Define your audience

From the ubiquitous Post-it® Note to Post-it® Dry Erase Surface, Post-it® Brand offers a number of tools to bring out the very best collaborative experiences amongst your colleagues. However, we know that collaboration isn’t simply limited to tools — nor is it confined to a handful of techniques. To offer new perspectives on collaboration and its benefits, we partnered with IDEO.org — a non-profit design organization dedicated to alleviating poverty — to showcase how human-centered design and Post-it® Products can unlock incredible ideas.

Suggested Time: 30-60 Minutes

What you’ll need: Pens, paper, Post-it® Notes, Post-it® Big Pads or Post-it® Easel Pads

Before you dig into your in-context research, it’s critical to know whom you’re designing for. You’re bound to learn more once you’re in the field, but having an idea of your target audience’s needs, contexts, and history will help ensure that you start your research by asking smart questions. And don’t limit your thinking just to the people you’re designing for. You may need to consider governments, NGOs, other businesses, or competitors.

With your team, write down the people or groups that are directly involved in or reached by your challenge on Post-it® Notes. Are you designing for children? For farmers? Write all these stakeholders on individual Post-it® Notes and put them on a wall so you can visualize your audience.

Now add people or groups who are peripherally relevant, or are associated with your direct audience.

Think about the connections these people have with your topic. Who are the fans? Who are the skeptics? Who do you need the most on your side? Add them to the wall.

Now arrange these Post-it® Notes into a map of the people involved in your challenge. Where are there commonalities? Where are there differences? Aggregate like-minded audiences onto a Post-it® Big Pad or Easel Pad. Save these maps and refer to them as you move through your challenge.

Born in 2011 out of the global design and innovation firm IDEO, IDEO.org is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to alleviating poverty through human-centered design. IDEO.org believes that by understanding and working alongside those in the greatest need, we can design solutions that create prosperity. Partnering with nonprofits, social enterprises, and foundations, IDEO.org practices human-centered design to solve some of the world’s most difficult problems. Visit IDEO.org and Design Kit to learn more about human-centered design.