Upcycling is the method of converting waste materials and useless products into something more desirable and more valuable. Whereas downcycling takes a product and reuses the manufactured goods resources for a less required or lower quality product. Upcycling is not just a fancy word for said recycling. There is a key difference between upcycling and recycling. The spirit of upcycling is using the raw material in a different

way without changing it. Industrial waste materials are just what upcycling needs. Two general types of upcycling, in practical terms, upcycling seems to have two subsets. The first is taking materials that today cannot be practically recycled and making them into something useful. The second is taking materials that can be recycled, but rather than breaking down the item into their base elements and building up something new.

“Sustainability significantly challenges social and aesthetics norms. Indeed, the development of more viable ways of living implies changes in the way we look at objects and, more globally, on the way we interact with the material world. It also involves changes in the way we construct the built environment and, therefore, in the way things look. We can observe that, the more a design solution presents environmental potential, the more the solution in question is likely to look different from what we know.

”

Anne Marchand, Stuart Walker, P. De Coninck, Management of natural resources: sustainable development and ecological hazards, C. A. Brebbia, M.E. Conti, E. Tiezzi , 2006

Upkit is a kit for generating new knowledge in the field of upcycle. For using this kit you have to add some simple tools such as sticky notes, pen or ruler, useful when you are creating new ideas.

Every tool inside the UpKit can be used during all the phases of the design process. The main tool is a deck of cards that guides the designer during the different steps of the process, to be combined with a guide book providing explanations about all the tools included in the deck.

Hello!

A series of maps and templates are used to guide the designer through the different steps of the project, such as Business Model canvas, personas or design challenges, useful to analyze and develop the project idea.

Using Upkit you can plan the design process, fix your eco pillar goals and understand which tools will help you to develop the idea. After the project planning phase, UpKit still an useful guide throughout the entire process.

Upkit can be used around the table in universities, in design studios or big international companies: wherever designers want to face a challenge. Upkit is a versatile and intuitive pocket tool that can be used in any situation. First, the designer has to decide which steps of the process want to follow; then, it can create a map of tool cards and choose which eco pillars wants to respect. After deciding which cards to use, the explanations on the guidebook will clarify the chosen instruments. Empty cards are provided to enrich the Upkit experience.

Process

Empathize

1Empathy is the starting point for innovation. The first stage of the

Design Thinking process involves some form of information

gathering and visualization. Designers will attempt to develop

as deep understanding of the problems they are trying to

solve and to empathize with the eventual users, customers, and

or consumers. In the second stage or mode, designers,

possibly joined by some of the project stakeholders, investigate

further by observing real users, employees, customers, and

anyone either who will be using the product at the end or that might provide inspiration in the design process. Various methods of observation are

used, but generally, the design team will passively observe

users, customers, etc. passively in a natural environment.

Depending on time constraints, a substantial amount of

information is gathered at the

stage to inform the next stage and to develop the best possible understanding of the problems

that underlie the development of that particular product.

Define

2At this stage the information gathered from the first two stages is collected together.

The results are interpreted in terms of the product under

development, to help the designers establish features,

functions, and any other elements that will allow them to solve the problems or, at the very least, allow users to rectify issues

themselves with the minimum of difficulty. The define mode is

when you unpack and synthesize

your empathy findings into compelling needs and insights,

and scope a specific and meaningful challenge. Two goals of the define mode are to develop

a deep understanding of your users and the design space and,

based on that understanding, to come up with an actionable

problem statement: your point of view. Your point of view should be a guiding statement that focuses

on specific users, and insights and needs that you uncovered

during the empathize mode. More than simply defining the problem to work on, your point of view is your unique design vision that you created based

on your discoveries during your empathy work. Understanding the meaningful challenge to

address and the insights that you can leverage in your design work is fundamental to creating

a successful solution.

Ideate

3At this stage, designers generate

ideas. They are encouraged to “think outside the box“ to identify new solutions, and

alternative ways of viewing the problem. Brainstorming sessions

are typically used to stimulate free thinking and to expand the

problem space. A variety of other methods are also used, but the central drive is to get as many ideas or problem solutions as possible, so that they can then

investigate and test them

to find the best way to either solve a problem or provide the

elements required to circumvent the problem. Ideate is the mode

during your design process in which you focus on idea

generation. Mentally it represents a process of “going wide“ in

terms of concepts and outcomes it is a mode of “flaring“ rather

than “focus.“ The goal of ideation is to explore a wide solution

space both a large quantity of ideas and a diversity among

those ideas. From this vast depository of ideas you can build

prototypes to test with users. You ideate in order to transition from identifying problems into

exploring solutions for your users.

Prototype

4The design team will now

produce a number of inexpensive, scaled down versions of the product or specific features found within the product, so

they can investigate the problem solutions generated in the

previous stage. Prototypes might be shared and tested within the

team itself, in other departments or on a small group of people

outside the design team. This is an experimental phase, where the aim is to identify the best

possible solution for each of the problems identified in the

first three phases. The solutions are implemented within the

prototypes and one-by-one they are investigated and either

accepted or rejected on the basis of the user’s experiences. By the

end of this stage, the design team will have a better idea of

the constraints inherent within the product, the problems that are present, and have a better or more informed perspective

of how real users would behave, think, and feel when interacting

with the end product. Prototyping is getting ideas and explorations

out of your head and into the physical world. A prototype can

be anything that takes a physical form be it a wall of post-it notes, a role-playing activity, a space,

an object, an interface, or even a storyboard.

Test

5Designers or evaluators

rigorously test the complete product, with the best solutions identified during the prototyping

phase. This is the last stage of the model, but in an iterative process the results collected

from the testing phase are used to redefine one or more problems

and inform the understanding of the users, the conditions of use, how people think, behave,

and feel, and to empathize. Even within this phase, alterations and

refinements are made to falsify problem solutions and derive as deep understanding of the

product and its users as possible. Testing is the chance to refine our solutions and make them

better. The test mode is another iterative mode in which

we place our low-resolution artifacts in the appropriate

context of the user’s life. Prototype as if you know you’re

right, but test as if you know you’re wrong. What you learn

from those interactions can help drive deeper empathy, as well as

shape successful solutions.

Eco Pillar

The eco pillars are 17 sustainable cards with the aim of letting you use as much of them as possible during

your design project. There is not a precise moment in which is correct to use the pillars: these cards can

follow the flow of all the design process.

1. Energy waste2. Local productions3. Disposables4. Zero waste5. Dematerializations6. Reuse materials7. Longevity8. Mixed materials9. Less packaging

10. Unrepairable11. Modularity12. Efficiently13. Life cycle14. Share goods15. No toxic materials16. Change behaviors17. Eco materials

Energy waste

The energy is an important part for create a sustainable product. In fact when the designer star to

think about the product rarely happen that he or she take care also about how many energy the product need during the process, or how many energy the product

could spend during the life cycle. Therefore, the questions that we have to answer is: how could reduce energy waste in this project? How may energy

the product could spend during

Note

the life cycle? Because there are different type of energy: chemical, mechanical, and human. Every energy have a

cost and affect the environment. How the energy could became

something positive for the environment? There are a lot of

renewable energy you could start to think about it. Sustainable

energy is energy obtained from non-exhaustible resources. By definition, sustainable energy

serves the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Technologies

that promote sustainable energy include renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave

power, geothermal energy, bioenergy, tidal power and technologies designed to improve energy efficiency.

01

Local production

This pillar aims to promote local sourcing through the branding

of local makers or producers and awareness raising of the

role of the different actors along the products supply chain. The local production

works on strengthening links between the future product

and other primary producers in the area and enhancing their market opportunities.

Use a local production is important to guarantee some

Note

advantages. Working with a domestic manufacturer makes

the communication process easy. Language barriers, time

zone differences and long overseas flights are eliminated.

For example, a small scale production in the U.S. eliminates the waste of unneeded products

otherwise made just to meet overseas minimums. Simplifying and controlling the development

and manufacturing process will reduce thousands of

waste garments by ensuring each item is wearable, fits

properly and remains sellable. There are warehouses upon warehouses full of obsolete

inventory and rejected goods. Manufacturing in the U.S. offers a sustainable approach. During the

manufacturing process, many quality issues may arise.

02

Disposables

Do you really need a disposable part? Or, can you design a

second life for it? Is considered throwaway, something you use once and dump, regardless of

the life that may be left in it. As a frugal shopper with a concern for the state of our environment,

that just won’t do. The final output is important will not use

only one time but have a long life. Things usually have two

sides. However, when it comes to the disadvantages, I think

Note

the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of disposable

items. Firstly, disposable items pollute environment greatly,

such as disposable chopsticks. Chopsticks in many hotels are disposable. This kind of chopstick is made of wood.

There are many hotels use the chopsticks throughout the country every day. Such as

statistics, we must cut down a forest to product the chopsticks.

If it goes on like this, water

and soil of our country will loss so much. Then it will into a

serious ecological imbalance. In addition, disposable plastic

cups and lunch boxes caused a lot of white pollution. It affects

the environmental pollution. The important thing is that every one

of us should take into account the present environmental

problems. We should consider about environment and do what we do. Remember that we have

only one earth.

03

Zero waste

Is a philosophy that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. No trash is sent to landfills and incinerators. The process recommended

is one similar to the way that resources are reused in nature.

"Zero Waste is a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary,

to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate

sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to

Note

become resources for others to use. Zero Waste means designing and

managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate

the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury

them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land,

water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant

health" Zero Waste refers to waste management and planning

approaches which emphasize

waste prevention as opposed to end of pipe waste management.It is a whole systems approach that aims for a massive change

in the way materials flow through society, resulting in no waste.

Zero waste encompasses more than eliminating waste through recycling and reuse, it focuses

on restructuring production and distribution systems to reduce waste. Zero waste is more of a

goal or ideal rather than a hard target.

04

Dematerialization

The dematerialization of a product literally means less. No material is used to deliver the same level of functionality to the user. Sharing, borrowing and the organization of group

services that facilitate and cater for communities needs could alleviate the requirement of

ownership of many products. In the Bubble: designing in a complex world, John Thakara

said that, "the average consumer power tool is used for ten minutes in

Note

its entire life but it takes hundreds of times its own weight to manufacture such an object". A product service

system with shared tools could simply offer access to

them when needed. This shift from a reliance on products to services is the process of

dematerialization. Digital music distribution systems, car clubs, bike hire schemes and laundry

services are all examples of dematerialization. "Servicizing"

is a transaction through

which value is provided by a combination of products and

services in which the satisfaction of customer needs is achieved either by selling the function of the product rather than the product itself, or by increasing

the service component of a product offer. The concept is based on the idea that what

customers want from products is not necessarily ownership,

but rather the function that the product provides or the service

the product can deliver.

05

Reuse materials

How waste materials could became a row material for a new project? The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create

it in the first place. Making a new product requires many materials

and energy raw materials must be extracted from the earth, and the product must be fabricated then transported to wherever it will be

sold. As a result, reduction and reuse are the most effective ways you can save natural resources,

protect the environment and save

Note

money. Often we do not realize that the waste materials are the

raw materials of the future. When designing you can start from the reuse of certain materials

that will become the basis of the project. The upcycle technique

is based on this approach.In contrast, recycling is the

breaking down of the used item into raw materials which are

used to make new items and has certain potential advantages:

Energy and raw materials

savings as replacing many single use products with one

reusable one reduces the number that need to be manufactured. Reduced disposal needs and

costs. Refurbishment can bring sophisticated, sustainable, well

paid jobs to underdeveloped economies. Cost savings for

business and consumers as a reusable product is often cheaper

than the many single use products it replaces. Some older items were better handcrafted

and appreciate in value.

06

Longevity

Note

Predict specific longevity of a product life cycle is difficult;

businesses want a general idea of the expected length of the life cycle for optimized production

and marketing planning. Technology life cycles tend to unfold quickly as competition

intensifies and technology evolves. Longevity is important factor because avoid the need

to produce many products that have to became waste very soon. Greater durability and longevity

enables reduction of service and warranty costs. Process

optimization improves in-stationcycle time, reduces manual labor,

and enables streamlined seat assembly and repeatability.

07

Mixed materials

A sustainable product that in the future will be designed for a new life must take into account, the union of different materials

could make it impossible reuse the product in the future

design project. For example, the use of glues or the union of different plastic material

makes the material unusable. For this is important during the process, consider what type of

materials you are using and how you plan to join them in

Note

the final product. When paper is recycled, it’s all mixed together

into a pulp. That pulp is washed, cleaned, and then pressed into new paper sheets. During that

process, wastes like paper fibers, inks, cleaning chemicals,

and dyes are filtered out into one giant pudding known as paper sludge. The sludge is

then either burned or sent to a landfill, where it can leach

dozens of toxic chemicals and heavy metals into groundwater.

If you think that there would be regulations against that, you’d be right. However, there is one loophole: mixing anything else

with the paper sludge, even just sand, turns it from waste into a product. Moreover, there are no regulations against tossing

tens of thousands of tons of your product into a landfill.

08

Less packaging

How can we minimize the amount of packaging we use? How can we make more of it

recyclable? How can we source more materials from natural,

renewable resources? How can we get away from petroleum-

based packaging? There are many positive

examples of products where the packaging not only be a

temporary function but reoccurs as an essential part of the

product, in other cases it is

Note

proposed in a natural key made from scrap materials; make it

reusable eliminating waste or to design the product as a storage

unit with the most minimal amount of waste.

For examples, Y water is an organic, low calorie drink filled with nutritional co-factors for kids. Here’s a good example of

a product with packaging so clever, it isn’t likely to be thrown away. In fact, the manufacturer

encourages kids to keep the

unique interlocking packaging to play with. The bottles come with

“Y knots“, large rubber bands that kids can use to connect

them to build unique designs unlimited by anything except their imaginations. Love this

concept for packaging. 09

Unreperable

Products must be durable, easy and affordable to repair, and information on these aspects must be clearly available to

consumers. This will help the environment, the economy and society as a whole. If

products last longer and are better repairable, their early

replacement by new products can be avoided. This way, the

depletion of natural resources is reduced. Apart from this, value is maintained, since finished

Note

products have more economic value than the raw materials

inside them. If repair and maintenance services become

cheaper, new, green jobs can be created. All this will stimulate a more sustainable consumption

pattern and will lead society as a whole towards a circular

economy. A disposable lifestyle and mentality is certainly not a problem in emerging

markets, where the ability to repair a product is expected,

and anything not designed with this in mind will almost

certainly fail. This is more than just economic necessity. Though economics have been a factor in

preserving the DIY mindset, there is a deeper, cultural tradition

rooted in the sense of pride and satisfaction that comes from

being able to fix things that are broken.

10

Modularity

Is the degree to which a system’s components may be separated and recombined in a Modular

design, or "modularity in design", is a design approach that subdivides a system into

smaller parts called modules or skids that can be independently

created and then used in different systems. A modular system can be characterized

by functional partitioning into discrete scalable, reusable

modules, rigorous use of well-

Note

defined modular interfaces, and making use of industry

standards for interfaces. Besides reduction in cost, and flexibility in design, modularity

offers other benefits such as augmentation (adding new

solution by merely plugging in a new module), and exclusion. Examples of modular systems are cars, computers, process

systems, solar panels and wind turbines, elevators and modular

buildings. Earlier examples

include looms, railroad signaling systems, telephone exchanges, pipe organs and electric power

distribution systems. Computers use modularity to overcome

changing customer demands and to make the manufacturing

process more adaptive to change. Modular design is an attempt

to combine the advantages of standardization (high

volume normally equals low manufacturing costs) with those

of customization.

11

Efficency

Note

Is the ability to avoid wasting materials, energy, efforts, money, and time in doing something or

in producing a desired result. In a more general sense, it is the ability to do things well, successfully, and without

waste. In more mathematical or scientific terms, it is a measure

of the extent to which input is well used for an intended task or function (output). It often specifically comprises the capability of a specific

application of effort to produce a specific outcome with a

minimum amount or quantity of waste, expense, or unnecessary effort. Efficiency of course refers

to very different inputs and outputs in different fields and

industries. 12

Life-cycle

How all the Life cycle will be sustainable for the environment?

The product life cycle is a well-established marketing

concept that helps companies understand the typical

progression of products in the marketplace and helps them

determine marketing strategies. The life cycle runs from an

initial product launch through completion of the life cycle at

the point the product becomes obsolete. The four stages of

Note

the life cycle are introduction, growth, maturity and decline. At introduction, the product is launched. During the growth phase, sales growth builds sharply. At maturity, sales

typically plateau. During decline, the product nears its relevant

end and a new version or upgrade is often introduced. n industry, product lifecycle management

(PLM) is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from inception,

through engineering design and manufacture, to service

and disposal of manufactured products. PLM integrates people,

data, processes and business systems and provides a product

information backbone for companies and their extended enterprise. PLM systems help organizations in coping with

the increasing complexity and engineering challenges of

developing new products for the global competitive markets.

13

Share goods

Sharing economy or collaborative consumption refers to peer-to-

peer-based sharing of access to goods and services (coordinated

through community-based online services). Sharing economy can

take a variety of forms, including using information technology to

provide individuals, corporations, non-profits and governments with information that enables the optimization of resources

through the redistribution, sharing and reuse of excess

Note

capacity in goods and services. There are three main types of collaborative consumption:

Product-service system, goods that are privately owned can be shared or rented out via peer-to-peer marketplaces.

Redistribution markets, a system of collaborative consumption is based on used or pre-owned

goods being passed on from someone who does not want

them to someone who does want them. This is another alternative

to the more common ‘reduce, reuse, recycle, repair’ methods of dealing with waste. Collaborative

lifestyles, this system is based on people with similar needs or interests banding together to

share and exchange less-tangible assets such as time, space,

skills, and money.

14

No toxic materials

Toxic materials are substances that may cause harm to an

individual if it enters the body. Are not good for the

environmental. Toxic materials may enter the body in different

ways. These ways are called the route of exposure. During the process, it is important to take in account: the material using during the process, the

material chosen for the product finished is not toxic, or which

produce toxic substances. Often

Note

it happens that toxic substances are used, or that are produced

during machining. Contamination is one of the

biggest obstacles in the recycling industry right now. If there are

impurities or toxins on the original material say lead paint

from an aluminum spray can they will usually make it through

the recycling process and end up buried in the new product,

which might turn out to be, say, a soda can. The worst part is that

sometimes we don’t know when something’s contaminated until

it’s too late. For example, we’re just realizing that hundreds of buildings in Taiwan made

from recycled steel have been giving people gamma radiation

poisoning and not the good kind for the past twelve years.

15

Change behaviours

Tackling environmental issues requires change at every level.

Even within large powerfulorganisations change has to begin with someone acting

differently. Behavioral changeisn’t enough on its own, but it is vital. Behavioral change theories

are attempts to explain why behaviors change, the behaviors could influence the good habits of the people. These theories cite

environmental, personal, and behavioral characteristics as

Note

the major factors in behavioral determination. Sometimes

highlighting financial benefits can instigate behavioral

change. But decisions based on economic motives alone can be problematic. Human

behavior underlies almost all environmental problems, such as

air and water pollution, climate change, deforestation, and loss

of biodiversity. Research in psychology offers clues as to why

people engage in

unsustainable behaviors despite their concern about the broader

consequences. At the same time, the research also explains why

people go out of their way to behave sustainably, and how it is

possible to motivate andempower sustainable actions.

The goal of the psychology of sustainable behavior is to

create the conditions that make sustainable action the most appealing or natural choice.

16

Eco Materials

What is a Sustainable Material? This pillar is important in the definition phase of product or

service because it has as a goal to increase the knowledge of the world of sustainable materials,

also defined eco-materials. Eco-design is an approach to designing product with

special consideration for the environmental impacts of the

product during its whole lifecycle. In a life cycle assessment, the

life cycle of a product is usually

Note

divided into procurement, manufacture, use, and disposal.

Eco-design is a growing responsibility and understanding

of our ecological footprint on the planet. Green awareness,

overpopulation, industrialization and an increased environmental

population have led to the questioning of consumer values.

It is imperative to search for new building solutions that are environmentally friendly

and lead to a reduction in the

consumption of materials and energy. There are a number of tools and frameworks for

evaluating sustainability in materials, in business

practices, in urban planning, in construction, contribute to

sustainability in many respects, and in others these tools are

helping the industry set goals to foster improvements in their

practices and their product lines to advance global progress

towards a more sustainable society.

17

Tools

The Tools Cards are 32. Every card shows a different tool

that designers can use during the design process.

Most of the tools can be use in different phases of the process, not only in one.

1. Desk research2. Field research3. User observation4. " what if "5. System map6. Offering map7. Shadowing8. Personas9. Mood board10. Customer journey map11. Service blueprint

12. Mockup13. Mind map14. Swot analysis15. Focus group16. Touchpoint map17. Experience prototype18. Business model19. Scenario20. Competitive analysis21. Demo video22. Interview

23. Storyboard24. Empathy map25. Brainstorming26. Sketching together27. Prototype28. Visualizing data29. Challenge framing30. Five sense31. Role play32. Survey

Desk research

In design research, the methods and data collected differ from

those emphasized in market or academic research. Ethnographic

approaches to participant interaction clarifies complex human needs,

behaviors, and perspectives. Field immersions unearth contextual and

environmental factors that shape user experience. Rigorous, old-

fashioned desk research and expert consultation support the fieldwork.

But let’s be clear: good design research doesn’t end with good data.

Note

01

Field research

A field research method whereby the researcher

develops an understanding of the composition of a particular setting or society by taking part

in the everyday routines and rituals alongside its members.

Originally developed in the early 20th century by anthropologists

researching native societies in developing countries; now

employed by researchers studying a range of issues.

Note

02

User observation

Observational research is particularly prevalent in the social

sciences and in marketing. It is a social research technique that involves the direct observation of phenomena in their natural

setting. It is typically divided into nonparticipant observation, and participant observation. Cases

studies and archival research are special types of observational

research. Nonparticipant observation it is simply studying behaviors that occur naturally in

natural contexts, where there is no

Note

attempt to manipulate variables. It permits measuring what

behavior is really like. However, its typical limitations consist

in its incapability exploring the

actual causes of behaviors, and the impossibility to determine if a given observation is truly

representative of what normally occurs.

03

“ What if ”

Designers rely on personal communication and,

particularly, feedback, during design work. You request

feedback from users about your solution concepts, and you seek feedback from colleagues about design frameworks you

are developing. Outside the project itself, fellow designers

need to communicate how they are working together as a team.

Feedback is best given with I statements. “

Note

What if is a simple tool to encourage open feedback.

04

System map

Note

The system map is a visual description of the service

technical organization: the different actors involved, their mutual links and the flows of

materials, energy, information and money through the system.

System mapping is a useful method for both planning and

evaluating efforts that aim

to change systems –that is, how people and organizations relate. Systems efforts might, for example, try to change or improve the way in which an

organization functions, create collaborative relationships or

networks, or change the context or environment in which social

change occurs.

05

Offering map

Note

. The aim of an offering map is to describe in a synthetic way what the service offers to its

users. There is not a standard format for this tool: the offering could be described by words or could be illustrated by images,

but most frequently, it is visualized through a graph. This

instrument could support the elaboration of the service idea

as well the development of some specific solutions, it could be a tool for the implementation of the concept but also for the communication of the service to the final user. In each one of these situations, the offering

map will assume different configurations and languages with reference to the specific aims and receivers involved.

06

Shadowing

Shadowing originated out of 1950’s Management Studies and Henry Minzberg’s 1970’s

iterations on structured observation. Contextualized

information about how, when and why people act is needed

to generate understanding of human need and to

develop meaningful insights for innovation. Traditional

Note

observation and diary studies do not provide the same depth

of contextual information or detail about purpose that is

achieved through the shadowing method. Shadowing provides a rich, comprehensive data

set about the patterns of actions, interdependence and

motivations of users. Shadowing is used to gain understanding

of an individual’s behavior, opinions and drivers as well as to

understand a person’s role and paths through an organization or

interactions with other objects or people in a given setting. It is used in organizational change

assessment, product marketing or positioning, and experience

and service design.

07

Personas

The personas are archetypes built after an exhaustive

observation of the potential users. Each persona is based

on a fictional character whose profile gathers up the features of an existing social group. In this way, the personas assume the

attributes of the groups they represent: from their social and demographic

characteristics, to their own needs, desires, habits and

cultural backgrounds.

Note

08

Moodboard

The mood board is a visual composition of pictures and

materials that propose an atmosphere by giving the generic perception of it.

The mood board helps in the elicitation of some values the

service has that are difficult to be described by words.

The use of a visual representation fixes univocally

the perception of the service inside the team.

Note

09

Customer journey map

Note

The customer journey map is an oriented graph that describes the journey of a user by representing

the different touchpoints that characterize his interaction

with the service. In this kind of visualization, the interaction is described step by step as

in the classical blueprint, but there is a stronger emphasis

on some aspects as the flux of information and the physical

devices involved. At the same time there is a

higher level of synthesis than in the blueprint: the representation is simplified trough the loss of

the redundant information and of the deepest details.

10

Service blueprint

The blueprint is an operational tool that describes the

nature and the characteristics of the service interaction in enough detail to verify, implement and maintain

it. It is based on a graphical technique that displays the

process functions above and below the line of visibility to the customer: all the touchpoints and the back-stage processes

are documented and aligned to the user experience.

Note

11

Mock up

The mock up is a model, an illustration or a collage describing

an idea. At the beginning of the design process, the mock up is mainly made through the use

of photomontages, created with photos of existing situations,

products or services combined with other elements.

During the next phases the mock up get more and more realistic, till they become real prototypes

representing the main features of the project.

Note

12

Mind map

Note

The mind map is a tool for the visual elicitation of our

thoughts and their conations. The visualization begins with

a problem or an idea put in the center of the representation. Then signs, lines, words and drawings

are used in order to build a system of thoughts around the

starting point. The hand and the mind work simultaneously.

1. Use it to explore and develop ideas for a specific problem.

2. Use it to think, doodle and see where it takes you.

3. Use it to take notes during discussions, lectures and conferences.

4. Use it to summarize books and papers.

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Swot analysis

Is a structured planning method used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in a project or in a business venture. A Swot

analysis can be carried out for a product, place, industry or

person. It involves specifying the objective of the business venture

or project and identifying the internal and external factors that

Note

are favorable and unfavorable to achieve that objective. The degree to which the internal

environment of the firm matches with the external environment is expressed by the concept of

strategic fit.

1. Strengths: characteristics of the business or project that give it an advantage over others.

2. Weaknesses: characteristics that place the business or project at a disadvantage relative to others.

3. Opportunities: elements that the project could exploit to its advantage.

4. Threats: elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business or project.

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Focus group

Is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes

towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging. Questions are asked in an interactive group setting where participants are free to

talk with other group members.

Note

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“

Touchpoint map

Conceived by Gianluca Brugnoli the touchpoints matrix merges some features of the customer

journey maps with some features of the system maps and is

based on the use of personas. The basic idea is to provide a

visual framework that enables designer to connect the dots of the user experience in order to

see the different configurations, interfaces, contexts and results of the interaction with a specific

product-service system. The

Note

“

matrix is built by listing vertically the different devices or contexts that are part of the system and by listing horizontally the main

actions that are supported by the system itself. Once this structure has been composed, the designer can put a specific persona inside and imagine his journey through

the different touchpoints, connecting the related dots. In this way the matrix brings to a deeper comprehension of the interaction and facilitates

a further development of the opportunities given by the

system -of the possible entry points and paths- shifting the focus of the design activities

to connections: "Design for connections: in the system scenario, design is mainly focused on finding

the connections with the whole network, than in creating closed and

self-sufficient systems, tools and services. Connections are social and

cultural assets, other than technical."

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Experience prototype

Note

The experience prototype is a simulation of the service

experience that foresees some of its performances through

the use of the specific physical touchpoints involved. The

experience prototype allows designers to show and test

the solution through an active participation of the users. The service prototype is a tool for

testing the service by observing the interaction of the user with

a prototype of the service put in the place, situation and condition

where the service will actually exist. The aim is verifying what happens when some external

factors interfere during the service delivery, factors that it’s not possible to verify during the preceding tests in the laboratory

but that have a great impact on the user perception and

experience.

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Business plan

Is a strategic management and lean startup template for

developing new or documenting existing business models. It is a visual chart with elements

describing a firm’s or product’s value proposition, infrastructure,

customers, and finances. It assists firms in aligning their

activities by illustrating potential trade-offs.

Note

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Scenario

Note

Is a narrative of foreseeable interactions of user roles and the technical system, which usually includes computer

hardware and software. A scenario has a goal, which is

usually functional. A scenario describes one way

that a system is or is envisaged to be used in the context of

activity in a defined time frame.

The time frame for a scenario could be a single transaction;

a business operation; a day or other period; or the whole operational life of a system.

Similarly, the scope of a scenario could be a single system or

piece of equipment; an equipped team or department; or an entire

organization.

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Competitive analysis

Note

Competitive analysis, as the name implies, is an exploration

of the companies in a given industry sector or market niche

that are competing with your company’s products or services for market share. The analysis

may be an in-depth exploration of the top five competitors, or a larger number of competitors could be. In most cases, the

client will have identified the target competitors for you.

The primary benefits of any competitive analysis are a better

understanding of what your competitors are doing, what they

are offering to customers, and how to maintain your competitive

advantage. The findings from this analysis are likely to factor

strongly into your own company’s strategic planning. However, this is definitely not the only

take-away from the process of analyzing competitors.

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Demo video

Note

Imaging is to capture the enemy language to communicate with

the parties. Planning to video if you can also create a form in

advance to take advantage of the storyboard, to predict there may

be difficult cases to take the actual situation.

To some extent, while planning a long shooting video

contains some content when contemplating whether to be

useful, to edit the video to only simple shooting recall that it

is more advantageous in terms of cost to. Meetings or groups when you capture a wealth of information and activities to

show the video to others you can see a very strong side effects.

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Interview

Time with users is precious; you need to make the most of it!

While we always must allow room for the spontaneous, blissful serendipity of a user-guided

conversation, we should never abdicate our responsibility to

prepare for interviews. Especially in following up with users (after testing, etc), it is imperative to

plan your interviews. You may not get to every question you prepare,

but you should come in with a plan for engagement.

Note

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Storyboard

The storyboard is a tool derived from the cinematographic

tradition; it is the representation of use cases through a series

of drawings or pictures, put together in a narrative

sequence. The service storyboard shows the manifestation of every touchpoints and the

relationships between them and the user in the creation of the

experience.

Note

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Empathy map

Good design is grounded in a deep understanding of

the person for whom you are designing. Designers have many techniques for developing this sort of empathy. The Empathy

Map is one tool to help you synthesize your observations and

draw out unexpected insights.

Note

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Brainstorming

Note

Brainstorming is a great way to come up with a lot of ideas that

you would not be able to generate by just sitting down with a pen

and paper. The intention of brainstorming is to leverage the collective thinking of the group,

by engaging with each other, listening, and building on other ideas. Conducting a brainstorm also creates a distinct segment of time when you intentionally

turn up the generative part of your brain and turn down the

evaluative part. Brainstorming can be used throughout a design

process; of course to come up with design solutions, but also any time you are trying to come up with ideas, such as planning

where to do empathy work, or thinking about product and

services related to your project as two examples.

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Sketching Together

The group sketching is a quick, fast and economic tool for

developing and explaining ideas simultaneously. It is used during the co-design sessions in order to share the insights inside the team: this tool offers a common ground for the discussion even

when the participants have different cultural and social

backgrounds. It is based on basic and simple drawings in order to encourage the participation of

everybody.

Note

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Prototype

A prototype is designed to test and try a new design to enhance

precision by system analysts and users. Prototyping serves to provide specifications for a

real, working system rather than a theoretical one. Prototypes

explore different aspects of an intended design:

1. A Proof-of-Principle Prototype

Note

explores some functional, but not all, aspects of the intended design.

2. A Form Study Prototype explores the size and appearance, but not the functionality, of the intended design.

3. A User Experience Prototype captures enough aspects of the intended design that it

can support user research.4. A Visual Prototype captures

the size and appearance, but not the functionality, of the intended design.

5. A Functional Prototype captures both function and appearance of the intended design. It may be created in with a different method and scale from final design.

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Visualising Data

Note

Is viewed by many disciplines as a modern equivalent of visual communication. It is not owned by any one field, but rather finds

interpretation across many. It involves the creation and study of the visual representation of data, meaning "information that has been abstracted in some schematic form, including attributes or variables for the units of information". A primary

goal of data visualization is to communicate information

clearly and efficiently to users via the statistical graphics, plots,

information graphics, tables, and charts selected. Effective visualization helps users in

analyzing and reasoning about data and evidence. It makes

complex data more accessible, understandable and usable.

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Challenge Framing

One way in which we deal with the complexity of the world is to make assumptions about

many things. Our pattern-matching ability is a great help in allowing us to take

short cuts but it often ends up in us not noticing many

things. If we do not take, deliberate and conscious

action, our subconscious will let many assumptions pass

by unnoticed.

Note

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5 Senses

Note

Our perceptions of the world are built on multiple senses.

They interact to help us make sense of our surroundings, so a car will seem to be traveling

faster if it makes a lot of noise. And whether we want to buy

a sports car, or a vacuum cleaner, it’s our multi-sensory

impression of a product or

service that dictates how we feel about it.

So we could use sound, scent, and taste when tackling a

design challenge. Perhaps a cohesive approach with all our senses considered would make our spaces more creative, joyful,

and experiential.

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Role play

By getting out of your own character, you are also mentally

getting out of your own way of thinking. By getting into

another person (in the way that an actor does), you take on that

person’s characteristics and find it easier to think like them. Moving the way they move helps

the association also. Getting into another character also

legitimizes thinking differently, helping you to feel ok about

"acting strangely".

Note

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Survey

The survey research design is a very valuable tool for assessing opinions and

trends. Even on a small scale, such as local government

or small businesses, judging opinion with

carefully designed surveys can dramatically change

strategies.

Note

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