Design Compass® setting

Team behind 1, customer ahead 2

The team is a step behind the stage: it is leaning on a guess. Stop and learn. The work is two steps ahead of customers: it chases new wants before fixing what they avoid today.

The five questions for this setting

  1. 1. Plan

    When planning, what have we tracked about what customers accept?

    Distance from home: Team +4, Customer +2

  2. 2. Research

    With research, what have we assumed about what customers value?

    Distance from home: Team -1, Customer +2

    Methods that help you find out

  3. 3. Design

    When designing, what have we learned about what customers desire?

    Distance from home: Team -1, Customer +2

  4. 4. Test

    When testing, what have we decided about what customers overlook?

    Distance from home: Team -1, Customer -3

    Read "decided" as "decided to act on": the team's call about what to do, not a choice made for anyone else.

  5. 5. Embed

    When embedding, what have we agreed about what customers avoid?

    Distance from home: Team -1, Customer -3

See where you really stand

Answer a question for each stage and we'll suggest methods that turn guesses into evidence.

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All 25 Design Compass® settings