Discovery Concept Guide

Finding Insights

What’s an Insight?

“Insight” is how we refer to a theme or pattern across research in the HCD process. Identifying these takes time, reflection, and patience.

You may ask yourself, “Is this an insight?” or “Is what I’m saying too small to be an insight?” or “Is what I’m saying too general?” No matter. Contribute your thought to the conversation and see where it goes. This is not the time to hold back. This is the time to put all reflections and wonderings out on the table for the group to explore.

Insights live right in the middle of the experiences, perceptions, or impressions you heard from your participants.

Diagrammatic illustration of finding insights. The team finds insights when they pass the raw research they gathered through the lens of their problem frame or brief.

The sweet spot is where the participant experiences, perceptions, and impressions are neither too specific nor too general. Generalities are often already known, while unique experiences, perceptions, or impressions might not have resonance across your agency’s customers.

How to Find Insights?

Finding insights means looking at your reseach findings through the lens of your problem frame or brief. Through this convergent thinking action, you’ll bind together the different, individual pieces of research into recognizable patterns, creating insights with which to move forward.

Diagrammatic illustration of finding insights. The team finds insights when they pass the raw research they gathered through the lens of their problem frame or brief.

Process 1: Sorting By Action

Sorting by action refers to sorting the words and phrases from your research into what participants are Doing, Saying, Feeling, Thinking. This method highlights different relationships between the research terms than is possible through the earlier methods. Find out more about this process in the HCD Discovery Operations Guide.

Process 2: Clustering

Clustering is an analysis method by which similar pieces of research are clustered together. The most important component of this method is the intention of the statement or perception encapsulated by the research. Always remember that you can and should ask your teammates what the intention behind the statement or action was during the interview or observation. Find out more about Clustering in the HCD Discovery Operations Guide.

Process 3: Concept Mapping

In concept mapping, the team draws lines or connect related concepts, processes, and/or behaviors and describe the nature of the relationship. Again, find out more about this process in the HCD Operations Guide.