This document discusses how design thinking can help evolve market research to have greater strategic impact. It argues that design thinking moves beyond just better data collection or new strategic models by taking a more holistic and integrated approach. Design thinking involves defining the research problem, ideating solutions, prototyping ideas, and learning from feedback in an agile process. This allows for rapid prototyping of ideas, free-flowing creativity, and refinement of solutions to better meet research objectives. The document concludes that design thinking can help market research innovation by applying a more holistic approach to understanding consumers and making improvements.

1. DUCKS + Design Thinking
Evolving market research thinking to enhance strategic impact
Jason Dunstone
Managing Director
Square Holes
jason@squareholes.com
@jasondunstone

2. 2
Holistic
Survey skewMethodology
DIY
SpecialistsResearchers
Agility
PlanningStrategy
Evolution is inevitable.
Market research…

3. Market research is an industry that is
ever-evolving, yet debate surrounding
the meaning of insight and how we can
have greater strategic impact
are ongoing conversations.

4. Perhaps the answers
lay in design thinking.

5. 5
Design Thinking!
Consumers Strategy
Technology

6. Where does insight
come from?

7. 7
Research
Qualitative
Quantitative
Analytical Thinking

8. 8
Analytical
Thinking
Strong evidence
Intuitive
Thinking
Sense or feeling
Insight!

9. Re-designing the
research process with
design thinking.

10. Define Research Ideation Prototype Learn
1 2 4 53

11. 11

12. How do we go from …
this this?
Perceptions Problems Audience(s) Success
Realities and broader context

13. 13

14. Desk
review
Influen-
cers
Trends
Robust
quant
data
Deep
qual
data

15. 15

16. Key idea territories …

17. 17

18. Understand
consumers
Rapid Prototyping
Solutions
Free-flowing ideas
Agile Refinement
Fit to objective etc
Divergent
Thinking
Convergent
Thinking

19. 19
Start-up
workshop
Team 1
workshop
Team 2
workshop
Team 3
workshop
Team 4
workshop
10 key
strategies

21. Easy
High Value
Distracting ideas Stupid ideas
Simple ideas
(Agility)
Complex ideas
(Planning)
No Value
Difficult

22. 1. Fail fast - and move on
2. Learn quickly - and evolve

23. C
A+
C
D
C-

24. “Design thinking moves the market research
industry’s innovation beyond how to better
collect consumer understanding or leveraging
new models of strategic thinking towards a
more integrated and holistic approach to
making the world better.”

25. DUCKS + Design Thinking.
Jason Dunstone
Managing Director
Square Holes
jason@squareholes.com
@jasondunstone