Listen, pivot, learn, reassess

It seems everywhere we read, watch or listen there’s advice to adapt to the new normal. Problem is there’s very little consensus about what this new normal will be. The economists talk about a depression worse than the 1930’s. They predict 10% unemployment. The business gurus talk up the situation and claim the new way will lead to many more opportunities.

If you take a human centred design approach we should return to looking at basic human feelings, thoughts and actions.
We should listen, pivot, learn, reassess.

Health concerns are the new normal

I guess you are like us; no matter where we go or who we talk to, the COVID 19 health issue is raised. The preoccupation with health is way beyond anything we have previously experienced.  

The interesting aspect is we are now taking more individual responsibility for our health. We acknowledge that the health system has limitations even if we can afford it. However we want all the help we can get.

Accenture in a recent report on the C19 pandemic claimed;

Health experiences will be in demand, and vice versa health should be considered in every experience.

They predict that individual and government health spending will permanently increase. Your team will look to you for advice and guidance and care. Freelance suppliers may feel seriously disadvantaged. The gig economy will look less attractive to freelancers but (for cost reasons) may be more attractive to creative business owners.

Cleanliness is a preoccupation likely to stay—along with medical grade hand sanitising remaining a daily way of life.

Consumers are going to seek health-related features as must-haves.

Surveys in China (first in and first out of lockdown) show that healthy options are now top of mind for  new car buyers:

“At 69 percent, respondents consider this more important than other considerations such as vehicle safety (64 percent) and quality (63 percent), comfort (56 percent) and price (51 percent).” (Ipsos, “Impact of Coronavirus to New Car Purchase in China”, March 12, 2020)

What this means for creative businesses

We all need to be a health business in some way (especially mental health). We need to pivot, learn, reassess or business through this lens.

According to the Accenture research:

Almost every experience, product and service will be reassessed by people according to the extent to which it either enhances or diminishes their health. This mental process may be overt or subconscious, but it will apply to everything.

Accepting this leads to a host of opportunities to proactively approach clients.

For example if you have clients in the hospitality accommodation space you could show them how to communicate a healthy experience — explain healthier food; or how to get a good night’s sleep or even signpost healthy activities in the community.

Where to begin

Identify a good sized project with a client you enjoy working with and then:

• Run a customer experience health check using a customer journey map.
• Look at the journey through a health lens.
• Take all of the positives and convert them to content for the client.
• Take all the negatives and show how to design them into positives.
• Build this into an online workshop for the client.
• Listen to the response from the client, pivot where needed.
• Learn by putting your ideas into the market.
• Reassess the approach by listening, pivoting, learning and reassessing.

If you want to learn more about how the DBC is helping the Australian design community contact Greg Branson.

Greg Branson

Contact Greg Branson if you would like to learn more about the many programs the DBC offers.

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Greg Branson