With EVT, three types of workshop are recommended, which are run in turn: Analysis, Logical Solution, and Physical Solution.
Experience has shown this ensures the problem is properly understood, and the creative process is given enough time with the right participants to determine the correct solution as seen from all angles.
Analysis workshoP
Determine the ‘why’ or, if already known, validate it.
Define the problem statement required by the teams that will be solving the problem.
Determine what the acceptance criteria would be to successfully demonstrate the problem is solved.
The ‘why’ is the singularly most important thing. The product is a physical manifestation of the ‘why’, which in turn is the problem the product solves for your ideal client. Get this wrong and everything else fails.
Logical solution workshop
Using the output of the analysis workshop, define a logical solution.
If the solution is technology-based, the following is recommended:
Focus on business logic and functional requirements.
Keep it independent of specific technologies, platforms, or hardware.
Describe data relationships, workflows, and system behaviour.
Address the problem from a conceptual standpoint.
If the product is physical then you will need to probably consider the following:
What does the product actually need to do step-by-step (like move a liquid, hold weight, or open smoothly) before deciding how it will be built?
What does the user or product put into the system (energy, physical force, raw material), and what is the expected result?
How should a person logically interact with it? (e.g., "Must be usable with one hand," or "Must prevent accidental button presses," without worrying about final shape or color yet.)
What conditions must it survive? (e.g., harsh weather, dropped from a height, extreme heat, heavy daily use.)
What happens when something breaks or goes wrong? How does the product fail safely to protect the user?
Creating a logical solution first helps to make sure the problem statement has been thoroughly understood.
The stakeholders should be in the workshop to help facilitate this.
Physical Solution Workshop
Using the output of the logical solution workshop, define a physical solution.
If the solution is technology-based, then these are some things you will need to consider:
Determine implementation details, such as processes, technologies, tools, and platforms.
This can include manual processes, hardware requirements, database schemas, APIs, and code structure.
Address performance, scalability, and technical constraints, and skills.
Detailed deployment architecture and system configuration.
Provide concrete implementation specifications.
If the product is physical then you will need to probably consider the following:
What materials will be required?
What will the design be, the visual style, the dimensions etc?
What will the production process likely be, the tolerances and unit costs?
Remember EVT is an intellectual thinking methodology so the exact list of things to think about comes from you, the subject matter expert.
