Solve Big challenges are best solved collaboratively
We work with all kinds of organizations on complex challenges
Whether you’re looking to develop your next breakthrough product, service or business model, we can help. Using human-centred design, we help you cut through the complexity and find solutions informed by what really matters to the customers and stakeholders most directly impacted.
Get in touchHere are some of the recent challenges we have partnered with our clients on:
How we work with you
Our team of designers, researchers, entrepreneurs, technologists and facilitators brings decades of shared experience working with the world’s most respected organizations on some of their most complex strategic challenges. Here’s how:
Understanding the big picture
We start by deeply understanding your organization, context, and key stakeholders that need to be (and stay) engaged.
Getting clear on desired outcomes
Working with you, we define the scope, key outcomes, team, timeline and concrete deliverables.
Innovative methods that work
We draw from a wide arsenal of creative tools, technologies, and methods at each stage of the project
Collaborating across boundaries
We bring together the right people from within and outside your organization to solve the problem
Transferring skills as we go
We leave behind the tools and know-how your team needs to tackle its next big challenge
Demonstrate the impact
We capture the metrics, stories, and evidence to demonstrate and communicate the impact you’ve made
Solve Run a design sprint to tackle a specific objective
Human-centred design can be applied to a vast array of complex business and societal challenges. Our outcome-specific sprints leverage the fundamentals of design in a way that is especially tailored to make the greatest impact in a given industry or for a specific type of challenge.
We have tailored sprint approaches to address specific objectives including:
- Sustainability / Circular Economy
- New Business Model Development
- Organizational Culture Transformation
- Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
Our approach Human Centered Design
Whether you’re looking to develop your next breakthrough product, service or business model, we can help. Using human-centred design, we help you cut through the complexity and find solutions informed by what really matters to the customers and stakeholders most directly impacted.
1. Field research
Purpose We begin by going out into the field to gain empathy with users and find new sources of inspiration that will ground our innovation efforts in what really matters to people.
Skill Sets Ethnography / Design Research / Study Design / Interviewing / Desktop Research / Design Anthropology / Social Listening
Methods and Tools
- User journey mapping and persona development
- In-context observation and interviewing for empathy
- Focus groups and engagement workshops
- Day-in-the life studies / photo studies (digitally enabled)
- Analogous inspiration and cross-industry desktop and social research
Outcomes
- A bank of original user research to inform this and future projects
- Lasting customer closeness and user empathy
2. Form Insights
Purpose To distill a unique point of view based on what we have observed in the field that will help us identify unmet or unexpressed user needs and opportunities
Skill Sets Synthesis / Design Research / Team Facilitation
Methods and Tools
- Empathy Mapping
- Synthesis Frameworks
- What / How / Why analysis
- Insighting templates
Outcomes
- A set of novel points of view, or “hunches” that reveal what users really value and where we should focus our innovation efforts
- Greater ability to recognize opportunities in day-to-day observations and interactions
3. Focus the Challenge
Purpose To translate our newly discovered insights into focused, user-centred “How Might We…?” (HMW) questions that will guide our upcoming idea generation
Skill Sets Synthesis / Team Facilitation
Methods and Tools
- “How Might We…?” (HMW) formulation
- Opportunity re-framing
- Right-sizing the opportunity space
Outcomes
- A set of focused, user insight-inspired HMW questions that frame opportunity spaces for teams to explore in the following step: idea generation
- Increased ability to put the user at the center of the challenge
4. Generate ideas
Purpose To create a wide variety of possible solutions that address the overarching design challenge. Ideas at this stage should be aspirational, creative, and inspiring - withholding judgment about what is feasible and viable until later in the process
Skill Sets Team Facilitation / Brainstorming / Lateral Thinking
Methods and Tools
- Group and individual brainstorming
- Crazy 8s
- Random input and external stimulus
- De Bono’s thinking hats
- Synchronous and asynchronous ideation
Outcomes
- A wealth of potential solutions to explore and evolve
- New habits that encourage a “yes, and..” mindset to approaching future challenges
5. Prototype
Purpose To make early stage ideas tangible in order to get fast feedback from users and stakeholders. This helps us quickly experiment, iterate and learn instead of investing time and resources in new ideas before key assumptions are tested
Skill Sets Graphic design / illustration / 3D modelling / business analysis
Methods and Tools
- Paper prototyping
- Storyboarding and process mapping
- Digital prototyping (In-app templates, wireframing, CAD)
- Video production and experience role-play
- User feedback and focus group testing
Outcomes
- A set of rough and ready prototype solutions that are ready to share with users for feedback
- New habits that encourage people to seek early feedback instead of over-investing in untested ideas
6. Implement
Purpose In this final step, teams plan how to bring their top prototype solutions to fruition. Work ranges from creating a short video pitch for initial pilots to developing detailed business cases, implementation roadmaps and MVPs
Skill Sets Business Modelling / Financial Analysis / Experiment Design / Project Management / Agile Development
Methods and Tools
- Business model canvas
- Lean Experiment Mapping
- 30-60-90 Day Roadmapping
- Business case templates
- A/B Testing
Outcomes
- Everything required to take top prototype solutions forward for future funding, support and development
- Increased confidence and expanded toolkit for taking new ideas through to implementation
And we can do it all remotely
Treehouse is one of the few design and innovation companies that is equally effective and experienced working virtually as in-person. In fact, we built our own platform Sprintbase to help virtual project teams achieve amazing outcomes remotely.
A shared virtual environment
Our team uses Sprintbase to support remote collaboration and keep our joint teams on track. All research, ideas and prototype solutions are captured in one place where the team can work together. The built-in process and guidance makes sure teams on the ground apply the innovation process, tools and mindsets consistently and effectively.
Remote coaching
Coaches provide expert advice to help teams get the absolute best outcomes from their projects. We advise on which design thinking tools and methods teams should apply, help teams stay focused and motivated, and build everybody’s confidence. Coaches help teams move faster and generate bolder, more innovative solutions that go on to implementation.
Read enough?
Let’s talk about how we can partner with you to solve your next strategic challenge
Get in touch