1. Business Design
Jeong-Suh Choi
MBA Candidate, Class of 2011
Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
Jeong-suh.choi@tuck.dartmouth.edu
Mobile: 603-306-2339
3. Branding Products? Branding Producers!
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
Trying to brand our pork product as trustworthy, we We set a new goal: branding not the product, but the
disclosed various information including what fodders producers, OURSELVES.
are used and which pig will “become our product”
today.
We planted peppers under each consumer’s
name and let them monitor the crops through Google
Earth. We also organized many farm tours. They are all
Unlike our expectations, many people were about establishing RAPPORT with people.
distracted by connecting the animal with
fresh meat. Earning trust as a producer, we enjoyed the
increase in sales not only for the pork
product, but also for other fresh food products.
4. Earning Customers’ Trust: Hand Written Review
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
In Korea, no customers trust the reviews written in the We let customers post their hand-written reviews
shopping mall, because many of them are manipulated instead to increase the credibility.
by the seller or competitors.
People tend to communicate regarding the review Not only more people trusted our brands and reviews,
through their blogs or other social media. but the buzz spread out and people started purchasing
our product to simply leave a review.
5. Earning Customers’ Trust: Review In Blogs
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
One of our major clients, dnshop.com, second largest We recommended our client to change its policy to
online shopping mall in Korea, had the same dilemma. let hyper-links of blog posting underneath the product.
People started posting the review on their own blogs
and linking the post to our client’s web page. Bloggers
were happy as they could expose their blogs in one of
the biggest shopping malls in Korea.
dnshop.com Reviewer’s Blog
Not only customers enjoyed more credible reviews,
but dnshop.com did enjoy increased sales.
People did not trust any review in the site and tend
to communicate through their blogs or other social This service was often covered by various magazines
media. and TV shows in Korea and I was invited to many kinds
of retail conferences and lectures as a speaker.
6. YourLab, First Company I Established
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
I always tried to make my employees feel as if the After six months of endurance, we finally launched a
business is their own. I encouraged them to try any new social shopping service called Shozle. Four months later,
idea they came upon. There were ideas looked not we also opened a “green” shopping mall called The Oak
useful, but I thought the trial and error was worth In Acorn.
“buying” as long as we are heading the same direction.
It was when I learned that while a great idea can be
suggested by a single person, it is people together who
realize it. On April 1st, 2008, we finally established
YourLab Co., Ltd., an online retail company.
Although it took time as expected, I trusted my
judgment, and my employees’ passion and capability. YourLab stands for “the laboratory where people
turn ideas into reality together.”
8. Shopping GPS Apps
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
Shoppers often get lost on the middle of the road An app you can download into your smart phone that
or a shopping mall. has information on your shopping pattern and guides
you as an item you might be interested in is near where
you are.
10 yards
Customers can easily find an item they like using
the message. The more shoppers buy, the more
information on their shopping pattern is accumulated
for better matching.
Shoppers spends a lot of time visiting the shop and
coming out with empty hands.
It makes a good “push” marketing for brands or
retailers focusing on a highly specified target.
9. Key With Breathalyzer
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
Drink and drive is bad. A key with breathalyzer embedded will solve the
problem.
You would always have to blow the key before you
Everybody but the drunk knows it. start the car. If you are drunk, the key would not work.
10. Naming Intersections
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
When asked a direction by a stranger, many people Why don’t we design a model in which the
use intersections as a landmark for the explanation. government auctions the name of each intersection?
IDEO Junction
Companies would most likely be interested in the
auction as they can advertise on the traffic light!
lt is also often hard to tell which two roads are crossing
at the intersection, especially when you are driving in a
Win win win situation we can create as the
city new to you.
government enjoys additional non tax income,
companies enjoy marketing effect, and people can
use it for an effective landmark.
11. Lower Drive In School Zone
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
School zone is important. Why don’t we build the road lower than the sidewalk
in the zone?
Even without seeing the sign, the driver would never
miss the school zone since it becomes so obvious.
Sophisticated drainage is required.
But the only way a driver can recognize the zone is
through a sign, or maybe a paint on the road. There is no chance that a car goes over the sidewalk
or kids jump on the road.
12. Stove Thermometer
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
Sometimes people forget to turn off the stove, A device that measures the initial weight of the pot
which is very dangerous. would reduce the chance of fire drastically.
(1) (2)
The stove automatically It automatically turns off
measures the weight itself when the pot is
when the pot is placed over-cooked and gets too light
If it has a thermometer displayed, it would be much
safer as the cook notices when it is too hot.
Anything that is over cooked becomes lighter in
weight, especially when the pot is on the verge of fire.
13. Reservation System Using Crowd-sourcing
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
Many small-town restaurants, like those in Hanover, Why don’t we connect them with local restaurants
NH, have a very extreme turnaround ratio as they are who want to apply a reservation system?
too busy in prime time while many tables are empty Once a person signs up as
during non-prime time.
an reservation operator,
their cell phones or home
phones will be connected to
Appropriate reservation system and some an integrated reservation
promotions for non-prime time would solve the line for the town.
problem, but not many restaurants can do it because of
extra costs for maintaining the service or system.
When a customer wants
to make a reservation,
she/he calls the integrated line, and gets directed to
one of signed operators in the town.
On the other hand, there are so many people, like The customer can then check the promotions, pick
some housewives or the elderly, in a small town, who one restaurant, and make a reservation.
are still willing to use their extra time for work but have The restaurant can optimize the turnaround ratio
a lot of limitations. Then most of them spend their time without taking a risk of running a reservation system,
just sitting in a cafeteria chilling out or chatting. people with free time can earn extra money, and the
customer can enjoy more info and better choice.
14. Display Board On A Car
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
When a driver cuts in the lane, and the driver behind Why don’t we place an electronic display board on
was not happy about it, there we hear honk. the back window of a car?
THANK YOU
Even when the cutting-in driver wants to show her/his It would recognize the voice and display the driver’s
apology or appreciation, there is no effective way to expression like “Sorry” or “Thank you.”
show the expression. Sometimes, we also hear some
honk for this case.
Better driving culture, less honk, more quiet city!
15. Review Table for Restaurants
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
Customers often have no idea what kind of food Why don’t we set up a paper and a pen so that
they want to order even with the menu. customers can leave a review on the table?
Glass
Reviews
Table
Even with help from the waiter/waitress, it is not It would help other customers make a right decision
easy to pick one. with more credible information.
Review can be gathered, put on restaurants’ blogs or
social network, and used as an effective local data.
16. Cloth Hanger On Shopping Cart
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
Especially during the winter, shoppers take off their Why don’t we install a cloth hanger on each side of
jackets and crumple them in the shopping cart. the shopping cart?
It not only is inconvenient but sometimes causes Studs
problems like wrinkle, spill over, contaminated by dirt
on products
Cloth Hanger
Easy to use or install, more convenient especially for
winter shoppers.
Better for cloth brands as the shoppers will more
easily see what others bought what clothes and get
Shoppers also crumple clothes they just picked in
affected by each other.
the shopping cart, causing same problems as Above.
17. Green Shower
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
When you take a shower, you use as much as when Let’s connect the drainage of shower booth or bath
you wash your car. tub to garage for car wash or toilet flush.
Stevens Institute of Technology
When you want to wash your car in the garage, now
you can use the water that you have used for shower or
bath.
It is simply too much waste of water and against Or for flush! It is just as simple as that.
environment!
19. Dining Hall Tables
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
I noticed there are some students who feel A series of tables that connects every table would
uncomfortable sitting in a dining hall with other make the situation better.
students because they are shy.
Dining Hall
They are afraid of ending up being the only one in a
table, while other tables are filled up with a group.
It is also ineffective since the tables are often not in full No matter where a person sits, she/he is most likely
use especially when a group of people leave the involved in any group.
dining hall just because they were short of one or two
chairs in a table. Maximize the table use as all you need to do is to
grab a chair and squeeze in.
20. Lighting Parking Meter
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
Parking attendants often pull over their cars first, get Why don’t we design a parking meter that lights
off the car, and check the parking meters. some colors depending on how much time it has? (i.e.
Green for ten minutes, Blue for five minutes, Red for
expired, etc.)
People often drive
around the parking
area without knowing
when they will have a
spot.
Parking attendants would not need to get off the car.
Some people (including myself) prefer sitting by the
window so that they can check the parking meter
People looking for a spot will have a better idea
when they will have some spot.
through the window. But in fact, they cannot read the
time on the meter most of the time. I will be more “nudged” to either fill more coin or
remove the car.
In fact, they (including myself again) are checking not the
meter but if any parking attendant tries to place a ticket on If there are multiple spots, then some people might easily
their cars. recognize a spot with some time left and enjoy free parking!
21. Vertical Cross Walk
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
Some cars hardly stop for the crosswalk crossing the Why don’t we draw the crosswalk line that is vertical
stop line. to drive way?
l found out that almost all of crosswalk lines are Drivers would have more pressure of stopping
parallel to drive ways. before the crosswalk.
No additional cost is required, and it is easy to
implement. Drawing several vertical lines on the way to
crosswalk would work also.
22. Bathroom Jam
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
Some people spend too much time behind the door, Why don’t we install the timer on the other side of
making the line longer and causing some morning the door so that people on the line can see it?
“bathroom jam.”
As people inside have no chance to see the timer, they
would feel pressure to finish their “business” as soon as
Then companies tried to install a timer on each
Possible.
door so that people working on their “business” can see
how long they spend sitting. The timer out side the door nudges people to use
bathroom efficiently, especially during terrible morning
But it did not work. “bathroom hour.”
23. Speedometer In Back Seat
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
People in the back seat feel uncomfortable when the Why don’t we place the speedometer in the back seat
driver drives too fast. also?
But some times it is hard to ask the driver to slow
down especially when you are with someone not really
comfortable to be with like your buyer, professor, or an
investor.
Not only the person in the back seat can always check
Most of all, it is too hard for the person in the back the speed and ask the driver to slow down, but it is a
seat to check the speedometer. huge nudge for the driver as now the driver knows
everybody in the car watches how fast she/he is driving
24. GPS In The Back Seat
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
When you arrive in a new city and grab a taxi, you Why don’t we install a GPS in the back seat also?
might have wondered if the driver is on the right, that is
the shortest, path or not.
The cab driver and the guest can discuss the short cut,
Or you might have wanted to get a picture how much it the consumer can get an idea how it will take or cost,
will cost or how long it will take to the destination. and the driver also can drive more safely.
There also is a case that the taxi driver does not know The whole idea is to share all the gadgets in the front
the path and controls the GPS while driving, which is seat, which also can be used by or be better off to be
always dangerous. used by people in the back seat. Radio or CD player can
be a good example.
25. Onsite Review Panel At Retailer Shops
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
Shoppers often have no idea what they should buy Place a review panel above each shelf, which
when exposed to a shelf with so many different but explains each product that is displayed on that shelf.
same kinds of brands flooding at retail stores.
Review Panel
The space on the panel can be either sold to brands
who are willing to advertise their product or filled with
Then they either pick one by gut feeling or ask clerks Consumers’ hand-written reviews!
to find one for them.
Win win win situation we can create as the retailer
I noticed that there still are plenty of space that we can shop can add a revenue source, brands can reach to the
use to help “confused” shoppers. consumer closer, and consumers can make easier,
quicker, and more trustworthy shopping decisions.
26. Speed Limit On The Road
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
Most of speed limit sign stands on your right. Why don’t we draw the speed limit on the road?
l believe it is not your complete fault even if you miss
one of the signs and keep your speed, because many Easy to recognize without turning their eyes, even
people say it happens to them also. better for inexperienced drivers!
It is always better to keep the driver’s focus right front.
27. Meeting Room Jam
OBSERVATIONS SOLUTIONS
Some people book a meeting room but do not use it. Why don’t we place a board that lists the name of a
person who booked the room on each meeting room’s
door?
John Shea
Then there we see a situation that some people People or colleagues pass by and notice a room
cannot use a meeting room although there still is an booked by someone and not being used.
empty room.
The board out side the door is a perfect nudge for
people who booked the room to be more responsible.
