Visualisation as the Link Betwen User Data and Business Development

This article points out that visual mapping and concept development can be a decisive element in the translation of large amounts of information into specific concepts for change initiatives. It describes a workshop, based on extensive user data, where design students work directly with companies to frame what value their users are seeking, and develop concepts for ways to change the companies business model to deliver the value in demand. The article inscribes itself in G.K. Van Patter's theories about sensemaking, in which visual mapping and concept development into specific areas and topics, are key factors in the fuzzy front end of transformation processes in which companies are facing complex strategic issues.