Learning what your customers truly need and want with design research methods is awesome. And not enough.
Product Design 
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In our 12 years of doing Innovation Design project, we’ve had moments where we thought, “If only we had known X, Y, and Z from the start, we could have delivered even greater impact.” While hindsight always offers clarity, our experience across hundreds of projects has taught us how to anticipate challenges and opportunities upfront—before research and design begin.
We’ve found that taking “a moment” to diagnose an organization’s dynamics before diving into design results in better outcomes. While clients often want to jump right into research, this initial “lay of the land” phasehelps us understand product and service ecosystems, uncover team structures, and align capabilities to ensure a smooth and accelerated path from research and insight creation to impact.
Diagnosis and Dreaming: A Two-Part Approach
We begin with a combination of Diagnosis and Dreaming, working closely with product and service teams to explore both the current state and aspirational future state. For every organization, this journey looks different. Our goal is to align tried-and-true tools and methods with each organization’s unique needs to ensure the greatest possible impact.
Diagnose: We focus on how your products and services work today, mapping team structures, key metrics, and cultural dynamics. This helps us identify capabilities, potential hurdles, and accelerators to ensure smooth execution.
Dream: Together with our client teams, we define the North Star vision—what the organization and its product/service hopes to become. This future-oriented dreaming ensures we’re designing for measurable impact, keeping both short-term wins and long-term goals in sight.
Exploring the Product and Service Ecosystem
In this part of our Diagnosis phase, we ask five critical questions to assess the touchpoints customers experience today:
1. What customer jobs does the product address?
2. How is the product structured, delivered, and performing?
3. What technology and capabilities support the product experience today?
4. How do insights and data improve performance and customer satisfaction?
5. What strategic priorities and future needs shape your product and collaboration efforts?
Understanding the Organization
We also explore the teams and cultural elements that will drive or block change. This helps us build tailored solutions that fit seamlessly within the organization’s context. Key questions include:
1. How are product and service teams organized?
2. What metrics drive product, service, and customer decisions?
3. How are decisions about change made, and who is involved?
4. What roles and resources support designing and implementing change?
5. What cultural norms enable or hinder positive change?
The Impact of Diagnosis and Dreaming
By taking the time to diagnose and dream before diving into research and design, we 10x our odds of success. This upfront work allows us to thoughtfully navigate barriers and leverage strengths within the organization, ensuring the changes we make are embraced, aligned, and impactful.
If you’re ready to align your product and service ecosystem with future needs—and create lasting impact let’s connect. We’re excited to explore how we can co-create meaningful solutions that drive your vision forward.
