This document discusses strategic priorities and activity systems as tools in design thinking. It introduces the strategic priorities matrix as a tool to gain insights from multiple perspectives on a design challenge. An online Miro tool is presented for creating a strategic priorities matrix. The activity system is described as a model to map an organization's value creation and identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and gaps to explore new possibilities. Templates are provided for a strategic priorities matrix, synthesizing STEEP analyses, activity system mapping, and identifying key components of an activity system. The document is part of a design thinking course introducing various tools and templates used in the design process.

1. UNIT I : Introduction to Design Thinking
By
Dr.K.Lalitha
Associate Professor / IT
Kongu Engineering College
Perundurai, Erode, Tamilnadu, India
Thanks to and Resource from : Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie, "Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Tool Kit for Managers", NA Edition, Columbia University
Press, NA, 2011 & Lee Chong Hwa, "Design Thinking The Guidebook", NA Edition, Design Thinking Master Trainers of Bhutan, NA, 2017.
18GEO03 – Design Thinking for Engineers

2. Unit I : Contents
1. Introduction
2. Need for design thinking
3. Design and Business
4. The Design Process
5. Design Brief
6. Visualization
7. Four Questions & Ten Tools
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1.8 _ Strategic Priorities & Activity System
8. Explore
9. STEEP Analysis
10. Strategic Priorities
11. Activity System
12. Stakeholder Mapping
13. Opportunity Framing

3. Strategic Priorities
• This tool is used after the STEEP Analysis.
• A Strategic Priorities Matrix is used to
– explore from multiple perspectives to gain insights
– deep understanding of the design challenge
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4. What is Strategic Priorities?
• Strategic Priorities Matrix is a tool with
– which you will look through multiple perspectives
to better understand the context and
– the real issues with your design challenge and
– help you synthesise and formulate a point of view
or
– theory to explain your design challenge problem.
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5. How to use the Strategic Priorities ?
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6. List of Templates seen so far....
• T1: PMA1 - Design Brief
• T2: SCOPES
• T3: STEEP Trend Analysis
• T4: STEEP Analysis Matrix
• T5: STEEP Analysis Prioritization
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7. Strategic Priorities - Templates
• Two Templates:
– T6: Strategic Priorities Matrix
– T7: Synthesis - making sense of STEEP analysis &
strategic priorities template
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8. T6 – Strategic Priorities Matrix
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9. Online Tool for T6
• https://miro.com/signup/
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10. T7 – Synthesis : Sense Making
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11. Activity System
• You can use the activity system
– to gain insights on the organization’s strengths,
weaknesses, advantages and
– gaps to explore fresh opportunities and possibilities.
• It should also be used to establish
– foundation for leveraging and evolving the strategic
‘ecosystem’.
(or)
– a model in the Design Thinking Phase 5: Evolve.
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12. What is activity system?
• Activity system is a visual representation of
– how the organization creates value, satisfies its users and
builds competitive advantages.
• It also identifies gabs in achieving the objectives
(providing service) and possible duplication of jobs.
• A powerful organizational model is one with a unique
activity system that has mutually reinforcing activities
which is difficult to replicate.
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13. How to define the activity system?
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14. Activity System - Templates
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• Two Templates:
– T8: Activity System Mapping
– T9: Key Components of Activity System

15. T8 – Activity System Mapping
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16. T9 – Key Components of Activity System
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17. List of Templates seen so far....
• T1: PMA1 - Design Brief
• T2: SCOPES
• T3: STEEP Trend Analysis
• T4: STEEP Analysis Matrix
• T5: STEEP Analysis Prioritization
• T6: Strategic Priorities Matrix
• T7: Synthesis
• T8: Activity System Mapping
• T9: Key Components of Activity System
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18. Thank you
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