Vocal Insights is our customer research process for front-end teams. It helps teams get below the surface of the customer's language, explores their motivations, perceptions, and experiences and uncovers their spoken and unspoken needs. Vocal Insights is a critical front-end process step before concept development.

The following slides show the main steps in our Vocal Insights front-end team process. 

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Step 1: design & recruit - we define which customers and what topics to explore Step 2: The customer visit - In-depth Interviews provides a solid foundation We set aside our preconcieved notions and truely listen to the customer's stories and challenges Step 3: We observe the customer in their natrual environment capturing artifacts, photos, videos... We explore what the customer experiences, their delighters, pain points, and work arounds Step 4: We delve into the data extracting key voices and images of experiences and needs Step 5: The team immersion workshop - where we share and socialize the customer voices We map the Voice of the Customer creating our shared understanding of the findings We create "customer need" story boards to articulate the problems to solve step 6: We use the customer needs storyboards to focus concept development Our goal: Defining problems that if solved will excite the customer

Based on the principles of Voice of the Customer and ethnographic research, Vocal Insights combines in-field, on-site observations with in-depth interviews. 

We draw customers out to reflect on their experiences, tell stories, and provide descriptions and examples of what excites them and what challenges they face.  All within context of their daily business or personal lives. 

Team Immersion Enhances Innovation Effectiveness

One of the unique features of Vocal Insights is how we immerse front-end teams to enhance their innovation effectiveness. Core front-end team members and the Innovare consultants work together through each step of the process.

We complete the project with an engaging "hands-on" Immersion workshop  that involves the core team, extended team members and stakeholders. We interact with the voice of the customer data and create an organized framework that clearly identifies the customer's perceptions, values and contextual needs. Along the way we socialize the findings and give ownership of the results to the innovation organzation.

Immersion creates an "almost like being there" experience for team members.  It imbeds the customer experience knowledge deep within the team providing a foundation for ideation.

We establish a clear prioritization of customer needs and generate "problems to be solved" statements and customer Need Insight Storyboards. These become key inputs and targets for creating solution concepts.   

Vocal Insights Slide Show Case Study with Blue Cross Blue Shield 
Presented by Nick Kompare, Vice President, Excellus BCBS and Don Ross, President, Innovare