Reflection - Visualization 

 Background & Challenge :    I was part of a team where we were asked to explore various ideas for   growing the existing business .   Also , we were asked to think in an unconstrained way in finding new   business models which could support our existing business and further fuel growth .   This was an   exciting challenge for me . For the background , I am part of the Corporate Strategy team of a large   Pharmaceutical Company . 

 I had been thinking of an idea , but was not able to give shape to the same .   I used this opportunity to   take my idea forward .   I had to discuss my idea with various team members and also members from   cross - functional groups to communicate my idea and also seek their inputs to build upon the idea .    The idea was to structure an innovative out - patient service experience for patients .   There did not   exist an out - patient structured program with any insurance companies and patients had various   problems while undergoing treatment on an out - patient basis . Patients , would need to decide which   doctor they would go to for a consult , which service provider they would go to for various diagnostic   services and which pharmacy they would need to go for their medical supplies .   As this problem was   human centered , I wanted to use the design thinking approach to attempt and put in place a   structured out - patient program . 

 Selection :   The first tool I used was the tool of Visualisation or Visual thinking .   This is about using   images . It is a way of visual thinking .   It is a way of unlocking a different part of our brains that allows   us to think nonverbally and that we might not normally use .   As I have learnt in the course video I ,   this tool is a very powerful tool and has a role to play in each of the steps of design process .    Visualization can be used for exploring ideas , pattern finding , ideation , prototyping and also during   the pilot & scale stage .   When we explain an idea using words , there is a possibility that the rest of us   will form our own mental pictures , usually driven by the respective backgrounds of different   individuals .   If instead we present our idea to all by drawing a picture of it , this reduces the   possibility of unmatched mental models and brings in greater alignment and sense of purpose . 

 I used this design thinking tool to achieve a shared understanding of the challenge at hand among   the group of various stakeholders from different backgrounds , before I attempted to define the   possible solutions to the problem . 

 Application : I started the process by creating a straw man picture of the challenge at hand along   with a set of questions and prompts for discussion to allow the diverse group of stakeholders to   learn from each other in the process of defining the possible solution , the key elements , and the   relationships between the elements to consider identifying the pain points and opportunities for   improvements or solutions . 

 For this activity I divided the group into two and gave them a copy of the straw man picture along   with a set of questions which the group had to discuss and answer , especially on identifying the pain   points of the patients and how in their view the pain points could be addressed .   I allowed 30   minutes to both the groups and then requested to exchange the understanding with the other group   before we assembled together . 

 Insight & Approach : What I have understood from this exercise is that the initial picture or the   graphic along with the comments and feedback is important to validate and reinforce the group ’s   understanding of the challenge they are working to solve .   Also , more importantly what we get from   this exercise is the shared insights and shared learning that occurs while the group is working to   define and understand their challenge .   The picture let the group focus for discussion on the root   cause of the challenge .   The group is able to establish relationships between key entities instead of   taking time to identify them . The group is also able to identify few areas on which they would need   more information or data . 

 Since I discovered that the most valuable aspect is the shared insights and learning , next time I   would use the Visualization activity in various stages of the design process , viz . , while exploring   various ideas / solutions to a given problem . 


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 

 Background & Challenge :    I was part of a team where we were asked to explore various ideas for   growing the existing business .   Also , we were asked to think in an unconstrained way in finding new   business models which could support our existing business and further fuel growth .   This was an   exciting challenge for me . For the background , I am part of the Corporate Strategy team of a large   Pharmaceutical Company . 

 I had been thinking of an idea , but was not able to give shape to the same .   I used this opportunity to   take my idea forward .   I had to discuss my idea with various team members and also members from   cross - functional groups to communicate my idea and also seek their inputs to build upon the idea .    The idea was to structure an innovative out - patient service experience for patients .   There did not   exist an out - patient structured program with any insurance companies and patients had various   problems while undergoing treatment on an out - patient basis . Patients , would need to decide which   doctor they would go to for a consult , which service provider they would go to for various diagnostic   services and which pharmacy they would need to go for their medical supplies .   As this problem was   human centered , I wanted to use the design thinking approach to attempt and put in place a   structured out - patient program . 

 Selection :   The first tool I used was the tool of Visualisation or Visual thinking .   This is about using   images . It is a way of visual thinking .   It is a way of unlocking a different part of our brains that allows   us to think nonverbally and that we might not normally use .   As I have learnt in the course video I ,   this tool is a very powerful tool and has a role to play in each of the steps of design process .    Visualization can be used for exploring ideas , pattern finding , ideation , prototyping and also during   the pilot & scale stage .   When we explain an idea using words , there is a possibility that the rest of us   will form our own mental pictures , usually driven by the respective backgrounds of different   individuals .   If instead we present our idea to all by drawing a picture of it , this reduces the   possibility of unmatched mental models and brings in greater alignment and sense of purpose . 

 I used this design thinking tool to achieve a shared understanding of the challenge at hand among   the group of various stakeholders from different backgrounds , before I attempted to define the   possible solutions to the problem . 

 Application : I started the process by creating a straw man picture of the challenge at hand along   with a set of questions and prompts for discussion to allow the diverse group of stakeholders to   learn from each other in the process of defining the possible solution , the key elements , and the   relationships between the elements to consider identifying the pain points and opportunities for   improvements or solutions . 

 For this activity I divided the group into two and gave them a copy of the straw man picture along   with a set of questions which the group had to discuss and answer , especially on identifying the pain   points of the patients and how in their view the pain points could be addressed .   I allowed 30   minutes to both the groups and then requested to exchange the understanding with the other group   before we assembled together . 

 Insight & Approach : What I have understood from this exercise is that the initial picture or the   graphic along with the comments and feedback is important to validate and reinforce the group ’s   understanding of the challenge they are working to solve .   Also , more importantly what we get from   this exercise is the shared insights and shared learning that occurs while the group is working to   define and understand their challenge .   The picture let the group focus for discussion on the root   cause of the challenge .   The group is able to establish relationships between key entities instead of   taking time to identify them . The group is also able to identify few areas on which they would need   more information or data . 

 Since I discovered that the most valuable aspect is the shared insights and learning , next time I   would use the Visualization activity in various stages of the design process , viz . , while exploring   various ideas / solutions to a given problem .
### Output: 