Playing the Game

Preparing for the Game

The key step in preparing for Spider Web is preparing the kinds of relationships you'd like customers to explore. Suggestions include the following:

• Corporate relationships How your customers perceive relationships between your company and other companies they use, which is useful in identifying potential partners and enhanced service opportunities. Example: Customers may perceive or desire a relationship between the manufacturer of laundry detergent and the manufacturer of a washing machine.

• Location/environmental relationships The relationship of your product to the environment or location in which it is used, in all facets of use. Example: Laundry detergent has location relationship with a washing machine (typically nearby) and area of the home where laundry is done.

• Operating relationships The relationship of your product to other products it uses, leverages, or requires to accomplish the total task of your customer. Example: Laundry detergent has an operating relationship with a washing machine.

• Human relationships The relationship of your product to the people who may or do use it. Example: Laundry detergent is used typically used by the person putting dirty clothes into the washing machine.

• Role relationships The relationship of your product to the people who interact with it based on various roles. These relationships are often correlated with various process steps and/or responsibilities within a corporation. Example: Laundry detergent may not be used by the person folding the laundry.

This is not an exhaustive list, and you should carefully consider the specific kind of relationships you want to explore while preparing to play Spider Web. It is best to present two to four possible relationships to customers and let them choose which they want to explore in greater detail.

Create one or two spider webs in your internal product team before doing this exercise with customers. You'll find that the results are probably useful in their own right, and it will prepare you for what you might see from your customers.

Materials

There are no special materials for this game.

The Universal Remote Control Warm-Up Exercise

The "ideal remote control" warm-up exercise can help customers better understand the goals of this game.

"What does your ideal universal remote control look like? What do you want it to be connected to or control in your house or apartment?"

Get customers started by drawing a simple remote control connected to a few devices and invite them to complete the picture.

Figure 2.9. Universal Remote