And to satisfy their new needs, which were along the lines of energy efficiency
insulation, energy efficient appliances, better fuel efficiency.
>> So you need to keep talking with the customers at that point.
>> Well it was essential or we wouldn't have a business if we didn't do that.
>> Exactly.
>> And, it's, it's the same thing in what we're talking
about with these students here, is to have that closeness with customers-
>> Yup.
>> As quickly as possible when they have a new idea, a new concept.
>> Yup.
Catherine, do you have any additional ideas on talking to your customers?
>> I can think of two principles from design thinking.
One of them is called interview with empathy.
So I want to talk to the people who I
think might like my product, or my idea, or my solution.
And I want to listen to it from their perspective, not mine.
>> Is that what you mean by empathy?
>> That's what I mean by empathy.
Not whether I think it's great, not whether I think it's going to work.
>> Yes.
>> But, what would their experience be, and whether
my idea is actually going to fit into their experience.
It's from their perspective.
It's me putting my mind in their shoes.
So, that's interviewing with empathy.
>> Yes.
>> The other thing I think about is extreme users.
So, finding people who are at the, sort
of the boundaries of the idea that you're exploring.
>> Right.
>> So there's a whole range of people.
So, with energy, it might be people who use just a little.
>> Mm-hm.
>> And people use really a lot, huge amounts of energy.
>> Right.
>> If I was thinking about an example at home,
so maybe a shopping experience, I might think about people
who shop just a little bit, just every once in
awhile, and people who shop literally several times a day.
>> A lot.
>> A lot.
Because I know there's, most people are going to fall in between.
But if I can try to make my solution fit more people across
that range, then I'm going to be serving more people with my idea.
>> Exactly.
So in summer we've been talking about three things.
First, listen, listen, listen, learn, learn, learn,
at the start of your project and ongoing.
Second, understand the extreme users, know the
range of, of possibilities for your idea.
And third, have a list of questions and listen with empathy, that's so important.
So now it's your turn.
Start with your idea.
Talk with people about it and see what they think.
