5 WHYS
The 5 WHY’s is a technique used to get to the root cause of the problem, with
the understanding that by repeatedly asking the question “Why” you can peel
away the layers of symptoms that obscure it.
Examine the issue statement. Ask the question “Why”.
Often the ostensible reason for an issue will lead you to
another question. Ask the question “Why” again, and
repeatedly ask the question “Why” (five is a good rule of
thumb) problem until you find the issue related to a
problem.
The final “Why” leads to a statement (root cause) that the
team can take action upon.
TOUCHPOINT MATRIX
The Touchpoint Matrix identifies points at which difference happens and opinions
are formed.
List vertically the different devices or contexts that are part
of the system
List horizontally the main actions that are supported by the
system itself.
Once this structure has been composed put a specific
persona inside and imagine his/her journey through the
different touch-points, connecting the related dots.
The matrix brings a deeper comprehension of the
interaction and facilitates a further development of the
opportunities given by the system. It identifies the possible
entry points and paths, shifting the focus of the design
activities to connections.
MOTIVATION MATRIX
The Motivation Matrix provides a detailed understanding of the connections
between the different actors of the system.
List vertically as many stakeholders/actors as you can think
of.
List horizontally what each stakeholder/actor needs or
wants from the system.
Assuming the point of view of each stakeholder with his/her
interests, investigate and brainstorm about solutions.
By gathering the real partners involved in the solution and
their expected benefits, interactions between partners can
emerge in terms of synergies and potential conflicts that
the designers have to investigate.
CAUSES DIAGRAM
The Causes Diagram helps think through a problem and analyze it from several
angles, and helps participants move beyond simple correlations to developing
more insights about root causes.
First, write down the exact problem you face in a box on the
right-hand side of a large sheet of paper. Draw a line across
the paper horizontally from the box. This arrangement gives
you space to develop ideas.
Next, identify the factors that may be part of the problem.
These may include:
Core Problem
Direct causes
Underlying symptoms - can stem from direct causes
Contribution factors - relates to prevalent symptoms
that perpetuate the problem.
Now, for each of the factors you considered in step 2,
brainstorm possible causes of the problem that may be
related to the factor.
GENERATE, SORT, COLLECT,
ELABORATE
Generate, Sort, Collect, Elaborate organizes understanding of a topic through
concept mapping.
Select a topic, concept, or issue for which you want to map
your understanding.
Generate a list of ideas and initial thoughts that come to
mind when you think about this particular topic/issue.
Sort your ideas according to how central or tangential they
are. Place central ideas near the center and more
tangential ideas toward the outside of the page.
Connect your ideas by drawing connecting lines between
ideas that have something in common. Explain and write in
a short sentence how the ideas are connected.
Elaborate on any of the ideas/thoughts you have written so
far by adding new ideas that expand, extend, or add to
your initial ideas.
3-2-1 BRIDGE
The 3-2-1 Bridge is a method for activating prior knowledge and making
connections.
Use a prompt or a trigger (Ex: A Quality Education for All
Learners).
Ask each person to think about 3 thoughts, 1 Question and
1 Analogy (or metaphor) that comes to mind when they
think of the prompt.
After mapping with stakeholders have the group repeat the
same steps. Ask them what changed in their thinking. This
is a good way to see how our thinking has changed.
Cluster ideas that come up with 3-2-1 Bridge and use this
as a way to form issue statements.
PARTS PURPOSE COMPLEXITIES
X.
X
COLOR SYMBOL WORD
Color, Symbol, Word is a method for distilling the essence of ideas non-verbally.
As you are reading/listening/watching, make note of things
that you find interesting, important, or insightful. When
you finish, choose 3 of these items that most stand out for
you.
Color: Choose a color that you feel best represents or
captures the essence of that idea.
Symbol: Choose a symbol that you feel best represents or
captures the essence of that idea.
Image: Choose an image that you feel best represents or
captures the essence of that idea.
Share with the group.
SCAMPER
The Scamper method transforms an initial idea or product into new ideas.
Create a template of tags:
Substitute
Combine
Adapt
Magnify
Put to other use
Eliminate
Rearrange
Place an initial idea (draft of the proposal) in the center
of the sheet and arrange the tags of the template around
it.
Convert the initial product or idea into new ideas, using
the actions described in the template. Try to find at least
2-3 ideas for each stage and draw them on big labels
which you place around the checklist.
6 THINKING HATS
The 6 Thinking Hats method is an effective way of decision taking in groups.
The 6 types of thinking are symbolized with hats of
different colors, which you can wear only one at a time:
 White (neutral) – Facts: Inconvertible truths known
or yet to learn
 Yellow (bright)- Positive thoughts: Benefits,
advantages, unique aspects
 Black (dark) – Negative thoughts: Barriers,
threats, fears
 Green (growth) – Creative thoughts: Alternatives,
new possibilities
 Red (warm)- Emotional thoughts: Feelings,
intuition
 Blue (sky)- Control: Next steps to take, planning,
overview
Use all these types of thinking in a separate and
consequent way to decide on a theme. Assure all team
members give their complete evaluation on the topic,
without discussions, mixing thoughts (Yes, but…) or
participants sticking to one opinion.
THEORY OF CHANGE
A Theory of Change is a roadmap that outlines planned steps to achieve your
goal. It helps you define whether your work is contributing towards achieving the
impact you envision, and if there is another way that you need to consider as
well.
Note the main problem you want to solve and long
term vision on the change you want to accomplish.
Complete the other boxes, such as your key
audience and your entry point to reach that
audience. Try to be as specific as possible.
Work outwards from your defining problem, and
towards your long-term impact. Write down the
people that are most affected by the issue that
you’ve identified and who you hope to help with
your work. Think about where to start your work.
Think of some practical steps you can take to make
changes – like creating partnerships, or making
tweaks to existing processes. Try to keep these as
action-oriented as possible.
List the key outcomes that would result from your
activity: these are the preconditions you need to
realize your vision.
SHAPING OUTCOMES LOGIC
Outcomes Logic model is a narrative or diagram which describes the logically
related parts of a program, showing the links between audience needs, program
activities, expected program outcomes, and how those outcomes will be
evaluated.
1. Situation definition - program partners and
stakeholders:
What is the program name? What partners are
involved? Who are the program’s stakeholders?
What does each stakeholder want to know? (include
yourself, your target audience, partners, any other
stakeholders)
2. Program planning - connecting needs, solutions,
and results:
Who is audience? What are needs of audience?
What are some audience considerations? What
solution fulfills the needs? What will desired results
be?
3. Logic model summary - program purpose
statement:
We do what? For whom? For what outcome/
benefit?
4. Program elements:
Inputs/Outputs, Activities/Outputs,
Services/Outputs
5. Analyze Outcomes
STOP/WALK
Stop/Walk is a quick ice-breaker exercise to free people up to think creatively.
Provide a large room to walk around in.
 Ask participants to walk around the room
and fill the space - about a min.
 Ask them to stop.
Now explain that when you say WALK, they stop and
when you say STOP they walk. Have the group start
walking by saying STOP then vary the number of times
you say WALK.
Say things like “walk faster walk faster” or suddenly
scream STOP!!! There will be some confusion. The idea
is to challenge the brain from the conditioning
associated with the words.
NAME EVERYTHING
Stop/Walk is a quick ice-breaker exercise to free people up to think creatively.
Name Everything: Performers point repeatedly at objects
in the room and say their names out loud. They have to
keep going as quickly as possible. There should be no
logical links between the objects being pointed out.
Name Everything Wrong: Same as above but the
performer has to point to the thing and name it
something it isn’t. Again there should be no connection
between the objects, if there is, they stop and someone
else gets to go. For example, point to the fan and call it
a shoe, point to a cup and call it a mustache etc.
UNLIKELY CONNECTIONS
Stop/Walk is a quick ice-breaker exercise to free people up to think creatively.
Find 3 similarities between pairs of disconnected items
such as:
 rat and a refrigerator
 donkey and a door
YES AND/BUT
Stop/Walk is a quick ice-breaker exercise to free people up to think creatively.
Yes and: Participants line up in two lines facing each
other (hassle line) they are given a topic and they all
improvise a scene with their partner in which each
sentence they say begins with the Yes and. The idea is
that they take the first persons idea and extend it. A
scenario might be a mother and daughter at the train
station or two people waiting for the bus.
Yes but: In the same vein performers begin every
sentence with yes but the idea here is to block the other
person’s idea and state your own. The facilitator can
choose to start with either.
BRAINSTORMING
Facilitated Brainstorming is a way to come up with many, wide-ranging ideas
1. Lead the group in a Brainstorming exercise to
come up with a large range of ideas and
proposals using the following rules:
Brainstorming Rules: (DTFE)
a. Defer Judgement: There are no bad ideas
at this point. There will be time to narrow
down later.
b. Encourage Wild Ideas: Even if an idea
does not seem realistic it may spark an
idea in someone else
c. Build on others Ideas: Think “and” rather
than “but”
d. Stay focused on the topic: Keep
brainstorm questions in mind
e. One Conversation at a Time: (in your
small groups all ideas need to be heard so
they can be built upon
f. Be visual: Draw ideas, write big, one idea
per post-it
g. Go for Quality: Set an outrageous goal
and surpass it. Lots of ideas
2. Share with group
100 IDEAS
A quick brainstorming technique
Brainstorm on (separate) post-its 100 quick ideas as
a group.
Cluster the ideas. Choose one area and articulate
another 100 ideas
CRAZY 8
A quick brainstorming technique (8- ideas 30 seconds each.)
Each member of the team gets 8 cards / sheets
of paper. Set a 30 second timer and draw one
idea every 30 seconds.
The team puts out 3 x 8 = 24 ideas.
The team lays these ideas out and discusses
them surfacing connections, big ideas, questions
and possible ways forward.
BRAINWRITING
A quick brainstorming technique
1. Present the problem, in a way that invites
solutions, for example by initiating the
problem phrase with “How can you…?”
2. Situate groups of 6 around a table and
hand out a sheet of large 11x17 paper to
each participant. Split the paper into 6
segments (3 on the top half and 3 on the
bottom) Take 3 minutes for the participants
to draw an initial idea (one only!) on the
first upper left segment of the sheet. Now
the sheets are passed to the neighbor on
the right, who in continuation has 3
minutes to create a new idea building on
the idea(s) which are already drawn on the
sheet. The sheets keep passing until all
labels are filled.
3. When sufficient ideas have been generated,
mix the sheets of ideas within the group for
review and take time to arrange the ideas
by families on empty maps, with the
group’s consent and awareness.
SELECTING PROMISING IDEAS
Selecting and synthesizing favorite ideas
1. Cluster ideas: group ideas that are similar
2. Vote for favorite ideas: in silence all participants
vote for 2-3 ideas. Different selection techniques
can be used, including:
a. Post-it voting – each team member gets
three post-its and marks three ideas that
he/she are favorites. Independent voting
allows all team members to have a voice.
b. The four categories method – the method
encourages you to hang onto those crazy but
meaningful ideas. Elect one or two ideas for
each of these four categories: the rational
choice, the most likely to delight, the darling,
and the long shot.
c. Bingo selection method – like the four
categories method, this is designed to help
preserve innovation potential. Choose ideas
that inspire you to build in different form
factors: a physical prototype, a digital
prototype, and an experience prototype.
3. Mark those that are buildable and those that are
too far out
4. Discuss the results: Choose 3 ideas to take forward