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16 Research News July 2016

Embracing design thinking to unlock the ideas boomBy Jason Dunstone

Ideas are all the rage. Both at a Federal and State Government level there is a focus on enabling and encouraging the ideas economy. As Malcolm Turbull proclaimed on ousting Abbott - “There has never been a more exciting time to be an Australian.”

Start-up funds, hubs and support programs are popping up quicker than bunnies at Easter. And our big Corporates and Government are rushing to embrace whatever it takes to be the next Facebook, Apple or Google.

Is the market and social research industry prepared to play a critical role in this exciting new era?

In my 22 years in market and social research, there is no question that the industry is ever evolving and innovative. Yet, there is opportunity for the research industry to move thinking around innovation beyond how to better collect consumer understanding towards a more integrated and holistic approach to moving from research to insight, to ideas and most importantly action.

Five considerations for researchers to have a key role in the ideas boom:1. Own ‘the independent, expert, evidence based,

consumer voice.’2. Evolve the research process, learning from design

thinking.3. Focus on agility, building on evidence based insights

to drive action.4. Avoidconfirmationbias,andencourageabeginner’s

mind.5. Improve skills in collaboration and education.

Please allow me to unpack these.

1. Own ‘the independent, expert, evidence based, consumer voice.’Too often research is viewed as the enemy of ideas

and creativity. While questionable as to whether he ever actually said it, Henry Ford’s “if I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses” has been used as an argument for not doing research. Steve Jobs and many other living entrepreneurs are also raised as examples of those anti-research.Thisisnothelpedbyexperts — frombehavioural psychologists to ad creatives and strategists — statingtheirdisdainanddistrustofmarket research.

Without question research is evolving. From on-line communities and mobile applications, to growth in a commitment to exploring new sources of insight such as social and big data. As well as continuing advances in data visualisation and analytics. There are also shifts to faster, agile and cost efficient, illustrating clear innovation and a desire to continuously improve.

The disintermediation and democartisation of research means that for many the voice of consumer is a mantel up for grabs. Emerging professions have surfaced in the recent decade to assist with understandingconsumers — UX,datadrivenmarketers, design thinkers, data scientists et cetera. Plus, growth of DIY survey tools mean that more surveys are being conducted than ever before, yet only a small fraction via professional researchers. The research industry is faced with significant impermanence, yet what is certain is that the

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Research News July 2016 17

disruption and enabling of anyone to do their own research will only grow.

The conversation around research is also changing. Jake Knapp, from Google Ventures, recently released a fascinating book Sprint: how to solve big problems and test new ideas in just five days with his colleagues John Zeratsky and Braden Kowitz. The popular book provides a process of going from unpacking the problem on a Monday, to user testing on the Friday.

While I enjoyed the book, and highly recommend it, there is potential to devalue the role of robust research. The book quotes research by Jakob Nielsen a “user research expert” from “back in the 1990’s.” The chapter goes on to state that “Nielsen has overseen thousands of customer interviews, and at some point he wondered: How many interviews does it take to spot the important patterns?” Apparently, Nielsen concluded “There’s little additional benefit to running more than five people through the same study; ROI drops like a stone.”

In emerging professions such as design thinking (aka user-centred design), research is typically skewed towards ethnographic, user observations andquickqualitativefeedback.UXgenerallyhasaleaning towards website analytics such as clicks and web movement.

Researchers have opportunity to better own the independent, expert voice of the consumer. And in leveraging the associated strength of the peak bodies the AMSRS, AMSRO and RICA and the high ethical, quality and privacy standards.

2. Evolve the research process, learning from design thinking.For most researchers the success of a study is an

‘insight.’ Generally researchers reveal this from analytical

thinking, seeking strong evidence to support an insight. As opposed to intuitive insight, as might befoundinacreativeagency — asenseorfeeling.Design thinking views an insight as coming from the intersection between analytical and intuitive thinking. However, more critically, success in design thinking comes from a focus beyond insights and ideas to outcomes.

The biggest problem with most ideas is they are not implemented. Design thinking has a focus on implementing ideas, learning and iterating towards the goal. Rather than an idea that isn’t implemented,

or an insight that doesn’t result in an idea, design thinking is about driving strategic value.

While the research process and design thinking process typically start with defining the problem and/or opportunity, design thinking generally has a greater focus on the up-front unpacking of the issue. This is likely to include deeply exploring the issue seeking to be resolved, key audiences and determinants of success. Clear definition of the problem is critical in design thinking prior to any research.

As can be viewed in the diagram, the outcome of a research study may be a strategy guided by research based insights. Depending on the success of the strategy, the research may be tracked or revisited to define new insights, which may in turn guide an evolved strategy. In the case of design thinking, the approach is to integrate ideation, prototyping, selection, implementation and learning into the process.

Research is critical throughout the design thinking process. For example, prototyping incorporates divergent thinking (spontaneous and free-flowing) and convergent thinking (organised and structured) to define and develop potential solutions. However, vital in this, is user feedback in testing and refining the best way forward. Equally, upon implementation, user feedback is important to learn and iterate. It is assumed that the first solution will not be the last, and that user feedback is essential to achieving this.

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18 Research News July 2016

The research within design thinking is generally basic ethnographic, user observations and quick qualitative feedback. In many situations, the level of robust, representative and strategically reliable insight is questionable. There also can be a greater focus on the design side, rather than on solid user understanding. Hence the opportunity for professional researchers to play a greater input into the design thinking process and to deliver strategic value beyond insights.

3. Focus on agility, building on evidence based insights to drive action.Agility is the key to design thinking’s focus on

implementing ideas …fail fast, and move on, and learn quickly, and evolve.

Many of the roots of design thinking come back to agile software development. Whereby rather than waiting until the tech system is designed, built and implemented prior to testing, and the associated slow time-frame, high cost and risk, a greater focus is placed on adaptive planning. Starting with smaller scale components, testing these with users, iterating and evolving until the full system is developed and fully functioning.

Similarly, for the agile strategy within design thinking, focus moves towards a greater number of small ideas, carefully developed with user feedback and iteration, and on a smaller number of big potentially costly and risky ideas. Avoiding distracting and stupid ideas, and leaning towards simple agile ideas is a fundamental of design thinking.

Many of the traditional tools of researchers such as choice modeling and user testing already allow for such analysis and defining of ideas. In the ideas economy there is likely to be an increasing demand for robust research, assuming the industry can sell its strength by allowing for prioritising of ideas towards those likely to have the greatest impact with least risk, and able to be implemented and iterated quickly.

4. Avoid confirmation bias, and encourage a beginners mind.Shoshin (初心) is a concept in Zen Buddhism

meaning “beginner’s mind.”“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities,

in the expert’s mind there are few.”There is a lesson here for researchers seeking a

role in the ideas boom. The beginner’s mind refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would.

Related to this is the importance of overcoming confirmation bias. Human nature is to search for, interpret, favour, and recall information in a way that confirms one’s beliefs or hypotheses, while giving disproportionately less consideration to alternative possibilities.

This is both critical to the researcher in finding new ideas, as well as to overcome any confirmation bias of internal and external clients and audiences of the findings. Examples of confirmation bias may include researchers, unable to find new insights, beyond what they have seen before. A manager blind beyond the category norm. A specialist failing to see new possibilities. Or, a CEO blaming the economy, or limited to seeking evidence to support current views.

By and large, this is a role researchers play well. Exploring categories, problems and opportunities with a good mix of left brain analytical thinking, and right brain intuitive thinking to produce strategic evidence based insight beyond the current paradigm. This skill will be increasingly more important in the ideas boom. The ability to find strategic insights and ideas with big opportunities that others cannot see.

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5. Improve skills in collaboration and education.Collaboration is critical in the ideas economy, and

while research is a critical partner in this, the industry cannot do it alone. Design thinking is very much about team based solutions development.

Rather than the traditional research process of producing insights in somewhat of a vacuum, design thinking is first and foremost collaborative. Working acrossdisciplines — management,marketing,design, finance, strategy, researchers, IT, HR, front-line, customers et cetera. Rather than researchers disappearing during the study, and re-emerging with the answer(s), design thinking is about working together to find, assess and drive the change.

Design thinkers are often facilitators of change, educating teams and organisations to be agile, innovative and able to embrace the ideas economy. The role can be about education, about systems and processes to think creatively to solve problems and unlock opportunities.

“ Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Proverb

Market and social researchers have traditionally taken on the role of ‘give the man a fish’ (or an insight). However, with the certainty that research will continue to experience democratisation, a rethinking of a higher level role of researchers to ‘teach a man to fish’ and how to action insights may be worth considering.

Many researchers will not have design thinking and change agent skills. Some will, and already are doing so, while others will have more powerful alternative roles to play in the ideas economy. The simple certainty exists that the research industry will continue to be disrupted, yet there will ever be an increasing demand for ideas, and associated skills.

Researchers clearly articulating their valuable skills base; the high ethical, quality and privacy standards of the peak industry bodies; and a desire to embrace new ways of thinking to drive evidence based insights, ideas and change, will prosper.

Jason Dunstone Jason is currently MD and Founder of market research agency Square Holes, launched in Adelaidein2004andnowwithanofficeinMelbourne. His market research has ranged from on-going quantitative tracking to adhoc qualitative-quantitative deep dive studies, for clients ranging from arts, government and consumer products and services, and in recent years an emphasis on turning insights into ideas and action. His formative years in the mid-1990s were at Frank Small & Associates Melbourne, during takeover by global consumer insight agency TNS. This ignited his fascination for market research. Jason was a member of the SA/NT division of AMSRS 1998-2008, SA/NT Chair and member of the National Council from 2003-2007, and a presenter at the 2013 and 2015 AMSRS Conferences.