Hey hey!

This week, I'm excited to talk about using the design thinking process to create premium digital products.

This topic often trips people up, leading to poorly conceived products that lack user focus.

However, getting a handle on this can unlock stellar products that users adore.

So let's roll up our sleeves!

The Core Idea

Unlocking killer digital products comes down to avoiding five common mistakes:

• Ignoring the user: Failing to put the user at the heart of the process.

• Skipping empathy: Not taking time to understand the user's needs and pain points.

• Rushing ideation: Jumping to solutions before thoroughly exploring creative possibilities.

• Skipping prototypes: Trying to get it perfect the first time, instead of testing and refining ideas.

• Forgetting to iterate: Not revisiting and refining the product based on user feedback.

These goofs typically spring from a misunderstanding of the design thinking process. So how can we sidestep these potholes? Let's explore together:

Step 1: Understand the User

The first leap toward creating top-notch digital products is truly understanding your user.

Here's why this is critical: Digital products are tools. They're there to solve a problem, to make something easier, or to fill a need for the user.

If you're not crystal clear on who your users are, what they need, and why they need it, you're pretty much guessing. You might strike it lucky, but more likely, you'll end up with a product that's a miss.

On the other hand, with a deep understanding of your users, you can tailor your product to their needs, creating something they'll love and keep coming back to.

Real-life Example:

Imagine you're developing a new project management software (think industries like IT and SaaS).

It's tempting to just load it up with features – Gantt charts, resource planning, budget tracking.

But what if your core user group are small creative agencies, and what they really crave is a simple way to collaborate and track tasks?

Instead of a complex beast of a software, they might be over the moon with a simple, intuitive tool that lets them see who's doing what, when it's due, and what's up next.

That's exactly what Trello understood when they developed their card-based project management tool.

They knew their users needed simplicity and collaboration over complex features, and they delivered.

Practical Approach:

To gain a deep understanding of your users, consider the following steps:

1. User Research: Start with the basics. Who are your users? What's their demographic? What's their tech savvy level? Surveys and interviews can help you here. Also, don't ignore existing data. Website analytics, product usage stats – all of these can give you valuable insights.

2. User Personas: Based on your research, create user personas. These are fictional characters representing your typical users. They have names, backgrounds, and clearly defined needs and goals. They help you keep the user front and center in your design process.

3. User Journeys: Finally, map out user journeys. These are the steps your users take to achieve their goals. For example, in an e-Commerce context, a user journey might be: Discover -> Research -> Compare -> Decide -> Purchase. By mapping these journeys, you can identify opportunities to improve the user experience.

Key Takeaway:

Understanding your user is where killer product design begins.

It's not about what you want to create; it's about what the user needs. Start with solid user research, then build personas and user journeys.

This groundwork will pay off in a product that hits the mark with your users.

Step 2: Build Empathy

Marching on, the next step is building empathy.

Here's why: Understanding your user is one thing, but truly empathizing with them is the secret sauce.

Empathy helps you see the world from your user's perspective.

You feel their pains, frustrations, desires, and delights. This deep emotional understanding helps you design not just for what your users need, but for how you want them to feel when using your product.

In essence, empathy leads to products that not only work well, but also feel great to use.

Real-life Example:

Let's go back to the world of project management tools, but this time let's think about a company with remote teams (pretty common in IT and SaaS industries).

Team members are in different time zones, so communication is a challenge.

Standard project management tools feel impersonal and disconnected.

That's where Slack stepped in.

They saw that remote teams didn't just need a communication tool.

They needed a virtual office – a place where they could have a chat by the virtual water cooler, celebrate a team member's birthday with a flurry of emojis, or share a quick update without digging through a complex project plan.

Slack understood the emotional needs of their users and delivered a product that made remote teams feel more connected, leading to happier teams and better productivity.

Practical Approach:

Building empathy with your users might feel challenging, but you can break it down into these steps:

1. Empathy Interviews: Unlike standard user interviews, empathy interviews focus on personal stories and experiences. Ask about a time when your user faced a challenge or experienced a great success. Try to understand their emotions during that time.

2. Observation: If possible, observe your users in their natural environment. This can give you valuable insights into their real-life challenges and how they approach them. Look for workarounds and "make-do" solutions – these can be gold mines for product development.

3. Empathy Maps: These are visual tools that help you capture what users say, think, do, and feel. The goal is to gain a deeper understanding of their emotional landscape. You can use empathy maps as a reference throughout your design process.

Key Takeaway:

Building empathy isn't just about feeling sorry for your users.

It's about understanding their emotional journey, their highs, their lows, and everything in between. By walking a mile in their shoes, you can design products that don't just meet needs, but also deliver positive, engaging experiences.

So, get out there, talk to your users, observe them, and immerse yourself in their world. You'll be surprised at the insights you'll gain.

Step 3: Don't Rush Ideation

Next up, we're talking about ideation. You might be itching to start building, but hold your horses.

Here's why this matters: Ideation is where creativity meets problem solving. It's your chance to brainstorm, to explore different ideas, and to think outside the box.

Rushing this step can lead to uncreative, same-old solutions. But give it time, and you open the door to innovative, effective, and surprising product features that can give you a real edge.

Real-life Example:

Remember when online shopping first took off?

It was great, but there was one big pain point – waiting for your stuff.

You had to order, then wait days (or even weeks) for your items.

Enter Amazon Prime.

Amazon understood the user pain point of waiting and ideated a solution: fast, free shipping for a yearly fee.

Now, it's a benchmark for e-commerce.

It wasn't an obvious solution at the time, but by giving space for creative ideation, Amazon changed the game.

Practical Approach:

Here's a way to make ideation work for you:

1. Brainstorm: Gather your team and start tossing ideas around. No judgment, no analysis, just raw ideas. Encourage wild, out-there thoughts – you never know what they might lead to.

2. Use Tools: Tools like mind maps, SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse), or Six Thinking Hats can help stimulate creative thinking. Don't be afraid to try different techniques and see what works for your team.

3. Refine: Once you have a pool of ideas, it's time to refine. Look for patterns, group related ideas, and start to narrow down your options. Don't throw away discarded ideas, though – they might come in handy later.

Key Takeaway:

Don't rush ideation.

This step is your golden opportunity to bring creative, effective solutions to your users' needs. Brainstorm first, then refine your ideas. And remember, even wild ideas can lead to innovative solutions.

So let your creative juices flow and see where it leads you.

Step 4: Prototype and Test

On to the next step: prototyping and testing.

Here's why: A prototype is your idea made tangible. It's not the final product, but a model that lets you test how well your solution works.

And testing? It's your reality check.

It shows you where your prototype shines and where it falls flat.

Without prototyping and testing, you might pour time and resources into a product that doesn't actually solve your users' problem.

Real-life Example:

Think about software companies releasing beta versions.

Take Spotify, for example.

Before rolling out a new feature, they release it to a small user group.

They collect feedback, identify bugs, and see how the feature affects the user experience.

All this happens before the final release.

Imagine if they skipped this step and the feature ended up causing the app to crash every five minutes.

Not so great for their reputation, right?

Practical Approach:

Here's how you can prototype and test effectively:

1. Build a Prototype: It doesn't have to be fancy. It just needs to be enough to test your solution. This could be a paper sketch for a physical product or a wireframe for a digital product.

2. Test with Users: Share your prototype with a small group of users. Watch how they interact with it. Ask for feedback. Observe where they struggle or where they're delighted.

3. Iterate: Based on the feedback, improve your prototype. Fix the issues, enhance the strengths, and then test again. Keep iterating until your prototype effectively solves your users' problem and delivers a positive experience.

Key Takeaway:

Prototyping and testing is all about learning and improving.

Build a model of your solution, test it with real users, then tweak it based on what you learn. This iterative process can save you from releasing a dud product.

So don't skip this step – it's your safety net against product failure.

Step 5: Iterate Based on Feedback

Let's move on to the final step: iterate based on feedback.

Here's why: The best design thinking isn't a one-and-done deal. It's a cycle.

You learn from each round of feedback, improve your product, then do it all over again.

Feedback keeps you in tune with your users' needs and keeps your product relevant and effective.

Real-life Example:

Let's talk about Slack (again), a popular tool for team communication.

Slack didn't become a go-to by sitting on its hands.

They actively seek user feedback and make updates based on it.

Remember when they introduced "threads" in response to users wanting a way to manage conversations better?

That's iteration based on feedback.

Practical Approach:

Here's how to iterate based on feedback effectively:

1. Gather Feedback: Use surveys, user testing, and direct communication to gather feedback. What do users like? Where do they struggle? What would they change?

2. Analyze: Don't just gather feedback – study it. Look for patterns. Are users consistently pointing out the same issues or suggestions? Those are the areas to focus on.

3. Implement Changes: Use your analysis to guide changes. But don't blindly implement every suggestion. Keep your overall user experience and product goals in mind.

4. Repeat: Remember, it's a cycle. After implementing changes, gather feedback again. Analyze, change, repeat.

Key Takeaway:

Iteration based on feedback is crucial to a successful product.

Feedback shows you where to improve, what to change, and where to focus your efforts. So keep the feedback loop rolling.

Your product – and your users – will thank you.

Wrapping It Up

So, why is this process so important?

Design thinking isn't just about making pretty things. It's about creating solutions that resonate with users. It's about understanding the user, building empathy, taking your time in the ideation stage, prototyping, testing, and iterating based on feedback.

This cycle helps you zero in on your users' real needs and develop effective solutions for them. It keeps you connected to your users and saves you from costly mistakes. It's a valuable tool for anyone creating digital products.

Ready to apply what you've learned? Here's your action plan:

1. Understand Your User: Who are they? What do they want and need? Ask questions, do research, and build a clear picture of your user.

2. Build Empathy: Put yourself in your user's shoes. Understand their perspective, their pain points, and their desires.

3. Don't Rush Ideation: Take your time brainstorming solutions. Go wide, go wild, then whittle it down to the best ideas.

4. Prototype and Test: Make your ideas tangible and test them with users. Gather feedback and learn from it.

5. Iterate Based on Feedback: Apply the feedback to improve your product. Remember, it's a cycle – gather feedback, analyze, implement, and repeat.

Take these steps, keep them in your pocket, and use them as you create.

Design thinking might take some extra time, but the payoff is well worth it. After all, there's no better feeling than seeing your digital product truly solve problems and make users' lives better.

So keep at it, and good luck!

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That’s it!

As always, thanks for reading.

I'd love to hear from you. What did you find most insightful this week? Reply to this email and let's discuss.

Look forward to connecting with you next Monday.

Cheers,

John