PROTOTYPE IMPROVEMENT

Value Map

Helps you sharpen an existing idea by making its value explicit. It focuses on clarifying how a concept creates value for customers. It breaks your value proposition into three parts, Products & Services, Pain Relievers, and Gain Creators, so you can refine your concept and prepare it for testing.

 

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Why Use this tool?

Unlock fresh thinking, fast.

The Value Map helps teams move from “this sounds interesting” to “this clearly solves something that matters.” It brings focus and discipline to concept development, aligns teams around what makes an idea valuable, and surfaces assumptions that need validation. Used at the right moment, it prevents vague prototypes and strengthens what you put in front of users.

what you should know

Start With: A selected idea or early concept (not a blank page) 

End With: A clear, testable value proposition

Time Needed: 30–60 minutes

Difficulty: ⭐ ⭐⭐☆☆ (3 out of 5 – requires synthesis and judgement)

Best Used When: You are preparing a concept for prototyping or testing 

A quickguide  to start

1.  Choose the concept. Pick one idea you want to strengthen before prototyping.
2.  Clarify the offer. Describe what the concept delivers, both tangible (features, service elements) and intangible (support, confidence, emotions).
3. Define pain relievers. Identify which customer frustrations or obstacles this concept intentionally reduces.
4. Define gain creators. Describe how the concept creates positive outcomes, benefits, or moments of delight.
5. Check coherence. Make sure the value you describe clearly connects to real customer jobs, pains, and gains (use a Customer Profile if available).

helpful tips

  • Focus on one primary value story per concept — clarity beats completeness.
  • Treat the map as a hypothesis, not a truth. It should guide what you test next.
  • If you struggle to name pains or gains, that’s a signal the concept needs more work before prototyping.

RACU meets AI

Value Map

How Can AI Make RACU Easier ? 

AI can be your creative partner and research assistant, ready to help you move faster and think deeper at every step of the RACU process.

For each RACU tool, we’ll share a ready-to-use AI prompt. Just copy the prompt into your favorite AI tool (like ChatGPT or Copilot) and it will guide you through the method step by step.

The AI becomes your facilitator, asking the right questions so you can build your thinking as you go. No need to fill out a blank form, the prompt starts the conversation and adapts to your answers in real time.

PROMPT – COPILOT, CHAT GPT

Brainstorming Prompt – Start the Session Now

I want to run a brainstorming session as part of a design thinking project. I’ll share a problem, insight, or How Might We (HMW) question.

Your role is to be my creative thinking partner — help me sharpen the question if needed, then guide me through a fun, structured ideation process.

First, ask me:
 “What are we brainstorming around today — a problem, insight, or HMW question?”

After I answer, do the following:

  • If it’s a problem or insight → help me turn it into a focused HMW
  • If it’s already a HMW → ask if I want to improve or reframe it

Then suggest 2–3 creative brainstorming techniques I could use, such as:

  • SCAMPER (systematic idea-stretching)
  • Analogies (steal from other industries)
  • Change Perspectives (think like someone else)
  • Worst Idea (flip the absurd into something great)

Briefly explain each one and ask which I want to try first.

Then guide me through the method step by step. Be proactive, suggest ideas, and co-create with me — don’t wait for me to give all the input.

Let’s get started.

Copilot

Chat GPT