PROJECT OVERVIEW

We conducted design sprints to create better collaboration systems and communication methods between different departments. Neuromagic was in charge of everything from setting issues to planning and executing design sprints based on them, and creating reports.

CHALLENGE

Toshiba knew that in order to develop better services and products in the future, they needed to involve designers further upstream in the business negotiation process. To achieve this, we focused on improving the communication between the design and business departments that play a central role in business negotiations, and creating solutions that promote collaboration. Another important mission was simply creating an opportunity for co-creation cross-departmentally through the Design Sprints.

PROCESS

Pre-Sprint Meeting Setting the Problem Statement

At Pre-Sprint Meeting with the client, we always verbalize and share important issues in order to ensure the completion of work in a short period of four days. In this case, our Sprint Master and Service Designer both met with the client in person and conversed through e-mail to set the Problem Statement.

DAY 1Understand the Current Situation

On the first day, we set out to deepen the participants' awareness of the issues at hand. We also conducted simple user interviews and created personas to better understand the range of characters that appear in the collaboration workflow.

DAY 2Understand and Visualize Users

On the second day, participants conducted in-depth interviews to better understand the personas created on Day 1. We worked to gain a more in-depth understanding of the specific pain and gain points in collaboration and communication between the two departments. After the interviews, we created a user journey to visualize what we learned.

DAY 3Ideation

Day 3 was devoted to brainstorming through various forms of convergent and divergent ideation. participants shared ideas and opinions with Swap Ideation as well as creating a storylines for potential solutions using the MVS Journey (also known as the Hero Quest). Through a variety of these exercises, we were able to efficiently guide participants thinking forward.

DAY 4Prototyping

On the last day participants created solutions using all of the insights gathered from design tools over the past three days. From over seventy ideas, participants selected a few solutions to build into prototypes and used various methods like service role-playing to verify them.

RESULT

The final prototype for Toshiba was a workflow for co-creation between the design center and business departments, with an accompanying document format to use in their communications. Immediately following the Sprint, the rest of the business department also tested and reviewed the prototype, and it was well received. In addition, the 70+ ideas that were not chosen to prototyped were documented and saved to be utilized in future inter-organizational operations.

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