Constructing a Viewpoint Matrix: A Step-by-Step Guide
In the realm of product development and service design, a powerful tool known as the Perspective Grid workshop is making waves. This interactive method is designed to bring diverse stakeholders together, fostering a shared understanding of customer journeys by aligning various viewpoints onto a common spatial framework.
The Perspective Grid is a flexible and versatile tool that can be employed in both the problem and solution spaces. Its first column is reserved for the names or titles of the customers or individuals under scrutiny, while the second column lists their jobs or needs.
This grid serves as a platform to identify and address gaps, barriers, pain points, and risks that hinder a person or customer from fulfilling their needs or carrying out their jobs effectively. Solutions that could potentially address these issues might include improved timing of practice reminders, financial practice incentives, music vendor discounts, a robust coaching corps, or services like Rhythm Reminders (practice reminders tailored to the customer's schedule).
The Perspective Grid is not bound to complex software; it can be as simple as a spreadsheet. It can also accommodate both quantitative data and first-hand experiences. This versatility makes it an ideal tool for condensing research data and fostering a shared understanding among stakeholders.
The Perspective Grid workshop process begins by inviting stakeholders with varying perspectives. These individuals are then encouraged to share their insights and research data relevant to the customer or user journey. The Perspective Grid is introduced as a visual tool that organizes these data points in a spatial layout, encouraging a unified view of the scene.
Stakeholders are then invited to collaboratively place their data on the grid, allowing them to externalize their understanding and perceptions visually. Through group discussion around the grid, the information is condensed and synthesized by identifying overlaps, discrepancies, and critical touchpoints.
This shared visual grounding aids in building a common mental model, which is essential before developing a detailed journey map. The workshop approach not only enhances clarity and alignment but also fosters consensus and clarity prior to creating a journey map.
While direct explicit instructional sources on using a "Perspective Grid workshop" for this exact purpose may not be abundant, related concepts emphasize that visual frameworks aligned to multiple perspectives improve shared understanding and decision-making. Workshop exercises that encourage naming, reflecting, and connecting data elements collaboratively contribute to condensing complex research into meaningful patterns and narratives with stakeholder engagement.
Matt Snyder, Director of Product Design at Lucid Software, is one of the individuals who have found value in the Perspective Grid, incorporating it into his team's journey mapping process. The Perspective Grid is indeed a valuable tool for creating a shared understanding between stakeholders before creating a journey map.
For more information about using a Perspective Grid, the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework can provide additional insights. Embracing this method can lead to a more profound understanding of customer needs, ultimately leading to products and services that truly make a difference.
- The Perspective Grid, a versatile tool employed in product and service design, can be used in areas such as UX design, UI design, and interaction design, where understanding customer journeys and needs is crucial.
- In the realm of home-and-garden or lifestyle, the Perspective Grid can help identify and address gaps in customer experiences, for example, by suggesting solutions like music vendor discounts or improved scheduling of home care reminders.
- For professionals in data-and-cloud-computing or sustainable-living sectors, the Perspective Grid's ability to accommodate both quantitative data and first-hand experiences makes it ideal for condensing research data and fostering shared understanding among stakeholders.
- Technology companies, like those working on sustainable living solutions, can benefit from the Perspective Grid workshop process, as it encourages a shared understanding among stakeholders, improves decision-making, and leads to products and services that truly make a difference.
