Product Management is a multi-faceted discipline requiring the use of a broad range of skills and frameworks. At times, some of these frameworks may seem great in theory, but hard to apply in practice. In this talk, Keisha presented a real world application of Design Thinking and discussed how the type of research you perform can be a game-changer for the insights you uncover.

1. How to Apply Design Thinking to Your
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8. Keisha Johnson
TONIGHT’S SPEAKER

9. Design Thinking in
Practice
Keisha Johnson | Product Manager
August 8, 2018

10. A little about me
● Background
○ PM @ Pluralsight (we’re hiring!)
○ Previous experience in financial services
○ Taught 9th graders for one year in Miami
● Things I could talk about for hours
○ Sports
○ Education
○ Cheerios

11. What are we talking about
today?

12. Agenda
● Design thinking - what is it?
● Case study
● Research as a foundation to the design thinking process

13. Design Thinking 101
● Human-centered approach to solving complex problems
● 5-step, non-linear framework which uses empathy to drive innovation
Empathize
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test

14. Case study: Thermometer
1. Empathize - how did he get here?
2. Define - how might I enable his learning?
3. Ideate - who can help devise a solution?
4. Prototype - a picture is worth 1,000 words
5. Test - is he learning?

15. So what?

16. If you don’t do the right research, you’re going to solve the wrong problem.
If you don’t know your customer, you’re going to craft the wrong experience.

17. Empathy = understanding (not feelings)
The first step of design thinking is getting smart on the problem
● Your user will tell you what they want - it’s your job to determine what they need
Empathy includes both primary and secondary research

18. Get smart
Primary research
● Who am I solving for?
● What are their needs, goals, and desires?
● What makes them tick?
● What is their current experience?
Secondary research
● What are the relevant data points I need to capture?
● Where are the gaps in my understanding which the user can’t explain?
Dive deeply until you’re clear on the what and why - the how will come later

19. Practice makes perfect(ish)

20. Takeaways
● Design thinking is a human centered approach to problem solving
● Proper research will make or break your outcomes
● There’s no one cookie cutter way to it - experience is your best guide

21. Thanks!

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