Methods Used: Empathy Map, Persona, Journey Line, How Might We, Braindumping, Affinity Mapping, Post it Voting, Storyboarding, Low Fidelity Prototyping, Business Model Canvas
The group was divided into six teams. Each team was asked to work on a specific customer segment and detail a user persona for it, with relevant motivations and challenges. Each team interviewed select users from its assigned customer segment to get a sense of both context and environment. Participants also understood a day-in-the-life of the user to map a journey line for the persona. In the process, they identified key touch points around waste segregation and disposal.
Three distinct personas emerged - a nuclear family staying in a high rise building, a kirana shop owner in a market area and a student in an educational institute.
For each persona, teams identified a Point-of-View statement which not only captured user needs but also insights such as the fact that waste is usually collected by the municipal agencies in the wee hours of the morning; that eating patterns impacted the type of waste generated; and how the layout of the market influenced waste management efforts. These were then used to frame the How-Might-We statements.
An educational institute: How might we predict the appropriate amount of food that needs to be cooked in the students' mess? In what ways might we utilise the food left over each day? We know that students come in for dinner till 10:30 PM. Based on a study of their eating patterns, we know that certain vegetables/ dishes see significantly higher wastage.
A unit market area: How might we incentivise shopkeepers in a market area to dispose waste effectively and responsibly? In what ways might we generate additional revenue for the shopkeepers through effective waste segregation and disposal? We know that the area being used for waste disposal is enough to accommodate two more shops. We also know that the shopkeepers have low awareness on how they can create an additional income stream through effective waste management.
An apartment block: How might we create a simple and convenient system for waste disposal in an apartment community? In what ways might we make waste management more systematic? We know that nuclear families may not need waste disposal each day as waste generated (especially dry waste) is limited. We also know there is a low sense of pride amongst the staff managing waste and they are not treated with respect by some of the apartment residents.
With the How-Might-We statements articulated, the teams started generating and building ideas. They went in for quantity. Subsequently, they used affinity maps to identify themes. Finally, they prioritised solutions using methods like Post It Voting and the Prioritization Matrix. The top ideas was then taken ahead for prototyping.
The teams prototyped their top ideas by creating storyboards and/ or Lego models. They were asked to evaluate elements like ecosystem, interactions as well as static and interactive objects while designing the prototype. While being focused on the consumer need, they were also asked to think through the business viability and technological feasibility of their prototypes. In the process they built out a Business Model Canvas for their prototype by identifying the capabilities required, key partners, cost structures and revenue streams, amongst other aspects. They were asked to test their prototypes with actual users and gather currency or commitment for the solution. They were asked to further refine their solution/ prototype based on the feedback received using testing.
