Page 49 - Transforming an Idea Into a Business with Design Thinking

28 ◾ Transforming an Idea Into a Business with Design Thinking

3.2.1 Planning

Before you go out for user research, it is important to plan the research.
Think about all the avenues of primary and secondary research. Primary
research entails directly observing and interviewing the users. Secondary
research includes finding out information from other sources, including
online, other people who would know the space better, books, library and
media.

For primary research, you need to find and narrow down where
to find the users to observe and research. The best approach is, if
you already know people in this space, to reach out to them directly.
Otherwise, find out ways to reach out to the users and explain why you
need their time and how the research will help you in understanding
their needs better.

3.2.2 Empathetic Observation

Observation pertains to viewing users and their behavior in the context
of their lives/work. Watching what people do and how they interact with
their environment gives you clues about what they think and feel. It helps
you to learn about what they need. By watching people, you can capture
physical manifestations of their experiences, what they do and say. This
will allow you to interpret the intangible meaning of those experiences
in order to uncover insights. These insights will lead you to innovative
solutions. The best solutions come out of the best insights into human
behavior.

But learning to recognize those insights is harder than you might think,
because our minds automatically filter out a lot of information in ways we
aren’t even aware of. We need to learn to see things “with a fresh set of
eyes.” Tools for empathy, along with a human-centered mind-set, are what
gives us those new eyes.

3.2.3 Genuine Curiosity

To have genuine curiosity, you must engage with users through empa-
thetic questioning. Think of it as personally connecting with someone
rather than interviewing or surveying someone. This mind-set allows you