Design Thinking for Business Innovation
Case Study
Assumption Testing:
 The tool:
 Assumption Testing
 How I used it:
 This one was also from my experience in a Co-Innovation Program for a
large Banking customer. As a next step for all the ideas collected from
Brainstorming or Storytelling sessions, these ideas has to undergo next level
of scrutiny through organization process. At the time of using this next stage
methodology, I did not know that we were using Assumption Testing
technique but in hindsight, I can say, this was very close to Design Thinking
Process of Assumption Testing. In this process, for each idea, we give out an
Ideation template to Idea owner to state all the Assumption and Hypothesis
along with their idea's Opportunities and Threats. First, Hypothesis is verifies
with higher management stakeholders and corrected if required. Idea owner
comes to meeting and explain their reasoning behind each of those
Assumptions. Further, we ask him to either find a way to correct assumption
or plan to validate the assumption within a stipulated time period. Idea owner
plans out method to verify and report back to Ideation committee. If most
Assumptions found to be true, this Idea is given go ahead for final level of
scrutiny by Business owners. If most Assumptions found to be false, Idea
owner is given chance to present it within next fortnight.
 What I learned:
 This process has brought many interesting observations.
 First one, instead of going all the way with Idea without testing assumption &
validating hypothesis, the hit rate of many idea has improved significantly
across the board.
 Many ideas were based on wrong hypothesis and it used to surface very late
in the product stage to get noticed by higher management. This has saved
large cost of failed idea.
 This also helped Idea Owner to see their ideas from Outside-In and many of
them have valued it.
 It is also observed that many Idea owners finds this process little offensive as
their ideas were challenged at core levels. But right mentoring could
overcome that kind of resistance.
Brainstorming:
 The tool:
 Brainstorming
 How I used it:
 This one was also from my experience in a Co-Innovation Program for a
large Banking customer. Ideation continued to be the challenge for my
program due to non-banking background of my engineering team. So, apart
from Storytelling, I have tried this Brainstorming tool for many Ideation
session. These brainstorming sessions were about sharing any idea arising

out of new Technological advancement, invention or product innovation to
benefit our Banking customer's customers. We organize these sessions in
good settings along with some prizes, like Chocolates and Kids toy. Before
embarking on discussion, we state two important thing to team members.
First is that All Ideas are good but few not-so-good idea might need some
help in correction. Essentially, we are here to sharpen good idea and shape a
not-good ideas with brainstorming. Second was to stay with objective of
discussion that Ideas has be Novel, Feasible and Affordable. And these
objectives are mentioned in Bold on Center white-board. So, any deviation of
discussion of ideas will be resolved and revolve around the Objectives only.
Third, any one giving idea will earn Chocolate/Toys before even sharing the
Idea, so there is encouragement and entertainment around it. We request all
ideas to be white-boarded one by one on all sides of walls and facilitate
discussion around them. At end, we select all the ideas which have more that
50% team member's approval for next level of discussion.
 What I learned:
 First, most important part of brainstorming discussion was to maintain the
Tone during discussion and as a facilitator, this is critical factor of our
activities. Through-out the discussion, team members should feel free when
expressing idea. And, any kind of negative reinforcement is lethal as no one
wants to take rejection or criticism.
 Second, most important thing was keeping the Objective in sights for all
members. Any deviation has to be corrected and brought back to the theme.
 Third, we can never has 100% agreement on a new idea, so we have kept
the bar lower at 50% consensus for idea selection to next level promotion.
Storytelling:
 The tool:
 Storytelling
 How I used it:
 This one was also from my experience in a Co-Innovation Program for a
large Banking customer. My objective was to develop and implement new
ideas which can enhance customer experience and improve employee
productivity. I had a team which was a bunch of Technical folks without any
Banking domain understanding. They were really good at execution of a
given problem set but they were bad creating and thinking for new ideas for
Bank. With premise, that they already have some level of personal banking
experience and I should explore that to bring them in context. So, I decided
to put few stories around banking problems in areas of Bank's Technology
theme. I have created few storyboards around their Banking
Interaction experience and presented few pain pints in those picture. Around
those, I provided a list of Technology theme, just to provide them clue fill with
the gap. I invited my team for a white-boarding session and project my
diagrams on Presentation slide and narrated a story of Customer having an
experience and interaction in bank branch and its staff to make them feel of
Customer pains in Branch. After completing my story, I ask them to improve
the story by using those Technology theme. There was little starting trouble
but I quickly recovered by motivating indulging into problem solving. To my
amaze, the results were outstanding, team gave tons of idea around, not just
at the meeting but even one month later. Some of those Ideas were amazing
and have been adopted in Bank.

 What I learned:
 Storytelling had profound impact on team and I could get the result which I
could not get after doing many management style pushy efforts. This
approach has not just involved them into the process but also engaged them
emotionally. The gaps in the story has made them participate as they were
good at problem solving skill than Design Thinking skills. This came after few
failed attempts of Story-boarding but the real impact started coming when I
started putting emotional statement about empathy towards Customer.
Conclusion was to have a impactful story along with lots of Emotional appeal.