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this section introduces some basic concepts and essential rules for understanding human values. these concepts and rules prepare us for structured discussions in the coming sections. hence, please carefully check these concepts before we jump into the next sections.
8 thinking challenges
from user journey to life journey
8 thinking challenges
8 thinking challenges
we are in a linear technology world, everyday we talk about technologies, systems & patform, products, services, functions and features ! rarely we exchange our ideas with our emotional inner self.
1st challenge - think EMOTIONAL !
2nd challenge - think DEEP !
3rd challenge - think CONCEPTUAL !
4th challenge - think EMPATHY !
5th challenge - think CONTEXTUAL !
6th challenge - think PEOPLE !
7th challenge - think POSITIVE !
8th Challenge - think STORIES !
2.1/ our first challenge - think emotional !
2.1/ our first challenge - think emotional !
we are in a technology world; naturally, we think linearly and rationally by default. we should zoom out from the technical details and should make some effort to think about the emotional side - the emotions of the user, the anticipated experiences, the drivers, the motivations, the behaviours, the attitudes, the values, the meaning and the purposes to the user. although they seem intangible, we will discuss these subjects in structured discussions.
2.2/ our second challenge : think deep !
2.2/ our second challenge : think deep !
everyone can see the facts, functional attributes, and utility values on the surface. let's go deep into the surface and identify the user think and feel - the experience of engaging with the product or the service. then, we go deeper into user values, meanings, and purposes for the user - what does it mean to the user ? the deeper dimension is empathetic, and is very powerful.
think in 3 steps
think in 3 steps
a digital camera
a digital camera
take picture
a Starbuks cafe
a Starbuks cafe
a coffee shop
a Thai garland
a Thai garland
a flower bouquet
2.3/ our third challenge : think conceptual !
2.3/ our third challenge : think conceptual !
we think in 3 steps : from actual to contextual to conceptual, and we may discover an entirely new perspective. for example, a digital camera is about taking pictures, the context is perhaps a holiday, and our possible conceptual intent is that the camera is about capturing memory. wow . . . we may not talk about megapixels and 10x zoom anymore; we focus on capturing the best moments !
what would be the possible conceptual intents for a Starbucks cafe, and a Thai garland ?
2.4/ our fourth challenge : think empathy over sympathy !
2.4/ our fourth challenge : think empathy over sympathy !
often, we discuss how we engage with the product or the service; then, we describe our sensations of interacting with the product or the service. let's move one giant step further - tell the story of our experience between us and others while we are using the product or the service.
for example, in FaceTime our mom looks real, just like she is in front of us; the video is also smooth and has no interruption. with FaceTime, we feel our mom is always together with us, especially at dinner time we think we are eating together.
the first statement is a sympathetic sensation between the user and FaceTime. the second statement is a deep empathetic experience of the user and her mom while they are using FaceTime. in the first statement, we don't see the user context; in the second statement, we start to imagine what is happening there.
2.5/ our fifth challenge : think contextual !
2.5/ our fifth challenge : think contextual !
the context plays a critical role in understanding the user values, user think and feel. in the earlier discussion, a digital camera has a very different user value and meaning than a digital camera in the sample room in the office. in this example, taking a selfie with friends has a different meaning than taking a selfie while travelling alone.
selfie with friends - the moment together with them !
selfie while travelling - keep updating, I wish you were here !
therefore, we should bring together the contextual information when describing user values. check out this formula :
user + user values (internal context) + physical context + user activities + user behaviours (external context).
for example - nong Gam is working with friends at the Starbucks at Icon Siam, which has big windows facing the Chao Phraya River. in this open ambience, she feels more creative and considerate to her friends; she accepts ideas and collaborates better with friends.
remember, do not throw in individual value attributes and open to readers' interpretation - creative, considerate, accept ideas, collaborate . . . it is incomplete; we don't see and we don't feel the internal context and the external context.
understand user values, user think and feel is as important as understand technology systems, products and services, and functions and features
2.6/ our sixth challenge : think PEOPLE ! our subject is PEOPLE !
2.6/ our sixth challenge : think PEOPLE ! our subject is PEOPLE !
in human centric approach, we all need to un-learn and re-learn our subject - PEOPLE (and their meanings, values, and think and feel). technology, systems and platforms, products and services, and functions and features are the OBJECTS in the logical solutions.
we start from PEOPLE, the top of the organic model that influences and cascades from the top down.
2.7/ our seventh challenge : think POSITIVE !
2.7/ our seventh challenge : think POSITIVE !
be generative, probing into user values, user think and feel is not an analytical process. we think forward - how we could create new values, new opportunities, and new possibilities ! and, of course, don't get stuck backward into the problems too.
2.8/ our eighth challenge : think user stories !
2.8/ our eighth challenge : think user stories !
unlike functions and features, we can see them and talk about them on a product, service, system or technology. user values, user think and feel are mostly conceptual and intangible; our best tool to discuss them is business storytelling - a complete story about the user, user values, user think and feel, contexts, activities, and user behaviours ! we may apply storytelling through the process - capturing user stories into the user research, developing user stories to frame insight, creating user stories and concepts, validating concepts by stories, and presenting our new concepts by storytelling !
example 1 - khun Nui is very conscious of the environment, and she rarely turns on the air conditioning at home. she used to open the windows and turn on the fan in the room. this afternoon, she needs to concentrate on work and meet the client's deadline by the evening, so she switches on the air conditioning for short hours.
protect environment < > sense of responsibility
we understand that even though khun Nui is conscious of the environment, but in this situation she thinks performing on work and meeting the delivery deadline is more critical. she made a trade-off value decision between protecting the environment and sense of responsibility. and, she decided to switch on the air conditioning.
8 thinking challenges, you don't have to learn and to do all at the same time; with different projects, with different exercises, just learn and practise one by one !
8 thinking challenges, you don't have to learn and to do all at the same time; with different projects, with different exercises, just learn and practise one by one !
1st challenge - think EMOTIONAL !
2nd challenge - think DEEP !
3rd challenge - think CONCEPTUAL !
4th challenge - think EMPATHY !
5th challenge - think CONTEXTUAL !
6th challenge - think PEOPLE !
7th challenge - think POSITIVE !
8th Challenge - think STORIES !
into a bigger picture . . .
2.9/ from user journey to life journey
2.9/ from user journey to life journey
in recent years, our discussion has shifted significantly from user / customer journey to life journey. user / customer journey is a product-centric discussion; we focus on user touchpoints and user interactions while engaging in a product solution or a service solution.
in the life journey, we discuss many concepts and different perspectives on the whole life, from the transitions of the life stages (grow, play, learn, work, live, and age) to the transformations and the balance of key components in life (self-discovery and growth, meaningful relationships, diverse experiences that shape life, goals and aspirations, challenges and setbacks, health and well-being, and contribution to communities).
these discussions are way beyond the product solutions or the service solutions. these discussions demand a high level of creativity and conceptual techniques in the greater contexts. while we discuss user values, user think and feel, we may zoom out and consider a bigger picture - the life journey !
we may experience multiple life stages together at the same time. for example, most of us are navigating between work, learn, and live. Ernest is shifting into learn, live, and age. we may transit from one lifestage to another just within a day ! what are the meanings of the products and services along the life path ?
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