It begins with identifying the problem. Whether it is a collaborative or an individual project, I start with:

1. Differentiate fact from the opinion: Obtaining customer and employee testimonials, primary and secondary research, and conducting an internal analysis of current resources available.

2. Consult affected stakeholders for information: Nothing is more important than gaining perspectives. This process is achieved through workshops, interviews, and meetings.

3. Determine which process the problem lies: In a bank workplace, many processes from different units are intercorrelated. This process runs parallel with the two previous steps: research and consult.

Once insights are synthesized and perspectives gained, the next step is to create a knowledge-sharing hub that can be accessed by those involved in the project. This is critical to keep everyone on the same page and to identify any opportunities and pain points from the problem. This is achieved by:

1. Pick and organize the problem apart into different phases of the customer journey.

2. Link problems that are related to find correlations.

3. Validate stakeholders on progress.

Now the problem has been properly dissected and validated with stakeholders. Here are potential next steps:

• Create a comms/touchpoint map.

• Build a process map from the customer, employee, or business perspective

• Map pain points and corresponding opportunities

• Create a presentation pack

Why is this important?

I believe stakeholders from different units can benefit from viewing the problem in a holistic picture. We as Service Designers aim to make everyone understand the problem at hand whether in a birds-eye-view or in extreme detail.

Validate, validate, and validate!

Every step from problem identification to building a project must be informed to relevant stakeholders for feedback. New ideas and direction are always valuable!