Identify opportunities
Search for unmet needs, frustrations and emerging opportunities.
Design thinking resource
Opportunity Mapping
A visual method for identifying and organising areas where innovation and value creation may occur.
Connect insights
Link research findings to potential innovation directions.
Prioritise possibilities
Determine which areas deserve further exploration.
Put the method to work
Put Opportunity Mapping into practice
Review insights.
Identify opportunity areas.
Group related opportunities.
Prioritise exploration.
Why it matters
What Opportunity Mapping makes possible
Links research to innovation
Reveals gaps and opportunities
Supports strategic thinking
Guides ideation efforts
Worked example
See it in action
An illustrative learning example, not a documented project case study. Observations, choices and outcomes show how the method could be applied; they are not research findings.
Challenge
Improve public transport experiences for commuters.
Observations
- Crowded peak-hour services
- Poor communication during disruptions
- Difficulty finding alternative routes
Insights
Commuters become more frustrated by uncertainty than delays themselves.
Opportunity statements
- Help commuters understand disruptions in real time.
- Help commuters identify alternative routes quickly.
- Help commuters plan around known service interruptions.
Prioritisation
| Opportunity | Impact | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time disruption alerts | High | Medium |
| Alternative route suggestions | High | Medium |
| Platform redesign | Medium | High |
Selected opportunity
Real-time disruption alerts.
Why it was selected
Highest potential value with relatively achievable implementation effort.
Continue exploring
Return to Explore Possibilities.
Place this method back within the broader 5E Design Thinking Framework and continue developing your understanding.