Competitive Analysis

Duration: 3 hours

Participants: 6-12 people (designers, product managers, marketing, leadership)

Purpose: Analyze competitor manifestos to identify industry patterns, differentiate your approach, and inform your own manifesto development

WORKSHOP FLOW

01 Introduction & Workshop Objectives (15 minutes)

Welcome and participant introductions
Explain the purpose: "Understanding the competitive landscape to develop a truly distinctive design manifesto"
Overview of the day's activities and expected outcomes
Set ground rules for constructive analysis

02 Competitor Manifesto Review (45 minutes)

Individual Analysis (20 minutes)
- Provide participants with 3-5 pre-selected competitor manifestos
- Each person reviews manifestos using structured analysis template:
  - Key themes and values
  - Tone and language style
  - Distinctive statements
  - Perceived strengths and weaknesses
Small Group Discussion (25 minutes)
- Form groups of 3-4 people
- Groups share individual observations
- Identify patterns across competitor manifestos
- Note industry "table stakes" vs. truly distinctive positions

03 Market Positioning Exercise (45 minutes)

Value Spectrum Mapping (25 minutes)
- Introduce 4-6 key design value spectrums (e.g., "minimalist vs. feature-rich," "conventional vs. experimental")
- Plot where each competitor falls on these spectrums
- Discuss where "white space" exists - underserved positions in the market
Opportunity Identification (20 minutes)
- Groups identify potential positioning opportunities
- Discuss which positions align with your team's authentic strengths
- Select 2-3 promising positioning directions

04 Break (15 minutes)

05 Competitive Differentiation (50 minutes)

Unique Value Proposition (25 minutes)
- Based on previous exercises, draft statements that articulate:
  - What makes your design approach distinctive
  - Where you can authentically differentiate from competitors
  - Which competitor strengths you should acknowledge as table stakes
Position Statement Development (25 minutes)
- Create a positioning statement using template:
  - "Unlike [competitor approach], our design manifesto emphasizes [distinctive value] because we believe [core belief]."
- Draft 3-5 positioning statements

06 Testing Against Perception (30 minutes)

Perception vs. Reality Check
- Review current user/client feedback about your design approach
- Identify gaps between desired positioning and current perception
- Discuss how manifesto can authentically bridge these gaps
- Note which positions require substantial proof points

07 Synthesis & Next Steps (30 minutes)

Key Takeaways Summary
- Review competitor landscape insights
- Confirm most promising positioning directions
- Highlight differentiation opportunities to incorporate into manifesto
Action Planning
- Define how competitive insights will inform manifesto development
- Assign responsibilities for further competitive research
- Set timeline for incorporating insights into draft manifesto
- Schedule follow-up session to review progress

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Pre-Workshop Preparation

Research and collect 5-8 competitor manifestos
Prepare printed copies or digital access to manifestos
Create competitor analysis templates
Develop value spectrum worksheets
Prepare positioning statement templates

WORKSHOP MATERIALS

Whiteboard or digital collaboration space
Sticky notes (multiple colors)
Markers and pens
Printed templates for each exercise
Timer for managing activities
Dot stickers for voting/prioritizing

POST-WORKSHOP DELIVERABLES

Competitive landscape summary
Positioning opportunity map
Draft differentiation statements
Documented action plan for manifesto development
Updated timeline for the manifesto creation process

This workshop structure will help your team thoroughly analyze competitor manifestos, identify genuine differentiators, and develop a distinctive positioning for your own design manifesto that stands out while remaining authentic to your team's values.