Market research is an industry with a long history of understanding what makes people tick, with the hope of producing insight that will have a tangible strategic value. The industry is ever-evolving, yet debate surrounding the meaning of insight and how can we have a greater strategic impact are ongoing conversations. At a time when market research is being faced with increasing competition and need to justify return on investment, perhaps design thinking holds some answers. So, what is design thinking?

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DUCKS and Design thinking
Jason Dunstone Square Holes / August 2015
Evolving market research thinking to enhance strategic impact
Market research is an industry with a long history of understanding what makes people tick, with the
hope of producing insight that will have a tangible strategic value. The industry is ever-evolving, yet
debate surrounding the meaning of insight and how can we have a greater strategic impact are
ongoing conversations.
At a time when market research is being faced with increasing competition and need to justify return
on investment, perhaps design thinking holds some answers.
So, what is design thinking?
Design thinking pioneer and current IDEO CEO
Tim Brown refers to design thinking as ‘a human-
centered approach to innovation that draws from
the designer's toolkit to integrate the needs of
people, the possibilities of technology, and the
requirements for business success’.
In Brown’s fascinating 2009 TED talk ‘Designers –
Think Big’, he discusses design thinking as a
process that starts with what humans need,
through understanding culture and the broader
context.
However critically Brown notes the importance of
building on this understanding and empathy to
ignite thinking, and generate new ideas and
solutions beyond the framework of the current status quo.

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Searching for insight
One of the central premises of design thinking
surrounds the concept of ‘insight,’ including what it is
and importantly, where it comes from. In my 20 or so
years in market research, debate has prevailed as to
the meaning of ‘insight.’ Historically new
specialisations such as consumer insight and insights
strategists illustrate the importance and fascination
with this largely nebulous term.
The Oxford Dictionary defines insight as ‘the capacity
to gain an accurate and deep understanding of
someone or something’. Some market researchers
are likely to view insight as coming with experience – others, as something that can or cannot be
learned.
Market research has a fascination, even an obsession, with qualitative and quantitative research
techniques. Yet, design thinking takes the thinking a step further to the intersect of analytical
thinking and intuitive thinking.
Analytical thinking:
Using quantitative, qualitative and
other research methodologies to come
to conclusions
– Deductive reasoning: finding a
logically certain conclusion
– Inductive reasoning: supplying
strong evidence for the truth of a
solution
Intuitive thinking:
Knowing the conclusion without
reasoning, as a sense or feeling.
– Abductive reasoning: inference
to the best explanation without
evidence
From this, design thinking seeks creative solutions able to be replicated, and ideas that are
outcome-focused backed by reliable evidence.

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Market researchers are the specialists
in collecting and analysing
quantitative and qualitative data, and
emerging approaches such as
semiotics, ethnography and big data.
Yet development opportunities may
exist in harnessing intuitive thinking,
and approaches to better utilise
creativity and generate left and right
brain solutions.
Importantly, solutions do not need to come from an individual. Design thinking views the importance
of pulling in the skills of diverse disciplines as critical, and counters the myth of the lone creative
genius, encouraging collaboration across a wide team.
Market researchers have a critical responsibility as the independent, expert voice of the consumer,
customer, user, citizen or audience member. Similarly, design thinking aims to ensure the voice of
consumers is incorporated into strategy. Whether this be to solve business challenges or social ills,
design thinking focuses on finding solutions with a clear understanding of consumers. The role of
market researchers often stops at understanding consumers, and generally takes a less active role
than would be the case for design thinking in using insights to inspire ideas, innovation and impact.

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Market research vs design thinking
Market research can be difficult to measure in terms of direct strategic impact and return on
investment. This can be for a variety of reasons, including the cost to implement recommended
strategies being high or potentially risky. There can also be complexities in providing a clear
guarantee of success. With such limitation can come delays in implementation of changes or often
making no change.
The design thinking process is about overcoming fear and being courageous in implementing
changes that will have an impact. This is achieved by …
1) defining the issue and what success will mean upfront;
2) conducting research to understand consumers; and
3) using research as a platform for ideation, prototyping and iteration.
Research is a critical foundation of design thinking, throughout the entire process.
1) ensuring a robust understanding of customers and where gaps and opportunities lie.
2) taking an active role in guiding strategies down the right path.
3) evaluating, assessing and refining prototypes.
4) monitoring and identifying opportunities to improve.
However, the distinction between market research and design thinking is more often that design
thinking is extended and an ongoing loop from defining the problem to continuous learning and
improvement. The model can largely be applied to a wide variety of problems and corporate,
government, and not for profit scenarios.

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The typical design thinking process is listed below, with the DUCKS design thinking framework I
have applied to a range of corporate and government ‘market research’ scenarios.
‘DUCKS’ APPROACH TO DESIGN THINKING TYPICAL DESIGN THINKING APPROACH
1) Define the mission Defining the issue
2) Uncover the consumers world
3) Conceptualise the consumers’ story
Initial research
4) Killer ideas Ideation
Prototyping
Selection
Implementation
5) Strategic growth Continuous learning and enhancement
Market research has a tendency to focus on researching the consumers and conceptualising the
story (i.e. 2-3 above), and does this well and is ever evolving. However, in contrast to design
thinking, market researchers tend to place a lesser emphasis on defining the mission (i.e. 1 above)
and ideas generation and implementation (i.e. 4 above), and accordingly potentially a lesser
influence on generating a strategic impact.
Market research has a superpower in understanding people, citizens, shoppers, audiences
etcetera, yet opportunity may exist to extend its role through embracing design thinking to have a
greater influence on strategic growth.

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‘DUCKS’ / DESIGN THINKING Steps…
1) Define the mission a) Workshops with the team(s) to define and refine the mission,
challenges, ideas, audiences, approach, measures of success,
reporting needs and other critical outcomes.
b) Discussions with the CEO, key management and directors.
c) Clearly define mission and sub-objects, refined methodology for
researching consumers and implementing other stages in the
process.
2) Uncover the consumers world a) Review existing research, data, strategy, plans etc.
b) Speak to key stakeholders, suppliers and influencers.
c) Identify ideas and trends
d) Collect survey, sales, CRM, web and other quantitative data.
e) Observe, experience and converse with real consumers, in their
homes and the places they go.
3) Conceptualise the consumers’
story
a) Accumulate and reflect on observations, experience, data etc.
b) Statistical and other analysis to find patterns and models
c) Brainstorm and debate the early insights and opportunities
4) Killer ideas a) Team workshop and activities to guide free-flowing ideas building
on the consumer understanding and rapid prototyping of solutions
b) Agile refinement based on testing
c) Fit of ideas to objective, consumer / user needs etc
d) Solutions and short-list of priority ideas
e) Implement priority ideas
5) Strategic growth a) Critically and constructively monitor and report against mission
and measures of success (set at Step 1), via quantitative (sales,
survey, Google analytics etc) and qualitative data, observations
and experiences.
b) Meet regularly to discuss and debate opportunities to adjust and
refine strategies as necessary to increase impact, including
identifying new evidence and lessons. It is important to
continuously reflect on emerging trends and priority opportunities.
c) Workshop on the lessons learnt, celebrate the glory and ponder
‘what will the next mission be?’

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Thinking differently to increase the impact
Design thinking uses divergent thinking and convergent thinking to develop solutions.
1. Understand consumers
2. Divergent thinking:
Spontaneous and free-
flowing generation of many
ideas, with the objective of
developing many solutions
in a short space of time.
3. Convergent thinking:
Organising and structuring
the divergent thinking
Further to this, design thinking generally places an emphasis on rapid building of a larger number of
smaller ideas, rather than a smaller number of big ideas typically the case in traditional strategic
planning.
Agility is the key, and this only comes from being clear about filtering ideas as to their strategic
value (e.g. potential ROI, positioning for the future etc) and ease of implementation (e.g. cost, time,
resources etc). A larger number of simple ideas, and a smaller number of complex - medium to long
term - ideas. And, importantly can the complex ideas be dissected into simpler ideas?
Further to this, design thinking generally places an emphasis on rapid building of a larger number of
smaller ideas, rather than a smaller number of big ideas typically the case in traditional strategic
planning. Design thinking has a focus on quicker implementation.

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Design thinking has a focus on quicker implementation. With this, comes the ability to:
1. Fail fast – and move on.
2. Learn quickly – and evolve.
Too often those big, complex ideas
take so long to become reality that
the opportunities and environment
have since evaporated. Just think
about how much technology,
shopping, media etcetera have
changed in the past year or two.
Design thinking provides powerful
tools to focus ideas generation away
from the complex, distracting and
stupid. Design thinking is about being consumer-centred, strategic and agile. Always learning and
iterating towards the strategic goal. Failing quickly and efficiently is important in design thinking and
with this there is a reduction in risk.
The collaboration inherent in design thinking is also viewed as a powerful aphrodisiac to strategic
courage, ensuring great team engagement in finding and implementing solutions. Design thinking is
an empowering process to driving change by combining a human-centred approach and leveraging
diverse team skills beyond marketing, design and strategy to drive change.

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Innovation beyond how to better collect consumer understanding
Design thinking is likely to be nothing particularly new for many market researchers. However, there
is hopefully food for thought as to how market researchers can best reveal insight, leverage value
from being the voice of consumers and offer courage to increase the tangible impact of what we do.
Personally I feel that design thinking moves the market research industry’s innovation beyond how
to better collect consumer understanding (e.g. evolving from surveys, to mobile, panels etc), or
leveraging new models of strategic thinking (e.g. behavioural economics) towards a more integrated
and holistic approach to making the world better.