1. in/ situm
DRCX : Design Research Conference
October 2011
Luis Arnal, Managing partner

2. My 3 problems with insights Some lessons

3. My 3 problems with insights Some lessons
Disclaimer 1: Replace 'insights' for
'innovation' or 'solutions' and overall
talk will still make sense
Disclaimer 2: All stories and characters
referred to in this talk are fictitious,
even those who I have personally met.
Any resemblance to real persons
working for marketing departments in
multinational corporations and
advertising firms is purely coincidental.

4. problem#1
meaning

5. No word in Spanish or Portuguese

6. No word in Spanish or Portuguese
insight = observação
informação
análisis
datos
entendimiento
perspicacia
comprendimiento
¿qué encontraste?

7. cooking without

8. Hola friends! I came up
with un great insight
no comprendo your without doing any
‘insight’
research at all!
Let’s base our
product strategy
on this!

9. quote? finding? concept?
insight

10. quote? finding? concept?
insight

11. quote? finding? concept?
insight

12. quote? finding? concept?
insightful

13. quote? finding? concept?
insightfullofshit

14. quote? finding? concept?
insight
full of
wisdom

15. quote? finding? concept?
insightless

16. lessons
don‟t overestimate its meaning
insights are full of… wisdom
insights need “wow”

17. problem#2
formula

18. there are formulas out there
customer [need, want, wish, aspiration]
context [situation, environment]
„but‟ [or other conjunction]
verb [friction, problem, barrier]
consequence [efect on the customer]

19. Young people seek reward from their brand
While using the mobile device
but
[productX] does not allow their ID to be shared
therefore they combine functionalities from other products

20. Young people seek recognition from their friends
While using the web
but
[productX] gives limited feedback
therefore they hate us

21. This is data… (lots of it and good one too)
This is a finding, an observation,
a description of an interesting
think, do, use, feel
“and this is a quote”

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codify data, organize

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analysis

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analysis… more analysis

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Is this the result? (pls, don‟t make up results)

27. Or this? (don‟t make up results! less so horrible ones!)

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Use informed imagination

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(this is „fidelity of meaning‟)

30. 4
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Our job is not done with a great insight…

31. An insight is useless if it‟s not turned into a solution…

32. lessons
Insight development requires patience
Insights are not „discovered‟, they are „developed‟
Insights = 30% data, 30% perspiration, 30% inspiration
(the rest is luck)
Insights are a means to an end [solution]
Measure the effect of insights (and share with us)

33. problem#3
People
(and their companies, really)

34. law of the skillful insighter
“An organization / person ability to develop and
use great insights depends on their self-esteem
[to connect the dots] and their expertise [rigour in
the process]”

35. “I am completely sure I know
“I found this… i think” what I am talking about”
- Courage / self esteem
+
Intuition
Fear

36. “after 3 months in the field and
using a variety of research
methods I am extracting its
meaning, interpreting,
categorizing, seeing patterns,
creating frameworks that are
truthful, non-obvious, relevant
“insight? I am just and with a direct implication to
passing by” our business”
- Quality / expertise
+
Attends conferences
Embraces ignorance

37. Courage
Quality

38. Courage
Quality

39. jackass warrior
Courage
?
ignorant chicken
Quality

40. lessons
be brave, courageous (and work for companies like that)
understand the segment you are talking to
aim for quality and disseminate best practices

41. thank you!
Thoughts? Comments? Drop me a line
luisarnal@insitum.com
twitter: luisarnal
in/ situm.com

42. a word from my sponsor
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