Can we create an even better business model innovation by adopting even more design thinking?

I have been working with methods based on Discovery Driven Planning. It is essentially a framework for adapting plans according to what you discover in the real world. Methods like the business model canvas are deeply rooted in design thinking, but how do we add additional tools to create true business model design. 

I have written a blogpost about this 

What do you think ? How are you already using design thinking ? Could use more ?


Views: 75

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Hi Peter,

Interesting thoughts :o) I like to make use of "personas" and techniques from contextual design for a deep and holistic user / customer image. Next to that, i like to employee the use of scenarios together with the techniques mentioned in the business model generation book. Personas, contextual design and scenarios all focus on a deep and holostic understanding of a user / customer have their origine in user centered design and desiging IT systems.

Thanks,
Michael
Hi Michael
Thanks for the input, good inspiration. I have started looking into contextual design, how do you personally implement that?

Thanks
Peter
Hi Peter

Personas are used to understand customers, kind of a "user model" constructed with the use of contextual interviews and scenarios with a persona being the main character to validate / prototype a business model.

Hope this helps,

Michael
Hi Michael
Thanks for the replay, I know about the idea of using personas and have used it a few times. what I was wondering about is how you implement contextual design on a more overall level ?

Thanks
Peter
Peter

After reflecting on your post, I have a couple of comments:

1. You associate the business model canvas with Martin's second part, visualizing and prototyping, but I have used the canvas quite effectively in the first part of understanding. By having the business representatives work through the canvas in a collaborative description of the "as-is" state it builds their comfort level with the canvas and becomes a learning activity for both of us about their business. One of the most challenging aspects of working with large established organizations is their business model is rarely explicit, and is often barely understood except in the minds of a few long term employees.

2. A very good companion book to Martin's is Tim Brown's "Change by Design".

3. During the understanding phase I have used the Client/Customer Empathy Map (designed by XPLANE) to focus discussion on client needs.
@ Mike

Great to hear your input, i have tried to take them a bit further below.

1. I agree that the canvas can be a great framework for gathering knowledge of the current business model.
As you mention it can be a language for talking about the current model. Yet I see this as a quite superficial understanding, compared to the "deep and holistic understanding" of design thinking.
I would love the framework to

I know that many in the community use different tools to do this, such as The Grove templates. Yet i think it could be beneficial to do this to an even larger extend. And that it would be great to have this framework be open and free, like the canvas.


2. Indeed, I like that one

3. The empathy map is a great tool, i have used it and similar tools myself. Yet it is still our assumption about the costumer, it is not the costumers actual needs and desires.

RSS

© 2012   Created by Alex Osterwalder.

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service