How to create relevant and meaningful insights
You finished research internally and externally. You have hours of interviews transcribed and tons of competitor screenshots. So now what? What do you do with all your data? And how do you turn it into something meaningful?
Before we walk through what to do, let’s first break it down, what exactly is the difference between analysis and synthesis?
WHAT IS AN ANALYSIS?
An analysis is breaking down all of the information.
WHAT IS A SYNTHESIS?
A synthesis is the combination of ideas to form a theory. So you’re putting things together to connect the dots.
Okay, now how do you do this?
GATHER YOUR TEAM
This can be done individually, but if you have a chunk of research it will be easier to do it with a team. Requirements of the team:
Everyone is aligned to the same goal
Everyone holds each other accountable (participate, do their homework, adhere to timelines, etc.)
Everyone brings their opinions to the table, but ditches their ego - we want to have different mindsets to make sure we’re not using bias, just make sure your ego doesn’t bully others around
Biggest requirement of all: if you don’t analyze the research, you can’t contribute to the insights
ORGANIZE THE DATA
There are two ways of doing this physically and digitally. I find that it’s way easier to physically organize my data, especially when it’s with a team. I typically will print out visuals and transcripts. If you’re doing this digitally, find a way for everyone to have access to the same documents (start a google doc or google spreadsheet so you all have the same starting point).
COMB THROUGH THE DETAILS
You’re starting the analysis portion so grab your highlighters, Post-Its, Sharpies, tape and scissors because analyzing research is basically arts and craft time. If you find a quote that seems impactful, write it on a Post-It note so you don’t lose it. If you captured a screenshot of something that sparked curiosity, joy, frustration or literally any other emotion then print it out and tape it to a wall. The goal of this is to find anything that seems like it could be compelling. Don’t worry if you’re grabbing at straws, you can refine later. I once was teased for highlighting an entire page of a book. When I went back to that page and read it with my team, they helped me narrow down the bits that were important.
GROUP LIKE ITEMS
Before you can start grouping, you need to share your findings as a team. So have each person start to share what they find interesting. As you are sharing if others have similar sentiments from their findings, put them in a pile (by the way, now you’re synthesizing!). If you’re doing this digitally, then open a new page and start making a list. Don’t worry about naming the group perfectly after everyone has shared then you can start to refine the groups.
Tips for grouping
If you have a lot of research or a tight timeline, try setting a timer for each person. The timer doesn’t need to be a hard stop, but just a gut check.
If you’re physically grouping things make sure you have enough space before you start - clean off the table, erase the whiteboard, or find a big wall.
Color coding can be very helpful, especially when you think something might fall into two different groups
DEFINE EACH GROUP
Why is this group important? What does it represent? Keep your insight answer brief. You want to be able to succinctly say it without stating the research. If you’re having a hard time saying it succinctly, try writing it out. Our words change when we speak vs write so make sure your insight is solid.
TAKE A BREAK
Synthesizing takes a while and usually requires multiple drafts. Take a break and come back with fresh eyes.
CHALLENGE EACH OTHER
Read through all of your insights. Do they still make sense? Poke holes. Even if you know the answer, ask questions. You want these insights to be bullet proof so make sure you can defend them.
SHARE THEM OUT
Set up time with people who were not involved in this process. Present your insights and get their reactions. Write down any of their questions. Don’t get defensive when they start to push on you. Keep in mind that when people ask a lot of questions, more often than not it’s because they want to understand and be on the same page. So don’t get discouraged. Your insights may feel like your babies, but if people have a lot of questions or don’t understand then maybe they’re not finished.
FORMALIZE THEM
Maybe when you shared your insights it went perfectly, that’s great and definitely not normal. Maybe it was a failure and you went back to the synthesize part, or it was even worse and you need to reanalyze something. That’s fine. What matters is that once you’re happy with your insights, you find a way to ground the entire project team in them. I have printed five foot long posters just to keep the team aligned. It’s easy to forget why you’re doing something or what you’re trying to achieve when the budget gets tight, the hours get long, or the stakeholder says they hate something after they approved it. Your insights should be somewhere everyone can access quickly.
So what do you think? What methods have you guys used? How has your team created relevant, meaningful insights?