Method cards

for Accenture
Index
1 BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS...................................................................................................................................................... 4
2 BRAINSTORMING........................................................................................................................................................................ 5
3 CUSTOMER JOURNEY MAPPING.............................................................................................................................................. 6
4 PROTOTYPING............................................................................................................................................................................ 7
5 CREATIVE REFRAMING.............................................................................................................................................................. 8
6 TERRITORY MAPPING................................................................................................................................................................ 9

Copyright 2016 Accenture. All Rights Reserved. 2

1 BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS
When to use it:
In the Describe phase to analyse existing businesses and
in the Test phase to verify your solution.

How this method helps:

You and your team will get a visual overview of a business case
You can play around with aspects of a model
To develop existing business cases further
To test your prototype in context of all aspects of a business

What we need:
A printed version of the business model canvas in DIN A0 (free on the internet)
Post its
Marker
Approximately 30 mins

How to use it:

The center of the canvas is the Value Proposition. In order to precisely describe it you need to clarify the Customer Segment first.
Concentrate on one customer group first. The Value Proposition defines the experience and result the products produce. It is not the
product itself! Now start with the Customer Relationship and the Channels. Ask yourself, what kind of relationship with the customer
do we need to fulfill our Value Proposition? What kind of Channel do we need between our proposition and our customer? The same
with activities, resources and partners: what do we need to offer our Value Proposition? End with the money. What are the costs and
how we earn money? At the end you get an overview of the model and can start to discuss the single boxes. For example: what
happens if a Key Partner produces the product and we establish a platform? What happens if we stop selling our product, but
renting it as a service?
If you have different Customer Segments, use for each one a particular post-it color. You can then see the different layers of the
models. Try to be brief and precise and concentrate the content on a maximum of 4 sticky notes per box.

Outcome:
You and your team will get an overview of a model. The canvas also helps to think about how to change a business.

Whats next:
You and your team might identify some knowledge gaps. For example, you are not sure about the customer segment or if your
key partner is able to produce a product? You could do user research and determine needs and details. In terms of key
partners, you could work on a prototype together.
If you developed a business model for a new product or service, you might think of starting a pilot on the market.

Copyright 2016 Accenture. All Rights Reserved. 3

 2 BRAINSTORMING
When to use it:
In the Ideate phase to seek new solutions.

How this method helps:

You and your team develop new ideas
Fostering uncommon and innovative solutions
Activation of team dynamics

What we need:
Team of 4-6 members
1 whiteboard
Approximately 15 mins
Post-its in several colours
Pens and markers in several colours

How to use it:

Brainstorming differs from meetings. Discussions about ideas and related details are deferred. Applying brainstorming is about
generating many different ideas. Quantity counts more than quality. Afterwards
you and your team select the best idea and describe your choice in detail.
1. CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING BRAINSTORMING RULES DURING APPLICATION:
Defer judgement
Encourage wild ideas
Build on ideas of others
Focus on the topic
Think visually
Go for quantity instead of quality
TIP: work while standing and use the whole space.

2. NOTE TASK: Write the task and design question in the middle of the whiteboard.

3. VISUALIZE IDEAS: Distribute Post-its and markers to all team members and start brainstorming. Each Post-it represents one
idea. The idea should be visualised and described by a keyword. This will help you to quickly remember and develop the idea
later on. Then things really take off. Team members will announce their ideas and tag them on the whiteboard. After warming up,
group dynamics will further activate your spirit and result in a large number of ideas. Ideas can differ from each other or serve as
extensions to other ideas. Team members promote each others ideas and encourage wild approaches.

4. CLUSTER AND SELECT: After having a break, ideas will be clustered. Similar approaches are grouped together and general
tendencies become obvious. Next team members individually vote their preferences. Usually three categories are relevant to
vote for:
Quick win
Wildest idea
Most meaningful
Every person should have three votes in each category. The most popular ideas will be further developed during the next
process stages.

Outcome:
Brainstorming is ideal way to explore wide ranges of ideas and to gradually identify solutions. For more introverted team members,
brain writing might be more appropriate. Brain writing is similar to brainstorming except one quietly writes ideas on Post-its. After
finishing, one person presents the developed ideas to the team.

Whats next:
Prototyping

Copyright 2016 Accenture. All Rights Reserved. 4

 3 CUSTOMER JOURNEY MAPPING
When to use it:
Development of solutions during the Describe phase.

How this method helps:

Evaluating different points of customer interaction - emotional and
cognitive aspects
Thereby perspectives of customers are crucial
Interviews and internal analysis provide quantitative and qualitative information

What we need:
Information about customers and evaluated touch points: customer processes, customer needs, customer perceptions
Team of 4-6 members, relevant stakeholders
Whiteboard, Post-its, markers
Template Customer Journey Mapping

How to use it:

The method of Customer Journey Mapping helps one gain empathy for customer perspectives. Define customer groups by means of
personas. Concrete impressions of your customer help to understand hidden problems according to touch points.
1. CUSTOMER RESEARCH:
Start to research about your user/customer. Conducting empathy techniques help you to deeply understand practical and
emotional aspects. They include methods for observation, engagement, and immersion:
History interview a conversation that aims to elicit memories and past experiences.
Expert interview an interview with people who have unique knowledge.
Process interview a conversation that aims to figure out why and how something happens, from a particular users
point of view.
Photo/video/audio documentation this technique uses photos and recordings to help you see the world through the
participants eyes.
Maps and diagrams You can use realistic or abstract graphical representations to record, depict, and analyse interactions,
relationships, values, processes, spatial contexts, corporate structures, sequences and much more.

Furthermore accompany the customer during his journey. By doing this you identify and understand hidden issues.

2. IDENTIFY CUSTOMER INTERACTION POINTS:

List all customer interaction points. On the basis of desirable experiences each customer interaction point is affiliated: what and
how should the customer feel, what does the customer think, how does the customer act and which actions are defined? By
brainstorming, an overview of interactions between the customer and involved persons/departments/institutions is designed.
What are the bottlenecks, where are delays and issues? How do customers feel during touch points? What do customers think?
Which actions do customers actually do?

3. ILLUSTRATE EMOTIONS:
Illustrate an emotional chronological sequence of the customers journey. Draw a curve which represents the low and high
affected moments.

4. DEFINE OPPORTUNITY AREAS:

Next you will define opportunity areas. Which opportunities exist to improve customer interaction?
Hereby important moments shown by your curve serve as a working base.

5. TEST AND IMPLEMENTATION:

Final plan includes optimization opportunities, further research activities, defined processes or concrete implementation steps.

Outcome:
A better understanding how to engage with the customer.

Whats next:
Prototyping a better/new/iterated customer journey.

Copyright 2016 Accenture. All Rights Reserved. 5

4 PROTOTYPING

When to use it:

In the Ideate/Prototype phase to point out solutions in a tangible
manner.

How this method helps:

Physical and virtual prototype tests help to gain feedback from potential users
User experiences physical models
Adaptability enables building to learn process former abstract solutions get tangible and concrete
Idea gets visible
Easily accessible to define functions and design
Develop level of detail and sharpness

What we need:
Different kinds of material like: lego, paper, strings, straws, clothes, tape, etc.
Notebook and camera

How to use it:

In general, various forms of prototypes exist: physical, digital, mock-ups, role plays, etc. The expected aim is to receive valuable
feedback and insights according to your idea. Therefore, sufficient space for communicating exchange and experience is crucial.
Take notes to explore insights out of details.

1. FROM IDEA TO PROTOTYPE:

Now its time to realize your idea. How can your solution be presented? Is your idea a product or service?
If its a physical product, then prototyping materials will be necessary.

2. BUILD PROTOTYPE:
Question which elements and aspects the prototype needs to fulfill. As a next step choose relevant materials or mediums. It
helps to think about dimensions and parameters which will be tested later. Role plays are a good way to communicate service
design solutions.

Outcome:
Concrete suggestions for improvement out of user perspectives.

Whats next:
Iterate prototype.

Copyright 2016 Accenture. All Rights Reserved. 6

 5 CREATIVE REFRAMING
When to use it:
During the Discover phase to sharpen the initial task.

How this method helps:

Support common problem understanding within the team
Answering right questions is almost irreplaceable to allow innovative answers
Mutual exchange within the team identifies core issues and clarifies uncertainties
Next process stages are based on newly established questioning
Inform your project client about the reformulation and ask for feedback

What we need:
Spaces which encourage undisturbed and unobservable team work
One moderator (or coach, in case of working with one participant)
Approximately 30 mins
Post-its in several colours
One flip-chart or white board per team of maximum five members
Pens in different colors
White board makers in several colours

How to use it:

Actively motivate yourself to question and articulate uncertainties about the working issue. In addition, you should allow team
members to communicate their perspectives. Together, the team works toward a common result.
1. CONSIDER THE DESIGN CHALLENGE (10 MIN):
Write the challenge/briefing in the center of the whiteboard. Chose one color and underline all unclear text passages.
Tag the highlighted sections and add a question mark. In addition, underline phrases which are too narrowly or too broadly
formulated or include an already formulated solution.

2. BRAINSTORM ALTERNATIVES (15 min):

Accumulate different interpretations of highlighted passages by brainstorming. Formulate your interpretations on Post-its and tag
them near adequate text passages. Make sure that all opinions and alternatives are visible. Next the team starts discussing
meaningfulness of all alternatives and creates a common understanding of the design challenge.

3. RE-FORMULATE DESIGN CHALLENGE(S) (5 min):

Set up new sentence modules out of marked passages. These parts should be tagged on the whiteboard. Next all parts will be
put together in one sentence defining a new challenge. This sentence represents the users perspective and identifies causes of
issues. Furthermore the situation and environment where the problem occurs is described. In case of disagreement, two design
challenges dealing with different extremes can be formulated.

Outcome:
Result defines newly created question.

What next:
Discover phase/project start.

Copyright 2016 Accenture. All Rights Reserved. 7

6 TERRITORY MAPPING
When to use it:
Territory Mapping is used during the discover phase.
This method represents a way for the team to acknowledge everyones
individual perspective, see how they fit into the overall point of view and
identify knowledge gaps in the team.

How this method helps:

Generate individual perspectives
Co-creation enables consensus
The map builds team dynamics for collaborative work - team building
Visual clarification via diagram

What we need:
Approximately 30 mins
Team of 4-6 members
Whiteboard
Pens in different colors
Markers in different colours
Post-its

How to use it:

1. NOTE IMPORTANT FACTS:
Working alone, each team member creates a list of everything they think is important about the service design challenge.
One idea per Post-it note with trends and anecdotes.

2. ANNOUNCE TEAM LEADER:

Select a team leader to facilitate collaboration. Find meeting space

3. TAG POST-ITS:
One by one, combine each Post-it/ idea into one overall map, grouping similar ideas to create clusters and placing
4. clusters in proximity to related clusters. (Affinity Diagramming)

5. DEFINE CLUSTERS:
Collaborate to agree on clusters, name each and agree on proximity.

6. ILLUSTRATE WITH SKETCHES:

Individually produce sketches of the map that represent all the clusters and their relationships.

7. SHARE SKETCHES:
Share the sketches and vote on which one reflects the territory most effectively. The team leader can also take input from
people and combine ideas from individual sketches into one master sketch.

Outcome:
A territory map represents a single view of both individual and shared aspects of the design territory and future vision. The map
is a vision of the future as agreed on by the team, including the key audiences involved in the design landscape. It also gives the
team orientation where to start with the research (discover).

Whats next:
Start with research: user journeys, observing behaviour, interviews, immersion etc.

Copyright 2016 Accenture. All Rights Reserved. 8

Copyright 2016 Accenture
All rights reserved.

Accenture, its logo, and

High Performance Delivered
are trademarks of Accenture.

Copyright 2016 Accenture. All Rights Reserved. 9