Product Toolkit

Background and Challenge

Designing with intention requires everyone—from stakeholders to community members—to work together effectively. Without structure, conversations can be scattered, insights overlooked, and empathy for users lost. SOM Tech developed a toolkit to guide collaborative discovery, surface actionable insights, and help teams design thoughtfully. The worksheets support information-gathering and foster understanding of the people who will use the product.

Toolkit landing page outlining when and why to use the worksheets

 

Orient, Guide, and Equip

Problem Statement


Problem Statement: description, worksheets, and resources

Research Plan

Design Research Plan: description, worksheets, and resources

 

Work Together, Own Together

PowerPoint worksheet for developing inclusive personas

Five Whys

PowerPoint worksheet for generating the Five Ws

My Work

  • Iteratively created content with team input and testing

  • Designed PowerPoint worksheets with actionable guidance

  • Curated reference materials

Outcomes and Impact

Years of experience highlight the power of collaborative discovery in shaping direction and building shared understanding—from research and landscape analysis to defining a clear vision. The toolkit provides simple, actionable guidance that has proven effective with stakeholders, community members, and new employees. The worksheets have also been adapted to online MURAL boards, enabling interactive workshops and supporting change management initiatives.