The document outlines a 5-day design thinking course conducted by Dharam Mentor. Day 3 focuses on defining users' needs and problems. Techniques taught include clustering thoughts and organizing data using the LATCH system. Clustering involves grouping ideas into similar themes. An example of affinity clustering around shape is provided. Issues with a firm's content creation process are identified through brainstorming and affinity mapping. Four main clusters of issues are identified: delay issues, structural issues, planning related issues, and motivation related issues.
1. #dharammentor
Design Thinking Course
Dharam Mentor
Brand Mentor | Author | Educator: Design thinking for Emotional
Innovation | Master’s in Branding, University of the Arts London | Founder
‘Good Design thinking is Good Business’
DAY
3
2. #dharammentor
Design Thinking Course
Day 1
Empathize—Research Your
Users’ Needs.
Introduction—What is
Design thinking
Ideate—Challenge
Assumptions and Create
Ideas.
Define—State Your Users’
Needs and Problems.
Prototype & Test—Create
and try Your Solutions Out.
Day 3
Day 2
Day 4
Day 5
+ Introduce the author Dharam Mentor
+ Introduce the Design thinking
+ Design thinking - three types of Innovations
+ Clustering thoughts
+ Organizing Data on system LATCH
+ Observation Plan & Techniques
+ Interview Plan & Techniques
+ Empathy Mapping
+ Brainstorming Techniques
+ Semiotic Signifier/signified
+ 27 Sutras of Ideation
+ Testing Prototypes Mockup with TG
+ Testing Your Concept/mood with TG
5. #dharammentor
Clustering thoughts
What is affinity clustering in design thinking?
Affinity mapping is the process of grouping and
clustering ideas into similar themes in categories.
The process works well with the overall design thinking
approach allowing an equal opportunity for ideas, a
collaborative environment, and a platform for creative
thinking.
6. #dharammentor
Clustering thoughts
What is affinity clustering in design thinking?
Affinity mapping is the process of grouping and
clustering ideas into similar themes in categories.
The process works well with the overall design thinking
approach allowing an equal opportunity for ideas, a
collaborative environment, and a platform for creative
thinking.
25. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
I am not clear
about who the
stakeholders
are for our
project.
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
26. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
I am not clear
about who the
stakeholders
are for our
project.
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
27. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
I am not clear
about who the
stakeholders
are for our
project.
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
Most of the
days, I lack the
motivation to
write content.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
28. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
I am not clear
about who the
stakeholders
are for our
project.
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
The office
environment
is noisy; I find
it difficult to
concentrate on
my task.
Most of the
days, I lack the
motivation to
write content.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
29. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
I am not clear
about who the
stakeholders
are for our
project.
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
The office
environment
is noisy; I find
it difficult to
concentrate on
my task.
We don’t have
the freedom
to run with our
ideas.
Most of the
days, I lack the
motivation to
write content.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
We all the
time lose track
of the given
project.
30. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
I am not clear
about who the
stakeholders
are for our
project.
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
The office
environment
is noisy; I find
it difficult to
concentrate on
my task.
We all the
time lose track
of the given
project.
We don’t have
a specified
content
strategy.
We don’t have
the freedom
to run with our
ideas.
Most of the
days, I lack the
motivation to
write content.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
31. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
I am not clear
about who the
stakeholders
are for our
project.
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
The office
environment
is noisy; I find
it difficult to
concentrate on
my task.
We all the
time lose track
of the given
project.
We don’t have
a specified
content
strategy.
Seniors
don’t edit my
content on
priority bases,
Hence delays.
What we
have written
so far on the
website is
uninteresting.
We don’t have
the freedom
to run with our
ideas.
Most of the
days, I lack the
motivation to
write content.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
We don’t
very often
thoroughly
plan.
32. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
I am not clear
about who the
stakeholders
are for our
project.
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
The office
environment
is noisy; I find
it difficult to
concentrate on
my task.
We all the
time lose track
of the given
project.
We don’t have
a specified
content
strategy.
Seniors
don’t edit my
content on
priority bases,
Hence delays.
What we
have written
so far on the
website is
uninteresting.
We don’t
have a senior
manager for
the content
team.
We have
so many
meetings in
a day that it
interrupts our
flow.
We don’t have
the freedom
to run with our
ideas.
Most of the
days, I lack the
motivation to
write content.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
We don’t
very often
thoroughly
plan.
33. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
I am not clear
about who the
stakeholders
are for our
project.
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
The office
environment
is noisy; I find
it difficult to
concentrate on
my task.
We all the
time lose track
of the given
project.
We don’t have
a specified
content
strategy.
Seniors
don’t edit my
content on
priority bases,
Hence delays.
What we
have written
so far on the
website is
uninteresting.
We don’t
have a senior
manager for
the content
team.
No formal
requests are
made for
a content
requirement.
We have
so many
meetings in
a day that it
interrupts our
flow.
We don’t have
the freedom
to run with our
ideas.
Most of the
days, I lack the
motivation to
write content.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
We don’t
very often
thoroughly
plan.
34. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
I am not clear
about who the
stakeholders
are for our
project.
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
The office
environment
is noisy; I find
it difficult to
concentrate on
my task.
We all the
time lose track
of the given
project.
We don’t have
a specified
content
strategy.
Seniors
don’t edit my
content on
priority bases,
Hence delays.
What we
have written
so far on the
website is
uninteresting.
We don’t
have a senior
manager for
the content
team.
No formal
requests are
made for
a content
requirement.
We don’t have
a process
available to
follow for
images and
formatting
needs.
We have
so many
meetings in
a day that it
interrupts our
flow.
We don’t have
the freedom
to run with our
ideas.
Most of the
days, I lack the
motivation to
write content.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
We don’t
very often
thoroughly
plan.
35. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
I am not clear
about who the
stakeholders
are for our
project.
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
The office
environment
is noisy; I find
it difficult to
concentrate on
my task.
We all the
time lose track
of the given
project.
We don’t have
a specified
content
strategy.
Seniors
don’t edit my
content on
priority bases,
Hence delays.
What we
have written
so far on the
website is
uninteresting.
We don’t
have a senior
manager for
the content
team.
No formal
requests are
made for
a content
requirement.
We don’t have
a process
available to
follow for
images and
formatting
needs.
We have
so many
meetings in
a day that it
interrupts our
flow.
We don’t have
the freedom
to run with our
ideas.
Most of the
days, I lack the
motivation to
write content.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
We don’t
very often
thoroughly
plan.
DELAY ISSUES
36. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
I am not clear
about who the
stakeholders
are for our
project.
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
The office
environment
is noisy; I find
it difficult to
concentrate on
my task.
We all the
time lose track
of the given
project.
We don’t have
a specified
content
strategy.
Seniors
don’t edit my
content on
priority bases,
Hence delays.
What we
have written
so far on the
website is
uninteresting.
We don’t
have a senior
manager for
the content
team.
No formal
requests are
made for
a content
requirement.
We don’t have
a process
available to
follow for
images and
formatting
needs.
We have
so many
meetings in
a day that it
interrupts our
flow.
We don’t have
the freedom
to run with our
ideas.
Most of the
days, I lack the
motivation to
write content.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
We don’t
very often
thoroughly
plan.
STRUCTURAL ISSUES
37. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
I am not clear
about who the
stakeholders
are for our
project.
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
The office
environment
is noisy; I find
it difficult to
concentrate on
my task.
We all the
time lose track
of the given
project.
We don’t have
a specified
content
strategy.
Seniors
don’t edit my
content on
priority bases,
Hence delays.
What we
have written
so far on the
website is
uninteresting.
We don’t
have a senior
manager for
the content
team.
No formal
requests are
made for
a content
requirement.
We don’t have
a process
available to
follow for
images and
formatting
needs.
We have
so many
meetings in
a day that it
interrupts our
flow.
We don’t have
the freedom
to run with our
ideas.
Most of the
days, I lack the
motivation to
write content.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
We don’t
very often
thoroughly
plan.
MOTIVATION RELATED ISSUES
38. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
I am not clear
about who the
stakeholders
are for our
project.
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
The office
environment
is noisy; I find
it difficult to
concentrate on
my task.
We all the
time lose track
of the given
project.
We don’t have
a specified
content
strategy.
Seniors
don’t edit my
content on
priority bases,
Hence delays.
What we
have written
so far on the
website is
uninteresting.
We don’t
have a senior
manager for
the content
team.
No formal
requests are
made for
a content
requirement.
We don’t have
a process
available to
follow for
images and
formatting
needs.
We have
so many
meetings in
a day that it
interrupts our
flow.
We don’t have
the freedom
to run with our
ideas.
Most of the
days, I lack the
motivation to
write content.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
We don’t
very often
thoroughly
plan.
PLANNING RELATED ISSUES
39. #dharammentor
What are
the issues in
our content
creation
process?
1) DELAY ISSUES 2 STRUCTURAL ISSUES
Affinity cluster exercise:
3 PLANNING RELATED ISSUES 4 MOTIVATION RELATED ISSUES
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
Seniors
don’t edit my
content on
priority bases,
Hence delays.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
We all the
time lose track
of the given
project.
No formal
requests are
made for
a content
requirement.
We don’t have
a process
available to
follow for
images and
formatting
needs.
We don’t
very often
thoroughly
plan.
The office
environment
is noisy; I find
it difficult to
concentrate on
my task.
What we
have written
so far on the
website is
uninteresting.
We have
so many
meetings in
a day that it
interrupts our
flow.
Most of the
days, I lack the
motivation to
write content.
We don’t have
a specified
content
strategy.
We don’t
have a senior
manager for
the content
team.
We don’t have
the freedom
to run with our
ideas.
40. #dharammentor
Affinity cluster exercise:
What are
the issues in
our content
creation
process?
1) DELAY ISSUES 2 STRUCTURAL ISSUES
3 PLANNING RELATED ISSUES 4 MOTIVATION RELATED ISSUES
Approvals take
centuries, and
it is pathetic.
Getting visual
inputs for the
project takes a
long time.
Seniors
don’t edit my
content on
priority bases,
Hence delays.
The SEO team
is very slow
in providing
keywords;
they take a hell
lot of time.
We all the
time lose track
of the given
project.
No formal
requests are
made for
a content
requirement.
We don’t have
a process
available to
follow for
images and
formatting
needs.
We don’t
very often
thoroughly
plan.
The office
environment
is noisy; I find
it difficult to
concentrate on
my task.
What we
have written
so far on the
website is
uninteresting.
We have
so many
meetings in
a day that it
interrupts our
flow.
Most of the
days, I lack the
motivation to
write content.
We don’t have
a specified
content
strategy.
We don’t
have a senior
manager for
the content
team.
We don’t have
the freedom
to run with our
ideas.
At this meeting, you also discuss ways
to overcome these issues. Because they
are grouped into categories, it is easier to
think about and determine root causes. For
example, instead of solving 16 problems, you
only need to solve four.
41. #dharammentor
1) Helps you identify issues and insights.
2) Reveals thematic patterns.
3) Facilitates productive discussion.
Why is affinity clustering important?