A few of days ago Barry Nobel from Ink Research introduced me to Sprint by Jake Knapp.
If you want to know the latest thinking in how to accelerate your NPD process, then this could become your bible.
It’s the best read of the year (so far) for me because: it’s an instruction manual made interesting with stories about the ‘Sprints’ Knapp’s team at Google Ventures have run.
Monday - Define the Problem
Include a tight team of ‘experts’ in the business including the Decider – the person who can make the project happen. In the book you will learn about how to structure day one: you’ll be identifying your goal, you’ll be interviewing experts, drawing a solutions map, identifying obstacles posed as how might we questions (how might we re-engage people with politics…).
Tuesday - Generate solutions
In the morning, still as a group, you’ll be stealing from the world of existing ideas to apply them to your problem (you go out wide, away from your world).
In the afternoon individual team members sketch their solution – and it’s a drawing because you will be designing a prototype to demo on Friday. You need to develop prototypes because you will be testing the customers’ experience of the product/ service, not their reaction to the idea of it…
Wednesday - Decide on the Best.
The day is spent selecting the best ideas from the sketches and refining them. It’s the Decider who decides!
Thursday - Build a realistic prototype
Don’t panic it’s a “surface” idea, a way for people to ‘experience’ the heart of the concept. It might be the top few pages of a static website, a fake brochure, a mocked-up pack.
Friday - Research Day
Interview 5 potential customers by showing them the prototype and gaining their reaction. Knapp believes that 5 interviews is optimal, by that point you’ll know if your idea has legs (and where the legs might fall off). The interviews are all filmed – live streamed, so that the Sprint participants can see customers’ reactions. The visceral reaction to the concept is really important – did they show and feel delight, or were they left nonplussed? Other than that, the interview process is ‘classic’ qual – understand who they are; show them the prototype; gain reactions; work out how the prototype could be improved…
Over the years I’ve read a lot about
NPD and how to get it right. This ticks all the boxes.
he understands: the importance of the process – get the team right – get the exercises right – capture everything
he understands how to generate creative thinking: allowing a combination of space and time, critical thinking and also pressure points and speed which also squeeze out great ideas
he understandings ‘thinking with your hands’ and the importance of showing not telling people about new ideas.
Please do read the book, there is so much more depth and useful stuff than I can get down here!
Big thank you’s this month to Vicki Raynor and Ambreen Aziz – marvellous qualitative researchers, both.
I’ve been searching for a long time for the right partner to use for on-line qual – for bulletin boards, diaries and community work. I’m really excited to have come across Comm Culture check them out!
I’ve also started my film-making training – by making use of the amazing resources at www.Lynda.com I recommend!
I’m still searching for a permanent Qual Streetmate (full or part-time) – someone who shares my ‘dedication to the answer’ – if you know of anyone who’d like to work with me let me know.
