Virtual Brainstorming: Innovating Ideas for New Zoom Features

Due to the great feedback we received from our previous Virtual Brainstorming show, we will be doing another one this week. Our goal at the end of the show is to come up with a list of suggested features for our sponsor, Zoom. They have experienced a lot of growth during the COVID-19 pandemic and has seen new usage in a lot of unique ways.

Virtual Brainstorming

Virtual Brainstorming

Part of today’s objective is to show how you guys can conduct a virtual brainstorm by yourselves using Jamboard. The process will help you generate tons of new ideas on whatever issues, opportunities, or needs you and your organization may face.

Question 1

We will be dealing with three questions from the Killer Questions Card Deck derived from my book “Beyond the Obvious.” On the front of a Killer Questions Card, there is a set of questions. On the back, there is what I like to call “sparking questions,” which are there to push you to the next idea or unique insight. The card deck consists of who, what, and how cards that come in gold, blue, and green.

Today we will be focusing on who and what. Question number one asks, “Who is using my product in a way I never expected?”

The sparking questions are: “What problems and needs are you looking to address? Are you too focused on what you believe your customer’s problems and needs are that you are missing out on a potential opportunity?”.

The second sparking question is, “How can you identify existing customers and observe how they use your product?”.

Thirdly, “Is there a way to allow your potential customers to play with and use your product without giving them specific parameters on how and when they should use it?”.

Let’s hop onto Jamboard to get this session going:

  • Education – If there’s one thing regarding the use of Zoom that surprised me, it’s this one: 1:1 with teachers, virtual classrooms, students doing team projects, and students just hanging out together.
  • Speech-Language Pathologists – School-based therapists had to offer tele-practice services due to COVID-19 suddenly. 1:1 calls between therapists and clients provide the ability to see and hear each other. We have seen 3rd party apps that the therapist and client can do over Zoom to work on specific skills while having fun.
  • Musicians – Using Zoom to hold virtual concerts given that each musician is in their homes. For King & Country, they used virtual tools to write a new song called “Together.” Musicians are giving music lessons over Zoom.
  • Gymnastics/Dance Studios – Zoom has allowed these lessons to continue. Grandparents like me can watch our grandkids no matter how far away they are.

Question 2

Question number two asks, “What features of my product create unanticipated passion”? 

The sparking questions are, “What are the features that have elicited the strongest emotional response from my customers?”, “How do you ensure these are carried forward both in your current and future products?” and “How do you avoid killing the passion?”.

Let’s jump into brainstorming:

  • Free Zoom to Schools/Teachers – It elicited so much passion because it was the right thing to do. They made it easy for schools to avoid budget issues.
  • Virtual Backgrounds – It allows you to hide the messiness of any background. We hold background competitions at my office every Friday. Zoom has virtual background competitions. There is now a new category of graphic designers and photographers that create libraries of Zoom virtual backgrounds.
  • Original Audio – This takes away all the filtering of audio. This feature has allowed for music-making/the listening of live concerts without hearing the chopped-up sound. Zoom offers this feature to remove all the filtering.
  • Grid View – This allows you to see upwards of twenty-five to fifty people at a time. The grid view gives you the feeling of everyone being present, eye-to-eye. It offers a much more personal perspective and has generated a lot of passion.
  • Ease of Use – Zoom works across all platforms, making it super convenient to use. Given how easy it is to get people to join a Zoom call, people are using it to stay connected with their friends and family members.

Question 3

Question number three asks, “What emotional, psychological, or status benefits could people derive from using my product”? 

The sparking questions are, “Does your product create a connection with its customers that goes beyond just being a good solution to their needs?”, “Can you refine it to reflect the changing needs and desires of your customers?”, “Is the emotional connection literally between the customer and the product, or between the customer and what the product signifies?” and “Are there good or interesting reasons to resist an emotional connection and prevent them from happening?”.

Let’s hop on Jamboard and crank out some ideas:

  • Being Together – Using video to stay connected with friends and family. Zoom allowing teams to feel like they are together and working effectively.
  • Reduce the Feeling of Loneliness –Especially for those who are single and by themselves. It helps family members in nursing homes feel less lonely.
  • Feeding the Spiritual Needs of the Community –Churches using Zoom for services, small groups, and for generally getting together to talk and support each other within a given faith community.

Ideation for Zoom

Based on thinking deeply about these three questions, what new features would you present to Zoom? Let’s hop back on Jamboard to get some ideas going:

  • Video Overlay (similar to what I am doing with Jamboard/Youtube) – this allows the speaker to engage the viewer and “make eye contact” with them.
  • Remote Karaoke – allows for social interaction and rates how well you hit the notes and sang.
  • Payment System tied in with Zoom – allows Zoom to become a revenue-generating platform for those who are putting out content such as fitness trainers or musicians.
  • TV Streaming Via Zoom – allows the audience to watch a movie or show at the same time and allowing them to communicate with each other during the event.

 

Thanks for listening to the show. Do you have a topic, opportunity, or problem you would like to propose for a Virtual Brainstorm? Send it to me at phil@killerinnovations.com. Check out the brainstorm for this show that I did on Jamboard here.

To know more about our ideation and doing a virtual brainstorming for Zoom features, listen to this week's show: Virtual Brainstorming: Innovating Ideas for New Zoom Features.

 

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