My multi-disciplinary background has greatly influenced my design methodology. I strongly believe there is not one method, process or tool that will always yield the best results, but rather that each situation calls for a unique approach in order to engage stakeholders, understand users and encourage effective collaboration. I regularly borrow overlapping methods and tools from:

• Service design: service blueprints, service ecosystem maps

• UX design: user journey maps, workflow diagrams, information hierarchy documentation

• Marketing research: customer surveys, conjoint analysis, industry/competitive analysis

• Business strategy: business models canvas, Ansoff matrix

• New product development: 5 whys, SCAMPER, evaluation matrix, agile development, lean startup, service roadmap, success metrics/KPIs

That being said, my processes are generally rooted in design thinking methodology. While the definition of design thinking has become very broad, my interpretation of it consists of three core tenants.

First, that it is participatory. I see myself as a facilitator.

Second, that it is user focused.

Third, that is iterative.

I find that nearly all projects can be broken down into the basic steps of:

1. Identifying key user needs/problem(s) (user research, participant observation, ethnography, quantitative)

2. Exploring potential solutions (supporting brainstorming processes, identifying likely options)

3. Testing promising solutions (first on paper, then in greater fidelity through prototypes, skits, pilot tests, etc. )

4. Implementing validated solutions (with mechanisms to collect feedback and allow for further iterations) - here I turn to lean start up, agile, and growth hacking methodologies .