FORCE FIELDSANALYZE DYNAMICS BETWEEN USERS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO UNCOVER INSIGHTS AND USER NEEDS

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WHEN NEEDED RATIONALE

FORCE FIELDS

Focuses on the whole system; a

community within an environment

consisting of interacting, interrelated

and interdependent people and object

Factors in the value exchanges,

conflicts and emergent behavior that

affect the whole system

Reveals important clues about

motivation, intentions, needs, as well as

vulnerabilities and opportunities

I want to

understand how

the user relates

to others

I want to zoom

out to see the

bigger context

I want a different

perspective

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ESSENCE POINTERS

FORCE FIELDS

Analyze

dynamics

between users

and stakeholders

to uncover

insights and user

needs

Identify, map and label user, stakeholders and key

objects and the role they play in the system

E.g. a shopper (the user), shop owner, supplier,

neighbor (stakeholders), smart phone, shopping cart

(key objects)

Decide on the system’s boundaries

E.g. consider whether the boundary is drawn around

the shop or extends beyond the shop to include the

supplier – shop relationship

Identify, map and label with different colors material

and immaterial interdependencies and/or exchanges

between user, stakeholders, key objects

E.g. material: shopper buys groceries (product) from

shop owner; shopper pays money to shop owner

(income)

E.g. immaterial: smart phone points shopper to

discounted product (information); shop owner

provides shopper with free wifi (favor)

Understand the prevailing dynamic patterns in the

system. Take a step back, generate and capture the

Source of Inspiration: System Map: www.servicedesigntools.org/tools/28

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