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Table of content
Method Theory of Change RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

Project Focus RESEARCH ANALYSIS IMPLEMENTATION

Project Journey RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

Target Group RESEARCH ANALYSIS

InterviewRESEARCH TEST

Film & Sound RESEARCH ANALYSIS

People Shadowing RESEARCH

User Journey RESEARCH ANALYSIS

Cultural probes RESEARCH TEST

PortraitsANALYSIS

Pattern Recognition ANALYSIS

How might we? ANALYSIS

Perspective Cards RESEARCH IDEATION

Brainstorm IDEATION

Priority Grid ANALYSIS

Explore Your Ideas IDEATION

Concept Poster IDEATION

Proto- & Provotypes IDEATION TEST

Future Scenarios IDEATION TEST

Mindset Process
Target Group RESEARCH

Workshops RESEARCH IDEATION TEST

Effect Focus IMPLEMENTATION

Test your ideas IDEATION TEST

METHOD

Theory of Change
A plan of change can, for example, be used to help reveal how a current effort is
organized, to check if new ideas are logically consistent or to examine if a certain action
will have an effect in the short or long term. The method can also help you rethink the
effort completely, and from the outset help you focus on the big questions of what major
changes the project will contribute to.
We have positive experience using the plan of change as a tool for project management, as
it guarantees a focused effort helps us ask the right questions to enhance the
development of projects.

STEPS

1 Book a meeting for at least a few hours, where relevant

participants with good knowledge of the effort in question are
MATERIALS
Print template of Change Plan
involved. Print the Theory of Change template, or write it on a piece (A3)
of paper and use it as the focal point for the discussion. In the Post-its
following example we work from “effects” to “resources”, but you Marker
can also begin with “resources” and work towards “effects”.

TIPS
2 Write what effects the project should have, on post-it notes. And
write how the effects will be evaluated, if possible. You can also just use the
The effects are the result of an effort, and therefore an expression change plan template as a
of the change that happens in the world when the public sector’s model and write the headlines
action is happening (for example, higher employment). on a flip chart or on post-its
that are stuck to a wall.
Attach post-its to the template under “effects” – and discuss what
effects are short term and long terms respectively.

3 Describe the results that would lead to the desired effects. For
example, "Companies will get employees with qualified
backgrounds". Be aware, if there are several different results in the
effort.
Write the results on post-its, and attach them on the template (see
photo).
Draw pathways between the effects and results – and discuss
which results precedes a given effect.

4 Write down activities (actions, instructions, contact programs or

control visits) the initiative consist of, on the post-its.
 Are all the relevant activities included? If there are activities that
are performed by others, then you should also consider adding
them. Draw pathways between the effects and results.

5 List the final resources (inputs such as finance, people, buildings,

IT, etc.), that will be used to implement the activities. Hang post-its
with the resources to the far left. Connect input with activities.

6 Identify the critical assumptions the theory is based on, and list
them. For example: "We assume that we have enough unemployed
workers with the skillsets the companies demand."

7 Working with the change plan. You are now ready to work with your
change plan. What questions does your change plan pose, and how
will you proceed to work with new activities and resources?
METHOD

Project Focus
Well begun is half done - It is our experience that it is essential for any project’s success
to form a good, sharp mission statement from the beginning of the project.
Therefore, it makes sense to invest in creating a mutual understanding of why the project
is meaningful, and how it should be carried out, when the project is starting up.
Here, the model challenges the project group's different understandings, so you can reach
a shared agreement of the starting point for the project. The exercise is to describe the
relationships in the project's problem statement, and with a well-described "problem
tree" the group is ready to formulate project goals and objectives based on a clear and
common understanding.

STEPS

A project workshop is organized based on questions that can identify the MATERIALS
problem area. The focusing of the project takes place in two parts: The
Print the template Problem
first part identifies the problem assumptions the project group has, while Tree or Issue mapping
the second part focuses on knowledge and change. Markers
Post-it’s

1 What do we know in advance about the area - and what do we think

the problem is?
TIPS
2 What do we think is the cause of the problem - and what we do not
currently know that requires additional investigation?
You can also just use the
problem tree template as a
model and write the headlines

3 What is the consequence of the problem from our perspective - and

from the user's perspective?
on a flip chart or on post-its
that are stuck to a wall.

The project group discusses the three questions and writes answers on
the post-its that will be placed on the problem tree. The answers - and
connections - are discussed in the whole group.

If you are a large group, it might help to make “stations" for each
question, so the groups physically move around and discuss each
question separately. It also makes time management easier.

Make sure to write down themes, consensus, challenges and decisions –

it can be on a flip-chart, so it is easy to carry out afterwards.
METHOD

Project Journey
A project journey is a simple and visual way to describe a project. In MindLab, we use the
project journey to create a shared dialogue about a project, and we use it both for classic
project evaluation, to map what is learned and to get an overview of complex
organizational challenges.
Our experience is that the project journey provides a visual overview that makes it
possible to spot untapped potential or contexts, we would not have seen otherwise. Often,
project journeys provide us with important insights that we can use in our continued work.
The method is also suitable for facilitating a dialogue between collaborators, and it often
reveals that partners have experienced a process quite differently. With a well-
documented project journey, the group gets a clearer understanding of the project and
gains a good opportunity to draw important lessons from the project.

STEPS

1 Print the [project journey], draw a horizontal line on a flip-over or

use tape to mark a line on a table.
MATERIALS
Print template Project Journey
- or use a roll of paper or a
2 Inputs from the involved partners. The purpose is to get the
different perspectives from all partners involved in the project
tape line on the table as a
base.
added in chronological order. The starting point is a horizontal Print two pages with
timeline under which all important activities should be placed. Pictograms (optional)

Above the timeline you add the thoughts and reflections related to
the activities.

On post-its you note answers to the following questions, which

afterwards will be organized on the timeline.

• Key moments. The three – five moments that each participant

experienced as the most important.

• How did the project develop – walk through a more chronological

sequence together. What happened specifically: proposals,
meetings, reports, consultancy inputs etc. Who was involved?

3 What were the challenges / victories along the way? Conclude by

asking all participants to form an overview of the journey / process
and place icons representing where they experienced it went best
(hearts), where they believe further examination is needed
(exclamation marks), and where it hurt (lightning). It may also be
important to note the reflections in this final part.
METHOD

Target Group
Focus your research prior to visiting the users and pay special attention to the following:
What types of users will be good to get involved in the upcoming user involvement?
What features about the users' lives may be relevant to the project’s purpose?
What assumptions do you have about the users, and are they correct?

STEPS

1 Book a meeting with your project team. MATERIALS

2-3 A1 Who is your user poster
2 Print two-three copies of the poster, preferably on A1-sized paper,
or draw on flip chart paper.
or
2-3 A4 Who is your user poster
Markers

3 Start with a brainstorm of all the types of users you potentially

could focus on in your upcoming research. In a project with the
Ministry of Business and Growth, the brainstorm focused on types
of employees who in one way or another was involved with
purchasing new devices in the care sector, for example, nurses, HR
employees and the purchasing managers.

4 When you have made a shortlist, select the two-three types of

users that you immediately see the most potential in involving.

5 Then fill in a poster for each user type.

6 The poster consists of four points:

Point 1: "Who do we want to influence?". Here, you make a short personal

profile of someone who is in the target group, you would like to influence
with your development project.

Point 2: "What is ____ for the person?". Here, you begin by describing the
topic you want to know more about. In the example above, the team
would write “purchase of equipment”. Next, you brainstorm on what the
topic is for the user. Be sure to think broadly. Shopping, for example, is
both a tangible action to place an order, something that allows the front
staff new opportunities to display their professionalism, something that
can create new cooperative relations, etc.

Point 3: Here, you and your team directs attention towards the
statements of purpose that, for example, have been defined in a
mandate. Based on them, what is your immediate suggestions on
changes in the person’s actions / attitudes / emotions you wish to create
with the project? Let these hypotheses guide you in the subsequent user
research.

Point 4: "Why is not this already the case?". Here, you share your
assumptions about why the person is not already doing / experiencing /
feeling as you described in point 3. Talk about where you have this
knowledge from, and how sure you are, that your assumptions are
correct. Use this brainstorm to exclude items you already know enough
about, and choose subjects where you can be challenged on your
assumptions.
After you have completed the posters, you are better equipped to
selecting methods and a focus for the subsequent user research.
METHOD

Interview
One of the best ways to understand how citizens perceive and understand current
situations or topics, is by talking directly with them. - Ask about their specific
experiences.
We have good experience with interviews of only a few end users. We consider end users
"experts" due to their first-hand experiences with a given service or legislation. The users’
knowledge is an important prerequisite for developing concrete ideas for new initiatives or
improvements. We often use quotes from the interviews along with a photo of the user to
present the discovered insights at the workshop, or we film the interview and use it as a
facilitator to create an engaged and focused idea development.
The qualitative data obtained from a smaller number of interviews (e.g. 5-8), should be
seen as an important addition to the quantitative data. They obviously cannot stand alone.
An interview can be used in several stages of the process; during the start-up to be better
zoomed in on the project’s focus, in the research phase to increase your knowledge about
the users’ experience and understanding of a given situation, and later to test a response
to the developed concepts, ideas and prototypes.

STEPS

1 Print the material for the interview guide, for the stages before,
during and after the interview.
MATERIALS
Print Interview Guide
Note paper and pen
2 Prioritize 5-8 people from your target audience. To get a full
understanding of the field you are studying, it is important that you
Camera (cell phone)
Audio recorder (cell phone)
interview representatives with different experiences. For example,
it may be legislation is experienced differently depending on the
size of the companies affected by it. TIPS
Remember, it is the users'
3 Prepare for your interviews by completing the interview guide.
Formulate a wide variety of questions in the interview that
firsthand experience you want
to have an insight into - not
comprehensively will cover the user’s experience and attitude to a objective facts but subjective
give situation or subject. Ask yourself: "What do I want to know experiences.
Take breaks and let users
about the user?" And "What do I want to know about the user's speak out, before asking a
firsthand experience of the current situation or subject?". Save any new question.
questions about the user’s opinions you may have for the end of the You can break free from the
interview. interview guide during the
interview, if the conversation
turns into an unexpected but
 Ask open-ended and specific questions so you do not assume too relevant direction.
much about the user’s answers. Start with the questions: who, Customize the questions after
the first interview if the
what, where, how and why, so you do not end up with yes / no
questions or form does not
answers. work as intended.
For example, "Do you know what school you will choose after the
9th grade?". Do not ask leading questions such as "Are you going to
STX after 9th grade?". Encourage the user during the interview to
elaborate and provide examples to go along with the responses-
find guidance for creating questions in the interview guide.

5 Get in touch with people from your target audience. Briefly tell
them about the background of the project, the duration of the
interview, any preparation that might be necessary and how the
content will be used.

6 Introduce yourself, your role and explain why the user’s input is
important to the project. Ask if you can record the conversation and
take pictures for internal use.

7 The interview must take place in the environment the interview is

about; if you are testing a webpage, then it is in front of the
computer in the person’s own home, if you are testing a public
service then the it is at the public institution where the service is
being provided and if you are testing something related to the
person’s work then the interview takes place there. You can ask the
user to give you a tour at the workplace or walk you through a
situation or service at the end of the interview, if it is relevant for
the project. Also see Service Journey.

8 Select key insights, observations and quotes. Use quotes from the
interview together with a photo of the user to present the
discovered insights for your colleagues or at a workshop. See
guidance material for recapping interviews in the interview guide.
METHOD

Film & Sound

The presentation of citizens' experiences creates empathy for decision-makers, and is a
strong springboard for the development of better ideas at workshops. The work in
ministries are often full of abstraction, and meetings that remains abstract, which rarely
results in concrete solutions. Citizens’ stories should not be seen as a replacement of
using quantitative data. Instead, it can be advantageous to present both together at a
workshop.
Using short audio or movie clips we have learned that; they always stimulate empathy,
commitment and drive, and are a great way to get participants at a workshop to discuss a
topic and then think in specific solutions. Citizens' experiences force us to think concrete
rather than abstract, and that it is needed, when developing powerful solutions.

STEPS

1 Production
We recommend that you primarily use smart phones to convey
TIPS
The advantage of film clips is
simple statements from the end users, as they are easy to operate. that you can show a context or
After an interview you can ask your end user to repeat one or more behavior visually. The
key points, while you record it. You can also record the whole advantage of an audio clip is
interview, but it necessitates more work afterwards. that listeners cannot be
disturbed by the appearance
or other visual disturbances -
Are you planning to produce a more sophisticated film with several and that the citizen can
contributors, and therefore need knowledge of editing programs, remain (relatively) anonymous
you are welcome to contact us or another actor who can perform in the clip.
the technical part of the film/audio clip for you. We can also help Remember that the
you find a suitable production company. participants must answer in
full sentences, which the
audience then should be able
2 Prepare for your interviews
See more about the Interviews
to understand, without your
questions.
Find out what core challenges it would be advantageous to present
as audio or movie clips?

3 Select contributing citizens or companies.

4 Think about location, how can the points be supported best?

METHOD

People Shadowing
A practice check is a snapshot of how initiatives are interpreted and put into practice by
the recipients. It provides an immediate insight into a group of citizens or stakeholders’
everyday life before a new initiative is organized.
There are many ways to ensure that you are in sync with the end users, it can be a phone
conversation, a focus group or visiting the practitioners. One of the methods we use is
participant observation, which is a quick way to get a nuanced practice check, and which
can provide knowledge, that subsequently can save you a lot of research by making the
following work far more concrete and realistic.

STEPS

1 Make an appointment with a relevant person from your target

audience in a certain time slot or during a particular public service.
MATERIALS
Print the template
Tell the user how and why you want to observe a given situation, for Observation
example when the user meets his case worker. Notepad
Possibly camera/smartphone

2 Preparation - make sure you understand the context. Is there

anything special you should be aware of?
TIPS
3 When you get there - explain again why you are there and what the
purpose of this practice check is.
Dress up so you fit in. If you
need to be on a production
line in a factory, it seems

4 Follow your user and ask about actions to get elaborated answers
on why the users do what they do - and observe the atmosphere
inappropriate to appear in a
suit.
Also, find a suitable and
and surroundings.
discreet way to take notes.

5 Write down what specifically happens, "Martin stands at the

kitchen table and opens a letter from the unemployment insurance
fund with a notice to meet with them." Be very specific with
indications of actions, places and times.
Note the atmosphere that characterizes the actions: "There appear
to be a positive atmosphere in the reception". Describe what comes
to mind - "There are many binders, people greet each other."

Write down what immediate reflections / thoughts you have about the
actions. "The caseworker seems friendly, but a little supercilious".
Remember to describe your reflections continuously, it makes your
observations sharper and easier to work with. You can find a starting
point in the template [Observation].

We often use the smartphone to record audio or video of selected actions.

However, it is always a good idea from the start, to ask if all parties are ok
with that, and to tell them how the material will be used.
METHOD

User Journey
The user journey facilitates the “journey” through a public offered service as one
comprehensive experience seen through the eyes of the user. The user journey can
visualize a single service and simultaneously make the interactions with other public
authorities clear, and thus reveal any need for cooperation across public sectors in the
further development of the service.
The method provides a visual overview of the specific incidents that takes place, the
authorities and people the user is in contact with as well as the user’s experiences. In this
manner, the journey through the public service is conveyed as one complete experience
seen from the view of the user.

STEPS

1 Who is your user? Choose your main users of a given service. See
Target Group Mindset.
MATERIALS
Print the templates:
User Journey
2 Meet your user, and get the user to describe his experience with
the service. Here, we use a timeline as a starting point. Place a
Who is your user?
Pictograms
piece of flip chart paper on the table and draw a horizontal line or Markers
print a user journey template. This is your timeline, and on this you Post-its

can place events in chronological order beneath the line and

reflections / quotes pertaining to the experiences over the line.

3 During the conversation, the following should be covered: Course

of events. Possibly before, during and after the actual service.
Contact reach: Which people and organizations they have been in
contact with?
Through which channels did the contact happen: Phone, web,
personal meetings, letters?
Key moments: Which 2-3 moments in user journey did the user see
as the most important?

4 Notation and presentation of the user journey. In order to structure

and communicate points from the conversation with the citizen as
clearly as possible, it can be a good idea to type up the user
journey. Introduce your user to the template Who is Your User? And
use our User Journey template and Pictograms to illustrate the user
journey.
Use the pictograms to mark the places on the journey that has
great emotional significance or contain a realization for the user.
METHOD

Cultural probes
Get valuable insights regarding a specific group of stakeholders' experiences during a
course of events, without the need of your presence – simply by giving a small concrete
task to the stakeholder.
Invite the stakeholders to present their experiences, and get a good insight into aspects of
their everyday lives, need and wishes. The visual material gathered serves as an image of
the stakeholders' own experiences and perspectives on the concerned topic. In the
following issue framing and ideation face the visual material can, amongst team
members, act as a strong common reference to the user perspectives gathered.

STEPS

1 Write questions, you would want to know the user’s response to.
For example, ask the staff of a nursing home: "How do you
MATERIALS
Camera/smartphone
experience the quality of life for the elderly?". Your small task

2 Set a simple task, be clear about the time frame and give a letter
with questions regarding specific practice tasks. For example: "In
the upcoming week, take pictures of what you perceive as quality of
life for the elderly. Also feel free to record videos of special
moments that capture the quality of life in the nursing home. "

3 Review the responses with the stakeholders, by doing interviews or

inviting the group of stakeholders to a fokus group session, and
gather understanding of the responses collected on a high level of
detail.
METHOD

Portraits
You have rich and complex data about users, that has to communicated simply and
understandably to, for example, the working group that helps you generate ideas on
solutions to a problem.
The aim is that the working group should get familiar with the portraits, so they have a
deeper understanding of the variation among the users. Portraits are a good
communication tool that creates engagement, and they are useful to remind us that we
develop solutions for people with individual needs to be adapted to the different contexts
they later will be implemented in.

STEPS

1 Make the starting point clear: What exactly do you use the portraits
for - and what discussion will they be used to illustrate?
MATERIALS
Print the template Portrait
(A4)
2 Get knowledge about the users by collecting relevant qualitative
data, perform interviews or anything else that can give you a good
Markers
Photos
knowledge of the end users.

3 Describe, complete and print the portrait in the template. Use the
knowledge that you and your team have found during the Collection
of Information in the template.

4 Remember to clarify the questions of anonymity: You can consider

using other names for the sake of anonymity.

5 Start by presenting the personas at the meeting / workshop - so

participants get to know the end users.

6 Consider asking the participants to reflect on the personas. Do you

recognize them? Is there anything that surprises you? What is most
interesting about the persona?

7 Now you can start generating ideas, if that is your purpose. You can
use the development questions when discussing development
tracks.
METHOD

Pattern Recognition
You've collected a lot of data possibly from interviews, and now you need to structure your
knowledge and identify patterns that cover key themes so your data can be
communicated clearly.
The method is valuable because it is based on, and maintains, what has been observed in
the "real" world. This method works from the bottom-up and is based on the users’
statements and own observations, possibly from interviews, to subsequently structure
the statements and find patterns in the data. The patterns should identify themes / main
conclusions that ideas can be generated from.

STEPS

1 Tell about key findings from the meeting with the user based on
your field notes. An observation can be, "Julie thinks she can earn
MATERIALS
Print the template Find Theme
up to 40,000 extra, which is not taxable" Use quotes from users Post-its
whenever possible. You can play selected clips from interviews. If Markers
you have pictures from the field, then print them out and set them Flip-over
up - it creates empathy. You have ten minutes to present each user. Photos / Quotes from the field
Make sure to keep the time.
The others in the group doodle away on post-its with analytical
statements and perspectives that comes to mind, during the
presentation. Just write away. Be sure to write only one point on
each post-it as they need to be moved around.
The post-its are then put on a flip-over before the next user
presentation.

2 Now look across all the statements that you have written on post-
its and fill in the template.
Examples of statements that can be assembled across:

• "It's not just a financial transaction but also a social".

• "A social contact which commits both user and provider to take
care of what is shared."

• "Both user and provider emphasizes that a shared economy

universe is based on social contracts."
Collect them in patterns, so post-its related to the same theme, are
 together.

3 Give the pattern a thematic headline that identifies and

summarizes a key conclusion. For example: "The Social Contract"

4 Finish with at least three main conclusions.

METHOD

How might we?

Defining of How Might We questions is a simple, but highly methodical grip, to bridge the
gap between what you know from your analysis, and the ideas you want to develop.
The method is to formulate the questions, which the subsequent development of ideas
should answer – simply put, it is to ask "How Might We ...?".
When answering How Might We questions, you begin to set the direction and level of
ambition for your development of ideas. It provides a clear priority from the beginning -
and therefore the definition of development questions is an importent strategic exercise
for the project and your organization.

STEPS

How Might We questions can advantageously be used with the method MATERIALS
Pattern Recognition.
Post-its
After having used the Pattern Recognition method, you have the 3-5 most Markers
important findings from your user research – you are ready to ask the
How might We questions:

1 You divide the 3-5 main findings / challenges between you and your
team members. From each finding you brainstorm How Might We
questions. A How Might We question is a sentence that starts with
"How Might We ...?" And describes what you want to achieve with
the initiatives / ideas that the project will develop. Try to answer
your How Might We question, if it docent allow for a variety of
answers, broaden the question.

For example: "How might we work constructively with the group of

teachers who are vocal against the new working time rules?”

2 When you have defined the How Might We questions, you choose
the 2-3 most important ones, which should be in focus of your
subsequent idea brainstorm.
METHOD

Perspective Cards
Get new refreshing perspectives from other contexts - shift focus! If you are at the
beginning of a somewhat deadlocked project or in the middle of a thought process where
the group needs new inspiration for the development of ideas, then perspective cards can
help.
Perspective cards can serve as an inspiring kick starter of a thought process, and can help
you take a starting point based on the user's perspective and get concrete ideas for
initiatives, when you have to respond to a challenge
If these perspective cards don’t fit your project, then you can get a similar effect by
selecting and printing photos from the web from other industries or other contexts than
those you normally work in. As an example, we introduced pictures from a grocery delivery
company for a group of teachers who had to develop ideas on creating quality in a
stressful working day. How would their ideas look inspired by the boxes of fresh groceries
delivered to the customers’ doors?
How will the image of a football team, a space shuttle, a greenhouse or a fast food
restaurant spark ideas in your project? Use your imagination - it's simply about helping
group members think outside the box and to incorporate new perspectives and
approaches.

STEPS

1 See the Perspective Cards and print them in A5. Spread them out
on the table.
MATERIALS
[Perspective Cards]

2 Each participant chooses 1-3 perspective cards which they

intuitively find most relevant. The cards are generic and requires
participants to clarify them in relation to the specific project.

3 Rephrase any questions on the cards to development questions

that are relevant to your project.

4 Present the chosen perspective cards for each other in the group.
Why have you chosen that specific one? What inspires you about
the card? What can you take with you, and how can the perspective
play together with your work?
METHOD

Brainstorm
We've all been to meetings where we share great knowledge about a subject without
getting the opportunity to also provide specific ideas. With these two types of brainstorm,
you will systematically, simply and effectively transform questions and challenges into
ideas.
Here, we have examples of two brainstorm approaches; the structured and intuitive
brainstorm.
For both variations, you can benefit from putting together a team with different
professional competencies - to get as many different ideas as possible.

STEPS

THE INTUITIVE BRAINSTORM MATERIALS

Print templates The Intuitive
1 Print a template of [The Intuitive Brainstorm] for each
development question.
Brainstorm and the Structured
Brainstorm
Post-its

2 A group of 3-6 people will receive four development questions that

they must generate ideas from. The challenge is either pre-defined
Markers

or will be defined together with the participants. The development

question should be written on a post-it and put on the green areas
in the middle of the poster.

3 The group generates ideas on the question for about five minutes
and then places eight ideas in the areas around the challenge. The
ideas should be written on post-its in a different color.

What characterizes an idea, is that it is a practical solution to the given

challenge. It can relate to an experience, a practice or a technical solution
that you need to specify further. The exercise has the option for ideas
that are very general, to be put in the center of a new generation of ideas
in which the group members are focused on making the idea more
specific.

The exercise will stop when ideas are generated for all challenges, and it
is ensured that all challenges will be answered with concrete ideas.
Afterwards, these ideas are prioritized and possibly further developed
into one comprehensive concept.
THE STRUCTURED BRAINSTORM

6 rounds with 6 people

3 ideas per person / per round. An idea for every challenge
4-6 minutes per round - a total of 30 minutes.

In contrast to the intuitive brainstorm, the participants sit in silence

during this exercise, and describe ideas in writing and build on each
other's ideas. All ideas are considered equally good during the exercise.

1 Print the form [The Structured Brainstorm] in A2 - 1 per participant.

2 Write a development question on each sheet and give each

participant post-its.

3 Place the participants around a table so that they can exchange

papers with their neighbor.

4 Now, each participant, in silence writes solution ideas down on

post-its and puts them on the column to fit the round, they have
reached.

5 Participants pass on the sheet to the person sitting to the right of

themselves, when the round ends.

6 Participants are now holding their neighbor’s ideas, and may

choose to build on them or describe new ideas in the next round.
Participants put post-its on the sheet before the round ends.
METHOD

Priority Grid
You are left with a bunch of ideas from your ideation brainstorm, and want to select the
most promising for further pursue.
The method is about selecting the best ideas. It is important to get a lot of ideas, but it is
also crucial to prioritize them. Do that by holding the ideas up against some of the
parameters you use to measure the success of the progress on. A parameter can be
"realizability" which is about whether the idea can be realized within the existing
organizational framework.

STEPS

The method is performed in groups. MATERIALS

Print poster Priority Grid
1 Print the Priority Grid. Or use a flip-over
Post-its
2 Write the selected parameters on each axis and degrees of
difficulty and ease. Parameters can be, for example "value to the
Markers

user" or "integrity".

3 Discuss each idea in the group concerning the parameters and

place them according to the Priority Grid. Once all ideas are placed,
the prioritization begin.

4 The prioritization can take place as follows: Ideas located in the

lower left corner (hard to achieve with a minimum value for the
user) can be taken directly off the board. The ideas in the lower
right corner (highly realizable but low value for the user) must
either be rejected or modified. For the ideas in the upper left corner
(hard to realize, but of high value to the user) you can be "plant a
seed" and maybe work on them later. The ideas that are in the
upper right corner (easily achievable with high value for the user).
These will be the ideas that are best to work with.

Now you have identified the potential of the ideas in relation to your
criteria, and you can then make an informed selection of your ideas.
METHOD

Explore Your Ideas

Explore your ideas can help you select the most promising ideas, by refining your ideas.
The method is a structured and solution-oriented way to build on what appears to be
interesting ideas that have come out of a brainstorming session. This method evaluates
strengths and provides solutions to the challenges related to the ideas and helps you
select the most promising ideas out of the bunch generated in the ideation face.

STEPS

1 Start by choosing an idea that you would like to develop. MATERIALS

Print The Maturing of Ideas
2 Print [The Maturing of Ideas] poster or write the following
headlines on a flip chart: "Strengths," "Potentials," "Challenges"
poster
Or use a flip-over
and "How to overcome challenges." You now investigate your idea Post-its
in the following order: Markers

3 Strengths: Write at least three strengths of the idea.

4 Potentials: Write at least three suggestions on effects that the idea

could help create.

5 Challenges: Think about the challenges you see related to the idea.
When writing the challenges, you can formulate them as
development questions. If the challenge is that the idea is too
costly, a development question could be "How can we mobilize
more resources?".

6 "How to overcome challenges": Brainstorm on how the challenges

can be overcome. That is how the idea can be improved.
Once you have completed the process, you are left with a stronger
idea that could look quite different than when you began.
METHOD

Concept Poster
Concept development is a process that creates a coherence in relation to the best ideas
that you decide to keep working on.
The poster is good tool to create an overview of the best ideas, and the visual format
makes it easy to tell and explain others what you want to do.

STEPS

Concept development is done by taking a position on which products and MATERIALS

activities that should be included in the project. Before beginning work on
Print Concept Poster
the concept poster, you must have selected your best ideas – you can use Markers
the Priority Grid to do it. Post-its
On the poster, fill out the following points:

TIPS
1 What is the concept's title? The title should contain the main idea
while also being catchy. Reach out to us, if there is a
need for change to the
2 Description of the concept. Which products, activities, services and
other components are included in the concept?
concept posters, so they
better fit your project.
Write ideas on post-its as they are easier to move around after they If you can, put together a
are stuck to the concept poster. When the final answer is chosen, group with different
professional competences.
you can write them directly on the poster, so it can be used as Also include representatives
presentation material. of the end users of the
concept, as it can bring

3 Who is the target audience? Which users are affected directly and
indirectly by the concept?
additional aspects into
account.

4 What effects should the concept create among the users? Should
the concept create security, clarity, effectiveness or something
else?

5 Who should be involved for the concept to become a reality?

Describe in relation to the financing, development and
implementation.

6 Who should be responsible for the operation, and for the further
development of the solution after it is implemented?

How is the concept different from previous solutions? What's so

 special about this particular concept?

8 Make suggestions on what it takes for the concept to be realized.

METHOD

Proto- & Provotypes

Test ideas quickly. A prototype is a visualization of an idea, for example, an outline of a
public letter. The key is to get fast inputs to an unfinished idea from end-users, in order to
further develop the idea.
Provotypes, on the other hand, are sketches of solution types that are unrealistic, but may
provoke a discussion with users: What would they definitely not want?
Prototypes
Prototypes are designed to show a real, but unfinished vision of how new solutions can
look. The crucial factor is the ability to quickly test ideas and get concrete inputs, instead
of just speculating about them.
For example, we tested a prototype of an idea related to a knowledge sharing format
between teachers. We tested the idea on the target audience and in one hour we got
important inputs that helped us adjust the idea.
Prototypes can be used to test ideas several times along the process, as part of an
[iterative process].
Provotypes
Provo Types are reminiscent of prototypes, but have a different purpose. They are
sketches of solutions that are unrealistic, but may provoke a discussion with users,
decision makers and other stakeholders on the issues that are crucial to account for in
the development of new initiatives. In this way, provotypes helps articulate some of the
issues that users find it difficult to put into words in a regular interview or a prototype
test.
In a project for Employment and Social Services Department in Odense, a provotype
solution was, for example, "First Picker" where the long-term unemployed citizen was
handed the profile descriptions of all caseworkers - and where the citizen then could
choose the caseworker, they will work with. A provotype can also be external illustration
of a service or an organization to get a discussion about what it should not be.
Provotypes can be used as part of the first user research or in extension of the first round
of the generation of ideas.

STEPS
 Decide on a focus for the provotype. You and your project team MATERIALS
starts by making a brainstorm about what themes it can be difficult
The prototype or provotype
to elucidate through an interview or observation, and where a may be paper with an
provotype therefore can be a help. illustrative picture and a brief
description of the idea. Or it

2 Create the provotype: Describe what provotypes could help users,

decision makers and other stakeholders reflect on the themes in
may be an existing object you
modify, depending on the
idea.
question.

3 Introduce the provotype: Present your provotype to those you want

feedback from - it can be citizens, front staff or others. Present
provotype carefully so they get a sense of an everyday life where
the provotype is real.
Ask what the provotype specifically would mean for them, and write
down the answers along the way.
Use their feedback to formulate development questions you can
work on.
METHOD

Future Scenarios
Future scenarios are a powerful tool that provides tangible insights into how ideas can
create development and practice changes.
A future scenario is a short, coherent story that tests how the seemingly interesting idea
will affect the behavior and experiences of citizens, public employees and other affected
persons. In this way, the future scenario can help a project group assess whether their
ideas may actually be able to realize the impact the project is intended to cause.
Our experience is, that dialogue and process about a future scenario in a project in itself
can qualify ideas, and can, for example, be carried out at the end of an idea development
workshop.
The method can also be used at the very beginning of a project to focus the project's
assumptions.

STEPS

Before the workshop MATERIALS

Wallpapers printed on A5, A4
1 Select an idea that should be displayed in a future scenario. This
may be an idea from a brainstorming session on how a given service
or A3.
Print Scenario People
should look like in the future. Paper
Markers

2 Prepare the following remedies to make the future scenario:

TIPS
3 Print backgrounds – For example, three stages that illustrate
before, during and after a service. Find pictures on the Internet that You can also print a number of
illustrate the places where the scenario takes place. Background images out that can help
photos could be a park, a home, a library, etc. Print images on at define where a service takes
least A4 paper and set them up next to each other in the desired place. The selection of
backgrounds can challenge
order.
the dialogue among the
participants and sharpen their
4 Scenario participants: Print People, write and draw who they are on
them. You can also use pictures of the workshop participants, if
ideas.

that makes sense.

You can use small post-its for quotes.

5 Remedies: Write and draw on post-its anything else that is

included in the scenario. For example, phones, money,
publications, vehicles.
MINDSET

Process
How do you organize a process, making sure you get the most out of the time and
resources devoted the project at hand?
At MindLab we have a variety of methods we use to ensure a human-centered design
process for all our innovation projects. The methods used vary from project to project and
depend on purpose, stakeholders and size. You can read more about our mindset across
all projects, here. The methods in our collection, is presented in the order they are
commonly used in a project. The methods are categorized into process phases: Research,
Analyses, Ideation, Test and Implementation. Each method is put into context, by
suggesting which other methods could be beneficially combined.
All large-scale public innovation projects share the obstruction of being both complex and
with a high level of detail. Why there rarely will be just one simple, singular solution to
cover the entire spectra of challenges revealed during the research process. To broaden
our understanding of the challenge faced, we question the source of the issue by meeting
and understanding our user group, bottom up. We put emphasis on the involvement of the
user group throughout our projects, by including citizens or businesses to qualify and test
ideas. We have experienced that visual and tangible methods and prototypes, used for
research or testing in company of the end user, motivates and encourage more bold and
detailed ideas within the project group
MINDSET

Target Group
Know your audience and stakeholders - and involve them early.
If the public service and the law are to meet the needs of citizens, businesses and interest
groups, we must have our finger on the pulse among those groups where change needs to
be made. It requires a continuous effort to gather perspectives from the end users. Both
when formulating new legislation or reforms, or when a service is reviewed so it later can
make a positive difference in the end users' everyday lives.
We have extensive experience in collecting qualitative input into public development
projects, and it always generates more tangible discussions which helps create a clearer
sense of what the project can and must achieve for the individual citizen or business.
Public projects are often quite complex and abstract with a lot of stakeholders and end
users. - That is why, it is important early in the project to include end user inputs, in
contrast to the sometimes endless quantitative studies and data - in order to create
empathy and drive among the project team.
When we interview citizens or companies it is typically only between 4 and 8 - more is
actually not needed to get a balanced contribution to the development of the project. It
can be a challenge to choose whom to talk to, but think about getting a variety of
perspectives, for example, a large, medium and small business etc. The qualitative inputs
almost always have to be combined with quantitative data, so visit the end users without
first having an overview of the field. You can also find help in Learning About the Users.
We can never test the accuracy of our assumptions through analysis. We have to get out
and explore assumptions and ideas along the way - away from the desktop and close to
the target audience where the solutions are present.
MINDSET

Workshops
Workshop or traditional meeting?
A workshop breaks with a traditional perception that decisions are made only in a fixed
format with a speaker, audience and a PowerPoint show.
A workshop is an alternative and participatory format that can serve multiple functions. A
workshop can provide a common understanding of a problem, and can create a shared
platform to address the challenges.
The specific format, that is based on stakeholders and users, often creates a greater
sense of ownership among the project group, or it can be intended to bring new
perspectives into the development process.
There is not necessarily a strict separation between a meeting and a workshop. A
traditional meeting can for example be made much more relevant and engaging by
introducing a brainstorming session or a debate on specific user inputs. For the
workshops we hold - we spend a lot of time planning what methods that should be used to
create the most value.

STEPS

Organization of the workshop FOLLOW-UP

The work after a workshop is
1 Hold a preparatory meeting with the project group. Align
expectations and agree on the workshop's purpose.
as important as the
preparation and execution. It
is crucial to follow up on all

2 Select the participants of the workshop and the methods you want
to use. Feel free to contact MindLab for feedback or adaptation of
the day's insights. Preferably,
make a plan for how you will
individual methods. follow up and continue the
workshop.
You can send an email to the
Find a balance between quantitative and qualitative inputs. participants with a note about
how the next step of the
• Presentation of data and user perspectives. process will take place.

• Group work- what are the challenges? What value creation will we
achieve? Idea development.

3 Plan, so there is a balance between short presentations, plenary

discussions, exercises and group work.
 Consider making posters that participants have to fill out during
the group work. They can also be useful at the plenary discussions
and can subsequently be used as reference.

5 Write a script for the workshop - a script for the day.

Be sure to have a good and preferably inspiring room available. You may
need to move around the tables and chairs for the group work.

How to

1 Welcome the participants and make the day’s objective and

program clear to them. Consider beginning with an exercise to
shake the group together, for example, about what motivates them
about this project?

2 Consider getting the participants to introduce themselves, and

bring name tags.

3 If the participants are divided into groups, it can be advantageous

to have a facilitator in each group to ensure that the work is
consistent with the workshop's purpose.
MINDSET

Effect Focus
To get successful results, you must make clear how you turn development into reality –
and how you can make room for the desired change of practice.
We see the implementation as a circular process in which we continuously evaluate
whether the change of practice occurs and whether it creates the desired effect. We do
this with an eye on the political intention behind the project and with respect for the
working procedures of the organization in question.
To make sure a service, law or reform creates the desired change, the project work must
take place in the interaction between policy and practice. Effects happen through
analysis, testing and dynamic learning - implementation is ongoing and adapted along the
way.
Before you launch a project, it is a good idea to formulate the sign of success that will be
visible when your project is implemented.
MINDSET

Test your ideas

We see projects as development processes, where end users’ continuous criticism,
perspectives, experiences and good ideas are essential parts of ambitious solutions.
Through years of experience, we have learned to focus on a strong link between
development and implementation. Successful results are dependent on you realizing from
the beginning how the development can become a reality, and thereby create the desired
policy change.
Therefore, you should stop trying to just think of a solution. Instead, investigate from the
beginning if it is the right problem that is being addressed, what the end users' real
challenges are, and whether the policy change will create the value that you want. Reduce
risks by involving the end users in the process and identify errors quickly.
Troubleshooting, feedback and further development can happen at workshops, during
interviews or in dialogues with the end users. It is our experience, that this approach
saves time and resources.