Instructional designers are not only tasked with traditional design projects anymore, but are expected to design in a more human-centered approach. The design thinking process can help designers achieve exactly that. It consists of five stages that aren’t necessary linear, but require the designer to go back and forth in order to create the best learning experience. The five stages are Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.

Designer connect with the learner and gain more insight in the Empathize and Define stages [link to previous posts] by interviewing learners, observing them, creating empathy maps and learner personas. Once designers interpreted the data from these stages, they define a problem statement and are ready to ideate [link to previous post]. In the Ideation stage, designers are looking at every possible angle for their problem statement. Methods like brainstorming, brainwalking, worst possible idea, mind maps, storyboards or analogies can help designers in this stage to come up with a list of possible solutions. Equipped with a multitude of ideas, designers move to the Prototype stage.

Prototype

In this stage, the design team produces a number of inexpensive, scaled down versions of the solution. The goal is to investigate which problem solution is the best possible solution for the design challenge at hand. It is recommended to share prototypes within the team and if possible with a wider audience. In this experimental phase, designers accept, improve and re-examine or reject solutions based on the user’s experience. Through this process, the design team will be better able to tell how a real user would behave, think and feel when interacting with the learning solution. In this stage, designers move from an abstract idea to a more tangible product.

Types of Prototyping

Prototyping doesn’t have to be time-consuming, expensive or difficult. Different fidelity levels allow designers to come up with solutions quickly. Fidelity means the level of detail, functionality or interactivity that a prototype has. Here are some ideas.

Low-Fidelity Prototyping

Low-fidelity means that the prototype doesn’t have a lot of detail, no images or colors. Instead, it uses placeholders for images and text, but shows the flow and functionality of a solution. It can be created on paper and be a simple visualization and doesn’t require any expensive software. Storyboarding, sketching and card sorting are two very inexpensive and simple ways to create low-fidelity prototypes. Low-fidelity prototyping is quick and inexpensive, and allows for instant changes. It helps designers to get an overall view of the end-solution using minimal time and effort. On the other hand, low-fidelity has a lack of realism and may lack validity

High-Fidelity Prototyping

These prototypes look and function closer to the finished product. It could be a 3D model with moveable parts or using a prototype tool to build out the experience on a phone or desktop computer. This prototype has most design assets and components developed and integrated. High-fidelity prototypes are more engaging for the users to test and it is easier to judge if this solution will work. They do, on the other hand, take much longer to create and users might focus more on small details instead of the content presented. It takes longer to update high-fidelity prototypes as well and sometimes, it is difficult for a designer to make changes after hours and hours have been invested in building the prototype.

Guidelines for Prototyping

Designers might start with low fidelity and then move to high-fidelity at a later stage in the design process. Don’t overthink this process and simply start building a prototype. It will help you think about the learning solution in a different way and potentially give you different insights. Don’t spend too much time, money and resources on the prototype as to not get emotionally attached to it, in case you have to make changes later. Never lose sight of the issue you are trying to test with your prototype, and always build with the user in mind.

Design thinking finds its way more and more into training, and instructional designers are tasked with using this human-centered approach. It consists of five stages: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.

In the Empathize and Define stages, designers connect with the learner and gain more insight into what drives and motivates them through interviews, observations, empathy mapping and learner personas. Equipped with that knowledge, designers can leverage all this information and organize, interpret and make sense of it, which helps them define a problem statement. A good problem statement is human-centered, broad enough for creative freedom, narrow enough to make it manageable, and actionable. Designers can use a simple post-it technique to gather their thoughts, use the Point of View (POV) problem statement approach, or use the How Might We Question (HMW) question technique to define the problem statement. The first two stages are the basis for the Ideation stage in which designers generate ideas. In the Ideation stage, designers think outside the box to identify new solutions to the human-centered problem statement. In order to stimulate free thinking, there are a couple of different techniques designers might use to get as many ideas or problem solution as possible.

Ideate

Generating ideas can be a challenging task if designers are not in the right environment and are able to take a step back. The Ideation stage is about looking at every possible angle for the well-defined problem statement. It is about pushing boundaries and effective collaboration. Some best practices for the Ideation stage include having a skilled facilitator leading the session, working in a creative environment featuring the work from the two previous stages, setting a time limit, and having a “there are no bad ideas” mindset. Designers should be bold and curious, challenge common beliefs and explore each other’s ideas. It is also not to late too flip ideas over to reveal new insights.

Ideation Techniques

The sky’s the limit when it comes to ideation techniques, however, they should combine the rationale with the creative and must match the kind of ideas designers seek to generate. It’s about using our imagination to come up with the best possible solution.

The most common technique is brainstorming, in which designers collaboratively build good ideas based on the problem statement defined, as well as the team’s idea. Once certain ideas form, designers might want to categorize them and dedicate certain areas in the room for specific ideas. The team can then add their additional ideas as they walk around the room (brainwalking).

Another useful technique is the worst possible idea which is better suited for more reserved individuals to produce bad ideas, which in turn result in valuable threads. It’s a also a fun way to flip the Ideation stage on its head and help relax everyone on the team.

A more graphical approach to ideation is the use of mind maps, which allow designers to connect ideas and find major and minor qualities for each. Or designers might want to sketch or storyboard their ideas using rough sketches or diagrams to express possible solutions. In order to dive deeper into solutions for a problem statement, the SCAMPER technique can be a great tool to produce solutions. SCAMPER stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse. Designers can use the action words to question the problem statement at hand. A great example for this technique are new services such as Uber or AirBnB. The founders thought about ways to change the current cab and hotel industry, and voila Uber and AirBnB were born. The SCAMPER  technique can go hand in hand with the use of analogies to draw comparisons to communicate ideas better. For a more outgoing team of designers, consider role-plays in learner journey steps to find solutions. If a design team is stuck at any point, it can always fall back to their target audience and have them help crowdsource ideas. And sometimes, we just have to take a step back and take a creative pause in order to refresh our minds.

The Ideation stage is really the heart of the design thinking process. It is here that designers come up with human-centered design solutions. Choose an ideation technique that best matches the problem statement at hand, as well as the experiences of your design team. One technique might work well one day, but not the next. MIx them up to get the creative juices flowing and push the envelope to come up with outstanding solutions that help your learners succeed.

The design thinking process takes a human-centered approach towards training and consists of five stages:

• Empathize
• Define
• Ideate
• Prototype
• Test

In the Empathize stage, designers should connect with users or learners and gain insights into what drives and motivates them. Designers want to consider interviews and observations, as well as empathy mapping and the use of learner personas. Once designers know who their audience is and what really drives them, they can move on to the second stage in the design thinking process, the Define stage.

Define

In this stage, designers leverage all the information they have gathered in the first stage and organizes, interprets and makes sense of it. This allows to define the problem that is at the core of the design challenge. Meaning, designers have to define an actionable and meaningful problem statement that needs to be solved.. This design challenge will guide the designer and kick-start the ideation process rather than just defining learning objectives.This stage is about clarity and focus. Without it, it’s like stumbling in the dark. So let’s bring some light into the design thinking process.

A Good Problem Statement

The first step to shed light onto a design challenge is a good problem statement. It will guide a designer and add focus to their work, and it is the starting point to spark off new ideas in the Ideation stage. A good problem statement is:

• Human-centered
• Broad enough for creative freedom
• Narrow enough to make it manageable
• Actionable

There are multiple ways to define a problem statement that designers can follow with their teams.

Define a Problem Statement – Space Saturation and Group & Affinity Diagrams

This process might sound daunting, but is quite simple. Designers collect their observations and findings in one space using, for example post-it notes. This creates a collage of experiences, thoughts, insights and stories. Once all thoughts and insights are up on the wall, it is easy to draw connections between individual stories and insights and develop even deeper insights which help define the problem.

Define a Problem Statement – Point of View

In order to develop a problem statement in a goal-oriented manner, a point of view (POV) is a meaningful and actionable way to do exactly that. A POV allows designers to reframe a design challenge by combining three elements: user, need and insight. The following sentence can be helpful when developing a POV:

[User] _______ needs a way to [verb] ________ because [surprising insight] ________.

The measure of a successful POV is the number of different questions it will lead to as these questions are the base for the Ideation stage. Keep in mind that a POV should never contain a specific solution or how to fulfill a user’s need, but provide a wide enough scope to get the design team thinking.

Define a Problem Statement – How Might We Questions

Start using the POV by asking specific “How Might We” questions (HMV). These questions need to be built on the observations a designer collected in the Empathize stage. HMV questions should be broad enough for a wide range of solutions, but narrow enough that specific solutions can be created for them. Just like with POVs, the more questions a design team can come up with, the better. It opens up the design challenge to more solutions. HMW questions are really the launchpad for brainstorming sessions in the Ideation stage. To take it even further, ask “what is holding us back” for each HMV question to develop additional insights for the Ideation stage.

The Define stage is the crucial link between the Empathize and Ideation stage. It is however important to note that these stages don’t necessary happen in a linear way, and a design team might realize they have to go back and forth in order to find the best solution for their design challenge. The Define stage will help a design team gather great ideas to establish what possible elements would be part of the training solution.

Design thinking is a methodology putting human needs at the centre of design decisions. The design challenge at hand is reframed in human-centric ways, designers try to find multiple solutions in brainstorming sessions, and use prototyping and testing to ensure the best solution for learners. The design thinking process consists of five stages:

• Emphathize
• Define
• Ideate
• Prototype
• Test

Empathize

In this stage of the design thinking process, designers should put aside their own assumptions about the learner and the design challenge at hand and gain insights into their users instead. Consulting experts as well as engaging and empathizing with learners to understand where they are coming from and what drives and motivates them is as important as getting immersed in the physical environment. There are a couple of ways to achieve a better understanding of your learners.

Interview and Observe

In order to learn more about your users, you first have to meet them where they are at. Put yourself in their shoes and understand what their day to day looks like. Book meetings and interviews to ask pointed questions, and use observations to get a realistic picture of the learner. Talk to supervisors and managers to learn more about high performers and strugglers on a team and focus on how the learning experience design can help develop their skills.

Empathy Map

A great way to summarize a person’s experience and what designers learned during interviews and observations is the use of an empathy map. It’s commonly divided into four quadrants and refers to what the learner said, did, thought and felt. It’s rather easy to determine what a learner said or did, but it gets a bit more complicated when filling in what they thought and felt. Draw the four quadrants on a whiteboard or large piece of paper and start writing down findings from interviews and observations. Ideally, work with your team and write ideas on post-its so they can be moved around as needed. Next, synthesize the learner’s needs based on the empathy map to define the design challenge. Keep in mind that needs are verbs, meaning they describe activities and desires. As a last step, synthesize insights. Look at the empathy map and ask why something is the way it is and use that knowledge to solve the design challenge. Use the empathy map to role-play the persona and ask questions such as “What would this person do when they see this?” or “Why would this person not move on to the next step?”

Learner Personas

An empathy map is the first step in creating learner personas. Think of personas as fictional, generalized characters, each with their individual goals and needs. Information that can help create a persona on top of the empathy map include, but are not limited to, job role, biggest challenge, demographic information, personal background, tech savviness and years with the organization. Once learner personas are in place, it becomes more intuitive to create content that resonates with these personas allowing designers to keep the learning experience solution human-centred.

Traditionally, designers complete a target audience analysis, however, design thinking is taking this analysis to the next level. It allows designers to create a more human-centered learning experience that makes learning stick. By emphasizing with learners, learning experiences are more meaningful which increase motivation and engagement. Instead of creating content that no ones wants to take part in, create unforgettable experiences that make an actual difference.

You probably heard the news that IKEA opened its first Indian store in Hyderabad. In case you haven’t, you can view a video of the first day and see how 40,000 people lined up and rushed to get inside the new store; pictures that remind me more of a rock concert than the opening of a DIY furniture store. I also read a newspaper article about the store opening and was simply in awe.

The article states that India’s retail landscape is complex. The middle class spends about US$30 billion of furniture a year, but 95% of those goods are mainly purchased through smaller shops that offer custom-built products. IKEA’s brand stands for mass-produced, affordable and functional products with lean and lightweight design in contrast to bulkier furniture usually found in Indian households. However, IKEA is also known for a good bargain, which appeals to the Indian shopper. But still, how does IKEA think it can actually succeed? The answer is simple and inspiring at the same time:

• IKEA is selling certain products for less than it charges in other countries to adapt to India’s lower income level
• It tailors offerings for local tastes. For example, most Indians don’t use knives so IKEA removed its children cutlery packs and sells four spoons instead
• IKEA employees visited about 1,000 (yes, 1,000) households to understand how people live. They learned that relatives frequently stop by so they added more folding chairs and stools that serve as flexible seating
• Indian women are shorter than European women so some of the cabinet displays are lower
• The IKEA restaurant caters towards the Indian population with more than 1,000 available seats (more than any other IKEA in the world) and vegetarian Swedish meatballs
• Furniture is mainly made out of metal and lifted off the floor because people often clean their floors with water

So why am I talking about India’s retail landscape and how IKEA caters to it? For me, this is a perfect example of adapting a given strategy to a new audience. It’s about creating the perfect experience for a geographic region unknown to IKEA. Instead of sitting at the drawing board and thinking about what might work well and what wouldn’t, IKEA sent employees to Indian households to speak and interact with their end users.

My question to you is, if IKEA can do it, why can’t we in L&D? Why do we, more often than not, still not leverage usability testing, talk and interact with our learners when creating learning for them? IKEA’s example shows how crucial user testing is in order to create an experience that truly makes a difference. A learning experience that is catered towards the real needs of the learners will be more successful. Yes, it might take us a bit longer upfront to build the training, but isn’t it worth it in the end, if our learners will not only use the content we offer them, but change their behaviours because of it?