Reﬂection - Visualization 

 Challenge 

 I work in the Creative Services department for a large aerospace engineering company ,   and we are often asked to lead design - thinking workshops to solve complicated yet   critical problems for the company , spanning internal communications , marketing , and   operations . For this project , our client represented a large internal organization that was   wanting a new visual identity to help rally their troops around a recent reorganization .   But as we conducted research with their employees , we found that many of them were   confused about the changes , disoriented with the new direction of the organization , and   unclear on their new roles in the company . We saw an opportunity to do more than a   simple visual rebrand . We needed to create a new experience for the employees as   they engaged with the future of the organization . And we needed to show the need for   that experiential change to the new leaders . 

 Selection 

 Our team selected the Visualization tool , as described in Module 1 by Angela Meyer ,   because it presented a way to put ourselves in the shoes of the employees , and use   visual examples to “ see ” and “ feel ” what these employees would experience on their   journey from the old way of doing things to the new . It also allowed us to use this   immersive method help the leaders to not only see the “ what ” behind the changes we   were proposing , but also the “ why . ” Leveraging empathy for their employees , the   Visualization tool took us beyond a list of recommendations to an actual experience ,   compel change , and discover new opportunities . 

 Application 

 We conducted an all - day workshop , which included other tools including research ,   empathy mapping , and brainstorming , and invited employees and representatives from   the organization to join our designers in mapping out the journey . 

 Once we knew our recommendations , we began the Visualization section by laying out   a table and using cardboard to mark each step of the transformation process from the   old way to the new . Then for each section , we “ created ” the new employee experience .   We took a stack of magazines , and cut out pictures that we felt captured the emotions   employees would feel at each stage . For example , in the beginning , employees were   confused and disoriented , so we cut out pictures of people running through obstacle   courses , covered in mud . Then we progressed to the next step , and so on , adding   photographs for each - a team meeting together , a leader giving a presentation , or an   employee getting excited about new opportunities . Each stage was accompanied by the   speciﬁc recommendations we had for evolving to the next . 

 Then we had the employees put on baseball caps of different colors , and “ experience ”   each step , with different colored caps for different roles , such as manager , HR rep , and   employee . We had them act out the Journey , rehearsing what each role would be   seeing , doing and feeling at each step , and making adjustments as necessary . 

 Finally , we invited the leaders into the room , and we had them go through the journey   themselves . Rather than a PowerPoint presenting a list of recommendations , they   experienced it for themselves , and how to implement them . Through Visualization , our   ideas pitched themselves , and the leadership was on board before the workshop ended . 

 Insight 

 Through this exercise , our team saw the power of Visualization at work in the faces of   the employees , and the leaders . Most of the day had been spent staring at sheets of   paper and talking about technical challenges . But when we created the journey and   used pictures , colors and hats to map the experience , the dialogue changed . As the   Module 1 video showed , we all started seeing the same shape in our heads , because it   was all on the table ( literally ) . And perhaps most valuable was our presentation to the   leaders . We were going beyond their initial request , and Visualization was able to put   them in the audience ’s shoes , and see why such a shift in thinking was so critical . It   broadened my view of design thinking by seeing it more than simply a way of getting   thoughts on paper , but rather a way to experience the pains and gains of your client ,   and reﬂect it back to them . 

 Approach 

 Our team would use this tool again because it showed the map of the journey from   getting from Point A to Point B , and all the steps in between . We have used this tool a   few times since , always with great success . One potential improvement would be to   create the experience before the workshop , and use it as an intro to map the current   journey and identity pain points before beginning brainstorming . Then at the end , we   could use it again to apply our new ideas and see if we hit the mark . This duality could   bring an extra beneﬁt to the Visualization , and guide the course of discussion around   new ideas . 


EMAIL: 
ID_NUM: 
NAME_STUDENT: 
PHONE_NUM: 
STREET_ADDRESS: 
URL_PERSONAL: 
USERNAME: 

### Task: You are a PII (Personal Identity Information) Detection. Given a essays written by students, you have to identify ONLY the following:
NAME_STUDENT - The full or partial name of a student that is not necessarily the author of the essay. This excludes instructors, authors, and other person names.
EMAIL - A student’s email address.
USERNAME - A student's username on any platform.
ID_NUM - A number or sequence of characters that could be used to identify a student, such as a student ID or a social security number.
PHONE_NUM - A phone number associated with a student.
URL_PERSONAL - A URL that might be used to identify a student.
STREET_ADDRESS - A full or partial street address that is associated with the student, such as their home address.
### Input: Reﬂection - Visualization 

 Challenge 

 I work in the Creative Services department for a large aerospace engineering company ,   and we are often asked to lead design - thinking workshops to solve complicated yet   critical problems for the company , spanning internal communications , marketing , and   operations . For this project , our client represented a large internal organization that was   wanting a new visual identity to help rally their troops around a recent reorganization .   But as we conducted research with their employees , we found that many of them were   confused about the changes , disoriented with the new direction of the organization , and   unclear on their new roles in the company . We saw an opportunity to do more than a   simple visual rebrand . We needed to create a new experience for the employees as   they engaged with the future of the organization . And we needed to show the need for   that experiential change to the new leaders . 

 Selection 

 Our team selected the Visualization tool , as described in Module 1 by Angela Meyer ,   because it presented a way to put ourselves in the shoes of the employees , and use   visual examples to “ see ” and “ feel ” what these employees would experience on their   journey from the old way of doing things to the new . It also allowed us to use this   immersive method help the leaders to not only see the “ what ” behind the changes we   were proposing , but also the “ why . ” Leveraging empathy for their employees , the   Visualization tool took us beyond a list of recommendations to an actual experience ,   compel change , and discover new opportunities . 

 Application 

 We conducted an all - day workshop , which included other tools including research ,   empathy mapping , and brainstorming , and invited employees and representatives from   the organization to join our designers in mapping out the journey . 

 Once we knew our recommendations , we began the Visualization section by laying out   a table and using cardboard to mark each step of the transformation process from the   old way to the new . Then for each section , we “ created ” the new employee experience .   We took a stack of magazines , and cut out pictures that we felt captured the emotions   employees would feel at each stage . For example , in the beginning , employees were   confused and disoriented , so we cut out pictures of people running through obstacle   courses , covered in mud . Then we progressed to the next step , and so on , adding   photographs for each - a team meeting together , a leader giving a presentation , or an   employee getting excited about new opportunities . Each stage was accompanied by the   speciﬁc recommendations we had for evolving to the next . 

 Then we had the employees put on baseball caps of different colors , and “ experience ”   each step , with different colored caps for different roles , such as manager , HR rep , and   employee . We had them act out the Journey , rehearsing what each role would be   seeing , doing and feeling at each step , and making adjustments as necessary . 

 Finally , we invited the leaders into the room , and we had them go through the journey   themselves . Rather than a PowerPoint presenting a list of recommendations , they   experienced it for themselves , and how to implement them . Through Visualization , our   ideas pitched themselves , and the leadership was on board before the workshop ended . 

 Insight 

 Through this exercise , our team saw the power of Visualization at work in the faces of   the employees , and the leaders . Most of the day had been spent staring at sheets of   paper and talking about technical challenges . But when we created the journey and   used pictures , colors and hats to map the experience , the dialogue changed . As the   Module 1 video showed , we all started seeing the same shape in our heads , because it   was all on the table ( literally ) . And perhaps most valuable was our presentation to the   leaders . We were going beyond their initial request , and Visualization was able to put   them in the audience ’s shoes , and see why such a shift in thinking was so critical . It   broadened my view of design thinking by seeing it more than simply a way of getting   thoughts on paper , but rather a way to experience the pains and gains of your client ,   and reﬂect it back to them . 

 Approach 

 Our team would use this tool again because it showed the map of the journey from   getting from Point A to Point B , and all the steps in between . We have used this tool a   few times since , always with great success . One potential improvement would be to   create the experience before the workshop , and use it as an intro to map the current   journey and identity pain points before beginning brainstorming . Then at the end , we   could use it again to apply our new ideas and see if we hit the mark . This duality could   bring an extra beneﬁt to the Visualization , and guide the course of discussion around   new ideas .
### Output: 