outthebox.io platform

outthebox’s platform features and content.

Last updated 15th May 2022

Outthebox (OTB) is a platform that delivers step-by-step instructional content to users to guide them through complex processes.

Customer Facing Features

OTB provides a standard set of pages and features, all designed to be responsive, working across all devices:

  • Homepage
    • ‘Signed-out’ homepage – the standard homepage viewed by all site visitors who have not yet signed in
    • ‘Signed-in’ homepage – the standard homepage viewed by all authorized signed-in users.
    • Customised homepages can be created for specific Enterprise Clients. All users assigned to licences with the same ‘Enterprise Name’ can view a customised homepage. (optional)
  • My Programme
    • Instructions:
      • If today’s date is before the user’s enrolment date, the Pre-Programme content Is displayed.
      • If today’s date is after the user’s enrolment date, the Programme content is displayed.
      • The user will see the week’s summary text and video.
      • They are shown any relevant weekly goals (as a tick list to allow them to track progress)
      • They see the week’s content relating to their progress through the Programme. This is split into days, where the instructional steps are shown, with navigation to flip from one week to the next.
      • They are also shown information relating to their community manager and/or coach (if they have been assigned to a coach).
      • The platform is NOT an e-learning platform, so does not come with the normal list of content types. It is not designed to test or assess users, but present them with instructions that they can follow, just like a recipe. If they succeed, great, if they don’t, well at least they tried. The supported instructions types are:
        • Simple (text)
        • Video (uploaded to platform, or YouTube/Vimeo)
        • Image (image can be clicked into a popup)
        • URL (links to external site – in new tab)
        • File Download (for users to download a file such as Excel, Word or Powerpoint)
        • User Post (a prompt to upload something to My Journal’)
        • Tool (an outthebox platform content type)
      • Users will always see the instructions for day of the programme they are on, regardless of their actual progress. This is an important structural decision for the platform so it focuses on keeping momentum through a programme.
    • My Journal
      • Users with My Journal enabled will be able to post to a project specific post timeline.
      • Supports uploading video (200Mb limit), images (10Mb limit) and files (10Mb limit)
      • Integrated with users Programmes – there is an instruction step for posting to My Journal, prompting users to upload.
  • Recipes
    • The main Recipe page shows all standard Recipes, grouped into categories.
    • All users assigned to licences with the same ‘Enterprise Name’ can view a additional recipes specific to that Enterprise (optional)
    • A single recipe can be viewed, showing the summary and instructional steps.
  • Tools
    • The main Tools page shows all standard tools, grouped into pre-defined categories.
    • A single tool can be viewed, showing the summary, explainer, download link and instructional steps.
  • Workshop Designer (enabled on request)
    • Recipes can be configured to be run as workshops.
    • Users can use the ‘Workshop Designer’ to plan a group workshop based on a recipe, setting the start time, length of time for breaks and lunch, and the number of attendees.
    • They then get a workshop kit to use through their workshop, including:
      • Detailed agenda, including breaks and lunch.
      • Link to share the agenda with others (who can then view only)
      • Slides to run the workshop
      • PDF of all printable tools
      • Workshop Timer to keep you on track.
      • Detailed step by step instruction and links to videos and tools
    • Users can save workshops for use in the future.
  • Idea and Problem Capture (enabled on request)
    • Users linked to licences with the same Enterprise Name can submit ideas or problems to the platform to enable Enterprise clients to capture ideas across the organisation.
    • Users can view all ideas and problems from across their organisation.
  • My Account
    • Users can edit their profile.
    • Users can change their password.
    • Users who have purchased individual access using a credit card will be able to view their invoice.
  • Pricing/Payment (enabled on request)
    • Signed-out users can view a pricing page displaying options to purchase individual or team access.
    • Payment page to enter user details and credit card – full integration with Stripe, supporting Secure3D.
  • Navigation Menus
    • A navigational menu item is displayed when a user has been enrolled onto a Programme – ‘My Programme’.
    • The main logo (top left) can be customised to be Enterprise specific (shown to all users linked to any licence with the same Enterprise Name).
  • Miscellaneous Pages (not linked to navigation items)
    • Additional pages can be added and designed using a ‘page-builder’ in the site’s admin backend.

Identity and Access Management

Users can access the site via two methods:

  • Online purchase – users sign up with email, first and last name, and credit card details (using Stripe as an integrated service)
  • Enterprise licence – users are invited to the platform by Site Admins and Enterprise Admins. They receive a unique link that allows them to choose their own password to gain access.

When a user signs up (through either method), they will have access to all Recipes and Tools available on the platform.

Access to Programmes is controlled by Site Admins and Enterprise Admins.

Admin Dashboard

OTB provides a full suite of admin functions to manage users, groups, enterprise licences and programme content:

  • User Management (Site Admins, Enterprise Admins)
    • Invite users individually or in bulk (CSV file upload)
    • Assign users to a role (defining what level of access to the site they have)
    • Assign users to Enterprise Licences (users must be linked to a specific licence, which is used to customise their experience and define the length of access)
    • Enrol and Un-enrol users from a programme (single programme enrolment only)
    • View user tracking information
  • Group Management (Site Admins only)
    • Create and edit ‘Community Groups’ and ‘Coaching Groups’.
    • Assign a single community manager or coach
    • Assign multiple users to a group
  • Licence Management (Site Admins only)
    • Add and edit Enterprise Licences
    • Assign an Enterprise Name (can be duplicated), Enterprise Code (unique identifier) and an end date (fixed date when licence ends) or relative date (number of days after claiming 
  • Programme Management (Site Admins only)
    • Add and edit Programmes.
    • Full Programme content editor (matching the structure/content of Programmes).
    • Upload files and videos to include in instructional steps.
    • Restrict enrolment access to a specific Enterprise Name (optional)
  • View Groups (Coach/Mentors only)
    • View all groups where the ‘coach/mentor’ user is assigned as a lead.
    • View all users within each group.

View user tracking information (limited only to their groups)

Tracking Capabilities

OTB provides reporting for users enrolled onto Programmes. Standard reporting includes:

  • All users – last login, session duration.
  • Users enrolled on a programme:
    • Time progress in weeks/days and percentage.
    • Goals ticked off by the user compared to total number of goals (across a week)
    • Number of videos played vs total number of videos (across a week)
    • Number of tools clicked (from an instruction) vs number shown (across a week)

Tracking information is available to view by Site Admins, Enterprise Admins and Coach/Mentors in the Enterprise Reports section of the site.

Content templates specific to OTB

There are three content types provided as standard:

  • Tools – These are standalone, actionable instructions to use a tool, carry out a specific activity, or use a specific method. Simple in structure, they include a short summary and explainer, a download link for a printable version (if applicable) and numbered instructions to take the user through step-by-step.
  • Recipes – These are made up of step by step instructions grouped into 1 or more stages. Each instruction step can consist of a title and instruction text. An instruction can also contain a video (uploaded and hosted on the platform, or using oEmbed enabled video such as YouTube or Vimeo), an image, a file to download (PDF, Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Image), a URL link, an OTB tool, or an OTB recipe.
  • Programmes – Like recipes, these are made up of step by step instructions, but grouped into days and weeks, allowing for users to be enrolled and progress automatically through the instructional content day by day. Programmes consist of two parts:
    • Pre-Programme – Displayed to the user before containing a text summary of the programme. It contains a text summary, plus one or more instructions, each consisting of a text instruction plus a video.
    • The Programme – These are made up of step by step instructions grouped into days and weeks.
      • Each week can contain a text summary and embedded video.
      • Each week also contains one or more ‘goals’
      • Each day has a text summary.
      • Each day contains multiple instructions. Each instruction step can consist of a title and instruction text. An instruction can also contain a video (uploaded and hosted on the platform, or using oEmbed enabled video such as YouTube or Vimeo), an image, a file to download (PDF, Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Image), a URL link, an OTB tool, or an OTB recipe.

The structure/template of these three content types are fixed.

outthebox content

outthebox comes with a set of content covering ‘tools’ and ‘recipes’ that can be used as part of a licence agreement.

Tools

Who’s Your Customer?
Cup Of Coffee Research
3 Big Questions
Dig Deeper
Extract Data From Research
VPC – Customer
Idea Launchpads
Affinity Mapping
Ideas On Your Own
Press Release
Strange Connections
Yes…AND!
Idea Canvas
Making Fast Choices
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Map The Journey
VPC – Product And Promise
Product Elevator Pitch
Business Model Canvas
Identify Risky Assumptions
Landing Page Experiment
Customer Acquisition Experiment
Paper Prototype
Concierge Test
Say What??
Size the Opportunity
The Perfect Pitch
Idea Scoring

Recipes

Idea Generator Recipes:

  • Stage 1: Get Out There And Empathise With Customers
  • Stage 2: Interpret Your Research And Make It Digestable
  • Stage 3: Get Collaborative And Generate Fresh Ideas

Idea Accelerator Recipes:

  • Stage 1: Kick-off Workshop – Capture Your Idea
  • Stage 2: Validate Your Assumptions About Customer’s Needs
  • Stage 3: Map Your Idea Out As A Business Model
  • Stage 4: Run Experiments To De-risk The Business Model
  • Stage 5: Size Up The Opportunity, And Prepare Your Pitch

Marketing Recipes

  • Understand Your Customers And Their Needs And Expectations
  • Re-imagine The Value Proposition Messaging Your Product Or Service
  • Test How Desirable A New Value Proposition Is To Customers
  • Discover New Customer Problems To Solve And Add Further Value
  • Identify Areas Of Opportunity From Your Customer Research
  • Generate Fresh Ideas For A New Product Or Service For Your Existing Customers

Sales Recipes

  • Research A B2B Customer And How Their Business Works
  • Plan For Better Sales Conversations

HR Recipes

  • Help New Hires Understand How The Business Works, And Where They Contribute
  • Improve Your Onboarding Process For New Hires

Strategy Recipes

  • Identify And Map Out All The Business Models That Power Your Company
  • Identify What Works And What Doesn’t In A Business Model