When Amphio first met with the Institute of Physics (IOP) their long term aspirations were clear and their plans centred around the use of new technologies and platforms.

Digital products and services procured previously had failed to resonate with members, which made it important for the IOP to assess how ideas would be received before starting development. Yet as their users’ digital demands evolved on a daily basis, the backlog of new requirements to address also kept growing. Future ambiguity made it difficult to move forward.

Amphio established that the main challenge for the IOP was to find a method of prioritising problems and swiftly validating big ideas. To address this, Amphio has run a series of design sprints together with IOP staff in order to quickly build and test prototypes with members.

Prototyping has enabled the IOP to hone in on critical requirements and safely try out new ideas before committing any resource to further development. More importantly, the process collects data and feedback directly from users so the team at IOP can quickly identify and learn about the digital needs of existing and potential members. Testing with users from the outset has ensured that all solutions are informed by members’ needs, not assumptions.

Amphio has run 15 sprints covering topics such as member engagement, careers, events, volunteering and physical installations. The original process was developed by Google Ventures (read more about it here) and Amphio has created a bespoke version that IOP staff now facilitate themselves. For the IOP, the benefits of these design sprints are:

• Swift validation (or not) of ideas to avoid wasting time and resources
• Designing products, processes and features with the end-user in mind
• Input from a large and diverse set of IOP members and staff
• An internal mindset that is prone to prototype rather than discuss potential solutions

The long-term value of the IOP’s digital transformation will be directly linked to how efficiently it can innovate and implement digital solutions for its members. The design sprints have been key in building a member-focused digital culture at the IOP that is capable of doing this.

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Bringing membership to life on film

To help existing and potential members understand the value of IOP membership

Events created for members, by members

Building an events platform that empowers members

The physics institution of tomorrow

A digital transformation of the Institute of Physics