
Design
Lead
Analyst
Operations
Manager
Project
Manager
Strategist
Project
Manager
Design
Lead
Analyst
Operations
Manager
Project
Manager
Strategist
Project
Manager
Design
Lead
Analyst
Operations
Manager
Project
Manager
Creative
agency client
Business
Strategist
Project
Manager
Design
Lead
Analyst
Operations
Manager
Project
Manager
Creative
agency client
Business
The extreme nature of this tool proved to be too qualitative, and consequently too biased
to discriminate any concrete differences amongst the toolkits. Although the tools out-
come was unsuccessful, it allowed us to learn from our mistakes and value the quantita-
tive and unbiased nature of our segmentation grid analysis.
Additionally, it spurred much necessary discussion about the deeper meaning of each
toolkit, and their role in design thinking.
Segmentation
Grid
It did however serve as a stepping stone to our most suc-
cessful analysis!
After discovering the overlapping tools, we began to cat-
egorize each and every tool based on its inherent values,
which turned into our existing twelve categories. This
allowed us to pinpoint each toolkits objective nature by
noting the percentage of each category in a given toolkit.