Using design thinking to create new concepts for its membership, this association used story boarding to prototype those concepts and get feedback from members.

1. Prototyping
with
Storyboards
Carol Hamilton, Principal
Grace Social Sector Consul;ng, LLC
h=p://www.gracesocialsector.com
©2016 Carol Hamilton. This publica9on
may not be reproduced or disseminated
by any means or media without the
wri>en permission of the author.

2. How do you prototype something that is
intangible?

3. Steps before
storyboarding
The design teams first
scoped each project,
considering how to frame
the design ques9on, which
stakeholders were key to
research and how to gather
data to increase their
understanding of each set
of stakeholders needs.

4. Research Stage: Interviews
The teams interviewed
people who represented
each stakeholder group.
They created narra9ves of
each interview.
Each interviewee was given
a pseudonym and their
organiza9on was iden9fied
by type, such as “small
liberal arts college.”

5. Looking for Insights in
Interviews
We invited a larger
group from the client
organiza9on to
par9cipate in a “gallery
walk.”
Each par9cipant was
asked to iden9fy up to
30 quotes that caught
their interest. They then
worked in small groups
to iden9fy themes or
key insights that cut
across the interviews.

6. Research Stage: Interviews
The teams then iden9fied
the key stakeholders
needs.

7. Brainstorming
Solutions
Based on the iden9fied
needs, the teams then
brainstormed using a
variety of techniques
including “blue cards,”
trigger ques9ons and
analogies.
Once lots of ideas were
generated, the teams
started to organize
ideas into clusters.
From clusters more
coherent solu9ons
started to emerge.

8. Fleshing Out Concepts
Building on the clustering,
team members started
fleshing out their
concepts and then
presented them to team
members for feedback.
Each project ended up
with between five and
eight concepts to test.

9. Story Board – first draft

10. Impact of Story Boarding
Team members story
boarded each concept.
We found that this step
really helped the team
members dig into the
details of the concept to
move beyond just a
vague idea.

11. Illustrations Cleaned Up
To prepare for
feedback from
members, we had a
professional
illustrator translate
our crude sketches
into cleaner
versions.
Illustra9ons by Greg Brozenske www.un-reality.com

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against other ins9tu9ons.
12
The program begins with a survey in which you input
informa9on about your offices prac9ces in key areas.
You are then able to see a dash board of your results.
Full Storyboard – one panel
Here is an example of what the
full storyboarded concept looked
like – brief descrip9ons with the
illustra9ons. Like a graphic novel.

13. We tested the concepts using three different
methods:
1. One-on-one in person interviews
2. One-on-one virtual interviews
3. Focus group – in person survey

14. In person interviews
Interview prep
We invited members
who fit the profile of
who we designed the
concepts for.
We created interview
scripts that tested each
of the cri9cal
assump9ons that
undergirded the
concepts.

15. Interview prep - 2
Did we capture the “need”
accurately? Did it resonate?
And was it important?
Would the interviewees
par9cipate in the elements of
the program described?
What might get in their way
of par9cipa9ng?
Would they be willing to pay
for the concept? If so how
much?
How would they change the
concept to make it be>er fit
their needs?

16. Virtual Input sessions
via Adobe Connect

17. Virtual Interviews
In contrast to the in person interviews, we found that it
took much longer for the interviewees to “get” each
concept. Thus we had to focus our ques9ons and only ask a
few. We trimmed our inquiry down to test for need, key
features, co-crea9on and willingness to pay.

18. In person focus group

19. In person focus group
A third method I used to gather feedback was the in person
focus group with mul9ple par9cipants. I just had an hour, only
myself to staff the session thus interviews were not possible.
I adapted the full interview script to create a short survey with
mostly close ended ques9ons and 1-2 open ended.
I put the large concept posters up on the wall, had a survey with
clip boards and pens. Each person then reviewed the concepts
on their own and gave their feedback through a wri>en survey.

20. Learnings
We ini9ally did these 1-1 or in pairs. I found even in
pairs one person dominated the conversa9on. In
future sessions, I did all the interviews 1-1 to get
richer informa9on from each par9cipant.
In order to get feedback that allowed us to cull
concepts, we created a forced ranking. It was only
with the ranking that concepts that truly resonated
emerged. Par9cipants seemed reluctant to provide
much nega9ve feedback despite our saying – tell what
you think, not what you want us to hear.
In person interviews

21. Learnings
Aaer I collected the surveys from all the par9cipants, I
did not realize that some did not rank the concepts.
I had to throw this data out without the rankings as
many people rated their ‘need’ and the concept’s
‘importance’ high and then ranked the concept last.
The rankings were cri9cal to assessing the true value
of the concept to the focus group par9cipant.
In person focus group

22. Learn More
Grace Social Sector Consul9ng, LLC
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carol-hamilton-0052b71
h>p://www.gracesocialsector.com
info@gracesocialsector.com
Originally presented at
American Society of Associa;on Execu;ves (ASAE)
Innova;on roundtable – January 2015
Carol Hamilton