Shaping a Utility’s Long-Term Strategy with Human-Centered Design
Isle worked with Water Corporation, using Human-Centered Design as an approach to help build their long-term research and development strategic approach.
Human-Centered Design (HCD) is a problem-solving approach that focuses on understanding users’ needs. It actively involves participants in the process of solution design, while promoting collaboration and creativity through an iterative design framework.
Western Australia’s Water Corporation was building a research and development plan to align with the corporation’s long-term strategy. They engaged Isle as independent advisors to review research questions and support the plan. Our role included leading exploratory workshops, reviewing existing technology roadmaps and internal business unit strategies, as well as conducting follow-up interviews with key stakeholders.
Isle delivered five workshops covering the utility’s key priority areas, gathering insights to support the research plan. The workshops used the Human-Centered Design (HCD) approach, engaging stakeholders in an interactive, iterative design process. The research plan will guide Water Corporation’s R&D priorities for the next 10+ years.
Benefits of Approach
- Actively engages participants: Human-Centered Design (HCD) workshops involved all stakeholders in the design process, bringing diverse perspectives to the table to develop well-rounded research questions.
- Prioritises structured exploration: The HCD’s double diamond design framework supports participants to first explore the problem as a diverse group. Then, they converge to work on well-defined research questions.
- Fosters creativity: HCD workshops use flexible frameworks like brainstorming and visualization to help participants define innovative research questions.
- Promotes user-centered outcomes: HCD focuses on understanding stakeholders’ needs and motivations in order to shape more relevant insights and effective research questions.
Specialist Services Involved
- Specialist expertise: Our team brought in-depth utilities knowledge to the workshops, identifying nuances, underlying issues, and guiding discussions towards achieving workshop goals.
- Workshop facilitation: Isle effectively engaged participants by fostering creativity and guiding them through divergent and convergent thinking to achieve the best outcomes possible.
- Analytical insight: Our team applied critical thinking to break down challenges, identifying knowledge gaps, and refining discussions into meaningful research questions.
Outcomes
- Provided critical insights: Our team conducted stakeholder interviews across all business levels to provide insights for workshops and the research plan.
- Workshop facilitation: Isle facilitated 5 exploratory workshops focused on Water Corporation’s key research themes. These included Water Security, Resilient Infrastructure, Regenerative Natural Systems, Caring for Communities and Future Workforce.
- Research plan developed: We developed a comprehensive research plan outlining short, medium and long-term research questions aligned with Water Corporation’s Thrive 20-35 strategy.
Key contact:
For enquiries and further information, please contact Marlene Hsu, Senior Consultant at Isle Utilities.