How to combine design thinking, lean startup and agile with Pi (π) (Part 2)

Photo by Giulia Bertelli on Unsplash

Okay, Let’s try this.

You are now a designer.

You are given a circular frame. As you examine the frame, you notice it is not an ordinary frame. Its circumference is made out of wood, and it’s inner surface has a fabric over it. Besides the frame, you have other equipments: needles, thread of different colours, a pair of small sharp scissors and an unpicker. Taking the needle, you gathered that the thread goes through the eye of the needle so as to get started. You then picked up the circular frame and begin with your first stitch. You remembered that you are translating an image that you saw into the circular canvas. As each stitch becomes a defined line, you attempt to complete the outline of the image, before proceeding with a different colour of thread, and a different technique of stitching. Snipping the old string with a new colour, the next thread is to fill the body of the outline with a bold striking colour. Stitch after stitch, the outline becomes more defined. Sometimes, a mistake is made, and that’s where the scissor and the unpicker comes into play. An additional hoop is somewhere within grasp, knowing that there is a second try. Eventually, the work is done. You, as a designer, breathe a sign of relief and satisfaction, as you look at the finished embroidery and prepare to share your new creation with the world. At the same time, you are capturing feedback and mixing it with another idea that you just came out with.

The design process translates across different mediums. Just like embrodiery, the Pi (π) framework follows a similar process.

In part (I), we looked at how Pi can act as a metaphor that bridges mindset with innovation design practices. Part (II) looks at how we can set ourselves up to apply 5 PI phases, and briefly covers the 5 PI phases.

Phase 0: Setting up

Setting up can be considered as a phase of its own. It is mise en place, such that everything is in place with the tools, process and mindset. Likewise, we will do the same for the Pi framework. As we get more accquainted with setting up, it becomes the invisible background that supports all of the phases.

1. The fabric: A blank canvas is a space to place any content. It’s clean and endless. It is the base material used that gives the designer an inclination of what he/she is working on. Similarly, the designer using the Pi Framework needs to determine the medium. Is it a physical, digital, spatial setup or service?
2. Embrodiery Hoop: A circular frame is used to affix the piece of work. It acts a natural boundary so that any output will be housed in the frame. Likewise, the circular border of the Pi Framework acts as a reminder to any constraints around a topic that we are working on. As legendary designer, Charles Eames, puts it: “I don’t remember ever being forced to accept compromises, but I have willingly accepted constraints.”
3. The threads: Threads are colourful and are the palette of intention. So are the words in the Pi Framework, with three universal colours. Yellow words are the core mindset, while red words are the references of important design innovation models (ie. Design Thinking, Lean Startup, Agile). Finally, blue words spell out the 5 PI phases across the PI framework.
4. The tools (the needles, the pair of small sharp scissors and the unpicker): Perhaps not obvious in the diagram, the three metallic objects are the tools used for sewing. Each tool serves one or more function, such as stitching or picking. The lines jutting out of the Pi Framework is a symbol to represent the various tools that can be used in the design innovation process.

When looking at each phase, the setup of the Pi framework can be reassembled accordingly:

Ask yourself:

• What is the starting point? Is it a physical, digital, spatial setup or service?
• What are some constraints or constants in the topic you’re working on?
• Do you have the relevant and available stakeholders?

Only when we have the materials can we begin stitching. The same applies for the Pi Framework.

Phase 1: Purposeful Imagination

A purpose is a calling for a greater meaning which comes with overcoming a challenging feat. It also requires a leap of imagination and courage to lead, yet, comes with a clear goal, such that there is a conceivable success or a claimable victory.

When President Kennedy rallied the Moon Project, he turned this daunting project into a great cause through sparking imagination. “But why, some say, the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic?” President Kennedy also made it a point that the pioneers landing on the moon will return back to Earth. Although the details are unfathomable, the goal is clear. Bring them home after this bold mission.

What good will ambitious purposes do for businesses, especially when it may hit the profits and affect the shareholders negatively? Why pursue such a feat, consuming huge amount of resources, and for what returns? How will our customers perceive our actions? Such questions are hard to answer. When “just enough” time is given to provide a imaginative purpose, teams / businesses should make a decision on committing and proceeding.

Ask yourself:

• What is the purpose of doing an initiative? What makes it worthwhile to do it? Why do it in the first place?
• Does it have a level of imagination that stretches the known possibilities?
• Does it have a clear goal such that success can be claimed?

Try this mindset first: Infinite

Try some of these tools: BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) Statement, 10x thinking, Porter’s Five Forces, Jobs to be Done

Phase 2: Problem Immersion

Falling in love with the problem, and not the solution, should be the default of any design innovator. The tendency to fall back on the golden idea may be tempting, but the early adopters are ultimately the decision makers who will determine whether such an idea is worth scaling. What makes this group of people tick? Who are they and what are their aspirations? What kind of emotional needs or desires do they have? The lesser we know our target audience and how the topic on hand relates to them, the higher the stakes are in not knowing what the problem is. Immersing ourselves in the the life of the adopters is ultimately what we need to do.

Designing for less may seem counterintuitive, but that’s what the Uber Design team did when they created Uber Lite, now beloved with high app ratings. Rather than working from the office, the team visited various developing cities to conduct user research with their customers. Their efforts led to the discovery of poor Internet network infrastructure, and lower end phone models, which affected the overall usage of the Uber app. The new solution stripped out the clunky features, such as the map, and replace it with bold words and clear colour cues. The sacred map was forsaken not due to preconceived knowledge, but based on the discovery of user needs.

Ask yourself:

• What problem are you trying to solve?
• Do you know who are your early adopters, the first 10% of your most active customers?
• What is their lifestyle and how will it relate to the work on hand?
• What discoveries or insights are to be made?

Try this mindset first: Human-Enveloping

Try some of these tools: User interviews, Contextual observation, Pop-up studio, data profiling, sacrificial concepts, insights crafting

Phase 3: Proposition Ideation

The power of a proposition lies in the ability to ideate and to come with many ideas, including the wild and crazy ones. Insights and discoveries from a problem fuels the generation of ideas, but it also takes the mind of a design innovator to think broadly and often weirdly. As the idea takes shape, its roots lie in original thinking, but evolved into a plausible proposition worth developing.

Closer to home in Singapore, KrisShop is undergoing a transformation by reimagining how we shop for high-end luxury goods. The once inflight push-cart retail solution has revamped itself by extending its services digitally. Today, KrisShop customers can have their goods delivered intentionally, and even to their seats of any Singapore Airlines, Silkair and Scoot plane, up till 60 minutes before flight departure. Its digital concept stores are links that showcase genres of curated products, just like the windows of luxury pop-up stores. The ability to take luxury and ideate in a digital context is what makes KrisShop’s proposition attractive.

Ask yourself:

• What will make this proposition plausible without losing its originality?
• Will you allow yourself to create wild and crazy ideas? Where are your source of inspirations?
• How many ideas will you come out to develop an attractive proposition? Will you stop at 1 idea, 10 ideas, 100 ideas, or … ?

Try this mindset first: Infinite

Try some of these tools: what if, scamper, crazy 8, card sorting, metaphor storming, concept poster, product box

Phase 4: Prototypes Iterating

The moment an idea sticks, user validation needs to be done immediately to prevent biases. Testing with minimal ‘desirable’ prototypes (unlike minimal viable products, or MVP), are quick and give teams early user feedback. Further improvement can be made with progressive costing and testings, until some later version prototypes will emerge as pilot products for selective groups of customers. Iteration is hence an essential part of product development, and each version of prototypes get closer to the ideal product.

Photo credit: Gregory Hans on designmilk.com

For Ivy Ross, Head of Design for Google Hardware, her team embraces iterative prototyping, having tried many variations (98 color samples or 127 samples of gray). These prototypes are supplemented by the feedback from consumers for the further advancement of the design. By spending a lot of time on iteration, the Google Home products are a testament to iconic design desired by homemakers.

Ask yourself:

• What are some assumptions you are making that needs to be tested?
• How will you go about building and testing the prototype?
• Will you iterate and improve?

Try this mindset first: Natural

Try some of these tools: quick and dirty prototyping, hypothesis crafting, wizard of oz, user testing, heat mapping, heuristic evaluation, decision matrix

Phase 5: Product Implementation

Finally, through the many iterations in the development phase, the product is finally launched and may be considered done, with the go-to-market strategy, operations and sales in place. Stronger products, on the other hands, are not static and left on shelves. They are able to build success over success, by extending or tweaking their product lifecycle with new business models and innovative systems, such that a longevity can be achieved with increased participation and loyalty.

Patagonia is one of the most reputable American clothing company known for their outdoor gears. Despite producing high quality durable products, Patagonia has treated their business almost like a living ecosystem, and is one of the forerunners to corporate sustainability. Their Worn Wear initiative dedicates efforts towards repairing and refurbishing existing products, while Patagonia Provision covers the supply chain and extends itself into food. With the mission to be the “business to save our home planet”, the innovation lie in its system, which in turns produces new exciting products.

Ask yourself:

• How are your products adapting to market conditions?
• What are some new business models or extensions that will make the product stronger?
• Are you system-centric? Are your products connected to a system?

Try this mindset first: Antifragile

Try some of these tools: Value Stream Mapping, innovation accounting, social listening, agile development and delivery, quality assurance

With the mindsets in (Part 1), the setup and the 5 Pi Phases, I hope that this Pi framework can make the design innovation process a little easier to adopt and to apply in your respective products or initiatives.