Modern Product Discovery: When, where, why, and how much?
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Product development success often hinges on effective discovery and user experience (UX) research. But, even with decades-old methods and processes, it’s still an area many get wrong or don’t know where to start. This session will dive into the essentials, examining product discovery from various angles: When to initiate discovery processes to maximize impact and efficiency. Where to focus efforts within the product lifecycle and alignment with business goals. Why discovery methods are crucial for identifying user needs, mitigating risks, and driving key business metrics like revenue, margin, and new product innovation. How much investment is necessary to balance thorough research with agile development needs, and can we do more with today’s reduced budgets using AI? This presentation will equip product managers with the background to implement robust discovery strategies in their businesses. Jeremy Johnson is the SVP of Experience Transformation at geniant. With nearly 25 years of experience, Jeremy has built a track record of success across User Experience, Product Innovation, and Marketing. His time has been a mix of running in-house UX teams for brands like Travelocity and GameStop and years on the management teams of consulting companies focused on improved experiences for numerous Fortune 100 clients. Currently, he’s exploring the intersection of User Experience as it applies across digital solutions, people, culture change, and physical space at geniant.
Modern Product Discovery: When, where, why, and how much?
- 4. Digital should be seamless across every touchpoint. Our digital capabilities span enterprise-scale architecture, product strategy, design, and development across devices. S T R AT E G Digital Transformatio Digital Product Strateg Experience Design & Innovation Program Data Strategy & Governanc Product Innovation & Roadmaps D E S I G N & D E V E L O P M E N Digital Channel Dev (Web, Mobile Integration, Services & Middlewar Digital Workplace Solution UX/UI Design & Design System Machine Learning & A Enterprise & Application Architecture Every interaction, process should be thoughtfully designed, from customer touchpoints to employee experiences. Our culture and change management teams can transform your organization S T R AT E G Service Desig Workplace Culture Assessmen Workplace Programming & Strateg Employee Experience Strateg Customer Experience Journey D E S I G N & D E V E L O P M E N Organizational Desig Employee Productivit Digital & Physical Accessibilit Change Managemen T echnical Organization Readiness Analysis People need great spaces to live, work, and play. Our architects and interior designers create effective, performant spaces that improve employee retention, productivity, and customer engagement. S T R AT E G Retail & Hospitality Strateg Spatial Prototype Hybrid Workplace Strateg Space Optimization DE S IG N & DE VE LOPME N Architecture / Interior Desig Retail Environment Digital / Physical Channel Integratio Workspaces for T eam Hospitality Desig LEED Certification / WELL Standard Rapid Concept Development Comprehensiveservices.Asinglemethodology. Digital People Spaces C O N F I D E N T I A L
- 6. The beginning. C O N F I D E N T I A L “Iwantedatermthatconjured upaverydifferentimageinthe mindsofproductmanagersand productteams. Iwantedthem tohaveanopenmind,toknow whattheycan’tknow,andadmit whattheydon’tknow.” h tt p s : // w w w. s v p g . c o m / t h e - o r i g i n - o f - p r o d u c t - d i s c ove r y/ — Marty Cagan
- 7. “There are any number of techniques used to help with discovery, and new ones emerge all the time. An MVP is a discovery technique, as is design thinking, as is customer development, as is “Jobs To Be Done.”” JTBD Design Thinking Service Design h t t p s : // w w w . s v p g . c o m / t h e - o r i g i n - o f - p r o d u c t - d i s c o v e r y / — Marty Cagan 1999 2011 2017 2021 1990 1987 1982 C O N F I D E N T I A L
- 8. “There are any number of techniques used to help with discovery, and new ones emerge all the time. An MVP is a discovery technique, as is design thinking, as is customer development, as is “Jobs To Be Done.”” JTBD Design Thinking Service Design h t t p s : // w w w . s v p g . c o m / t h e - o r i g i n - o f - p r o d u c t - d i s c o v e r y / — Marty Cagan 1999 2011 2017 2021 1990 1987 1982 C O N F I D E N T I A L My UX Career Start
- 9. Making sure we’re solving the right problems. Making sure we’re solving the problems right. Discover & Understand Ideate W h a t a r e a l l t h e p o t e n t i a l s o l u t i o n s ? W h a t a r e a l l t h e c h a l l e n g e s ? C o n v e r g i n g C o n v e r g i n g D i v e r g i n g D i v e r g i n g W h a t a r e t h e r i g h t s o l u t i o n s ? W h a t a r e t h e r i g h t c h a l l e n g e s t o s o l v e ? Explore & Define Design & T est We need a great ...! This ... works for us! Align Prioritize + C O N F I D E N T I A L British Design Council in 2005 https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-resources/the-double-diamond/history-of-the-double-diamond/
- 10. C O N F I D E N T I A L K nowable. Capable of being known : able to be determined or understood. (Discovery gets you there!)
- 11. Making sure we’re solving the right problems. Making sure we’re solving the problems right. Discover & Understand Ideate W h a t a r e a l l t h e p o t e n t i a l s o l u t i o n s ? W h a t a r e a l l t h e c h a l l e n g e s ? C o n v e r g i n g C o n v e r g i n g D i v e r g i n g D i v e r g i n g W h a t a r e t h e r i g h t s o l u t i o n s ? W h a t a r e t h e r i g h t c h a l l e n g e s t o s o l v e ? Explore & Define Design & T est We need a great ...! This ... works for us! Align Prioritize + C O N F I D E N T I A L British Design Council in 2005
- 12. C O N F I D E N T I A L The executive team needs to mention AI in an upcoming call... What if we added AI... ??? Y es! How about if we all quickly list out 10 ways AI will help our customers!!
- 13. C O N F I D E N T I A L https://www .fastcompany.com/91154806/ai-in-everything-era-pointless
- 14. C O N F I D E N T I A L https://www .amazon.com/Fall-Love-Problem- Solution-Entrepreneurs/dp/16377 41987
- 15. C O N F I D E N T I A L All Problems Right Problems All Solutions Right Solutions
- 16. When? CONFIDENTIAL When to initiate discovery processes to maximize impact and efficiency.
- 19. ® CONFIDENTIAL Discoveryhelpsreducetheamountof adaptabilityneededovertime. Withoutafoundationofresearch,insights, andstrategyaroundmakingsureyou’re solvingtherightproblemsintherightway, youhavetheriskofmovinginthewrong directionalltogether. Adaptable Needed Time Time Adaptable Needed Whenyouhaveabasefoundational understandingofyourusers(customers, employees,etc...),andknowwhat problemsarethemostimpactful,you’ll needlessrework(adaptability)overtime. Correction needed without discovery Correction needed when discovery is done well
- 20. C O N F I D E N T I A L Y ou can only adapt so far . Running fast in the wrong direction isn ’t helpful.
- 22. C O N F I D E N T I A L Where do product teams often ask for discovery help?
- 23. Amount of time with customers Lifespan of the product C O N F I D E N T I A L Often, you start solving a specific need directly with customers. Over time, process and scale remove that closeness. As people leave the company, features are continually added... At some point, customers don’t feel like they’re being heard. Competition enters the market.
- 24. Amount of time with customers Lifespan of the product C O N F I D E N T I A L Often, you start solving a specific need directly with customers. Over time, process and scale remove that closeness. * We get called here. As people leave the company, features are continually added... At some point, customers don’t feel like they’re being heard. Competition enters the market.
- 25. Nothing is worse than hearing your product is losing ground to the competition. And when it’s losing not just on feature set but also on ease of use, User Experience, or visual design, that means you’re not using discovery well to identify these needs before they become problems! Losing sales due to “ux”, Design, product features, or increased competition. LATE to the game Startingtolose tocompetition and/ordecline inrevenue C O N F I D E N T I A L
- 26. When was the last time we’ve sat with our customers? When did we last walk next to them as they spent a day living, working, or playing? As companies grow, it becomes harder and harder to stay close as processes, organizational silos, and red tape get in the way. I t h a p p e n s t o e v e r yo n e w i t h o u t a r e a l ly s t r o n g i n t e r n a l pa s s i o n o r c h a m p i o n f o r t h e c u s t o m e r . Becoming disconnected with customer base over time C O N F I D E N T I A L L AT E t o t h e g a m e
- 27. Discovery is excellent at helping teams decide on the most essential, must-have features, which can be left for later or left behind altogether. T oo many of the wrong features drive bloat within the product, while the wrong features won’t drive the metrics you want to achieve. F e at u r e b l o at o r d e c i s i o n pa r a ly s i s o n w h at t o a d d n e x t d r i v e s r e s e a r c h Feature prioritization — both what to add and remove C O N F I D E N T I A L r i g h t o n t i m e
- 28. Discoverycanhelpdiscovertheright“sliceof thecake”toprovidecustomerswithanMVP orassessanewfeatureintherealworld.If youhavetheabilitytohaveyourteams quicklylaunchatalowenoughcost,goforit! Hereyouseeresearcherswatchingsa customeruseanewwayofcheckingout,live andinperson! organization is focused on understanding by launching and learning Feature/Product MVP“testandlearn” CONFIDENTIAL https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kaylaburkholder_its-officially-been-2-months-since-i-started- activity-7215020255041970176-lqFS/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop right on time
- 29. Now you’re thinking ahead. Discovery is a great way to determine what people want from a product or service. What are those “jobs”? What are those hidden insights and nuggets to drive the next set of features or new directions that can help your business leapfrog the competition? What to do next? What’s the next big product or service? What TAM should we go after? Newproducts, servicesorservice lines(aka.greenfield) C O N F I D E N T I A L ahead of the game
- 30. C O N F I D E N T I A L But there were always "leftovers" that neither the mop or broom would get—that annoying later of fine grit that's so hard to clean up. They saw users come up with their own solution: they took a mop, wrapped a paper towel around it and voila... the perfect way to pick up that fine grit, or just give the floor a quick clean. Swiffer is essentially just the productized version of that DIY solution they saw during their ethnographic research... And it's currently selling north of $2 billion a year g The takeaway: one simple observation can be enough to build a multi-billion business. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sladner_one-tiny-insight-can-generate-billions-in-activity-7219725171559985155-JMwb? utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
- 31. C O N F I D E N T I A L In the user research with hundreds of families over “taco night,” the designers came up with some key insights about modern consumer expectations of their sour cream: Because consumers use sour cream as a topping and a recipe ingredient, they need to be able to portion it out both carefully and quickly, in amounts large and small. Interviewees noted that precise measurement was especially important for baking, while aim and control mattered more for taco nights. The team experimented with a range of materials for a container and cap that could dispense sour cream in differing amounts with both ease and control. https://thisismold.com/visual/packaging/daisy-sour-cream-squeeze-packaging-continuum
- 32. C O N F I D E N T I A L While there are many frameworks, and 100s of methods, the best two places to start to get the most value I’ve seen across organizations: Two best places to get the most value from discovery? If you do not truly understand the world of the users and you do not understand their problems, you’re likely to head in the wrong direction, leading you miles from where you want to be. These generative programs that have a mix of both qualitative and quantitive methods can setup your team for success. g e n e r at i n g i d e a s f r o m t h e u s e r ’ s w o r l d ( n o t j u s t “a s k i n g ” ) Everyone has an idea or opinion; it’s up to you to ground those opinions and ideas in facts. Nothing is stronger at pointing teams in the right direction than a validated idea with a great story from the users, building that empathy that makes for good product development. va l i d at e i d e at i o n f r o m t h e s ta k e h o l d e r s t e a m s
- 34. C O N F I D E N T I A L “It’s no secret that regularly engaging with customers helps you discover better opportunities to serve them - yet we all struggle to do it well. This book is an indispensable guide to making this critical activity a continuous habit. ” h t t p s : / / w w w . a m a z o n . c o m / C o n t i n u o u s - D i s c o v e r y - H a b i t s - D i s c o v e r - P r o d u c t s / d p / 1 7 3 6 6 3 3 3 0 9 — Martin Eriksson Co-Founder & Chairman, Mind the Product Customer understanding is never “ done”, like digital product development, it’ s on-going.
- 35. ® CONFIDENTIAL
- 36. Where? CONFIDENTIAL Where to focus efforts within the product lifecycle and alignment with business goals.
- 38. ® CONFIDENTIAL
- 41. ® CONFIDENTIAL Goals (PM) (PM) (UXR) + (UXR) Context/ Constraints Methods/ Activities
- 44. ® CONFIDENTIAL Buildyour planwiththe right methods (andthere arealotof methods!!) Stakeholder Interviews & Alignment Existing Data Intake Heuristic Evaluation Literature Review Content Inventory Needs Assessment Competitive Assessment Future Prototyping Research Plan Contextual Inquiry Diary Study Participatory Design Card Sort Survey Affinity Diagramming Workflow Modeling Persona Development Critical User Journeys Metrics Development Ideation & Activation (Triptychs) Align & Assess Workshop Project Approach Scenario-based System Walkthroughs Technical Organization Capability Analysis Enterprise Architecture Capability Assessment Solution(s) Architecture Assessment Ideation Workshops Engagement Plan Opportunities Generation & Evaluation Opportunities Matrix Value / Business Canvas Generating jobs-to-be-done insights Strategy Report Physical Space Analysis Corporate Culture Assessment Architectural / Interior Design Brief Feasibility Study Sales & Support Interviews Big Data & Analytics Insights Implementation Strategy Roadmapping KANO Feature Prioritization Marketing Opportunities
- 46. ® CONFIDENTIAL Ideation Design Development Testing Launch Learning Thisiswhyyouneedthatdiscoveryleader—thereareso manypacestoapplydiscovery,andsomanywaysto supportyourproductgoals. CONTEXTUAL INTERVIEW MAPPING JOURNEYS GENERATING JOBS-TO-BE-DONE SLICING THE ELEPHANT USER STORIES REHEARSING DIGITAL SERVICES DECISION MATRIX A/B TESTING WIZARD OF OZ APPROACHES USABILITY TESTING
- 47. ® CONFIDENTIAL They’regoingtomapouttheplan. 6WeekTimeline Sr.Researcher UXDesigner Designer Week1-2 Week2-3 Week4-5 Week5-6 ResearchKickoff Worksho StakeholderInterviews& Alignmen ExistingDataIntak HeuristicEvaluatio NeedsAssessmen CompetitiveAssessmen ResearchPlan DiaryStudyLaunc ContextualInquir Dallas,TX(8 Austin,TX(8 ParticipatoryDesign: CardSort AffinityDiagrammin WorkflowModelin PersonaDevelopmen CriticalUserJourney EnterpriseArchitecture CapabilityAssessment Opportunities Generation&Evaluatio OpportunitiesMatri MetricsDevelopmen Ideation&Activatio FinalPlan-of-Action Report Developer ProjectManager
- 52. Why? CONFIDENTIAL Why discovery methods are crucial for identifying user needs, mitigating risks, and driving key business metrics like revenue, margin, and new product innovation.
- 53. ® CONFIDENTIAL
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- 62. ® CONFIDENTIAL
- 63. HowMuch? CONFIDENTIAL How much investment is necessary to balance thorough research with agile development needs
- 65. ® CONFIDENTIAL
- 71. ® CONFIDENTIAL
- 75. ® CONFIDENTIAL 5%-8% $6MInvestment 3xProductTeams $300k OnDiscovery $360k OnDiscovery $480k OnDiscovery 3%-6% $12MInvestment 6xProductTeams 2%-4% $24MInvestment 12xProductTeams Thinkofitasaslidingscale,withlower percentagesasthebudgetsgrow.
- 76. ® CONFIDENTIAL 5%-8% $6MInvestment 3xProductTeams $300k-$480k OnDiscovery $360k-$720k OnDiscovery $480k-$960k OnDiscovery 3%-6% $12MInvestment 6xProductTeams 2%-4% $24MInvestment 12xProductTeams Thinkofitasaslidingscale,withlower percentagesasthebudgetsgrow. It’saboutreducingrisk.
- 77. ® CONFIDENTIAL Thisisoverayear. Dependingonwhereyouareinyour productlifecycle... $300k or $25k $200k $25k $25k $25k $25k $25k $25k $25k $25k $25k $25k $25k $100k $0 IntenseRampup PauseforUXandDevelopmentCatchup UsabilityTesting
- 81. ® CONFIDENTIAL
- 83. BestPracticeTeamRatios C O N F I D E N T I A L 1-2Researchers 1ProductOwner 2-3UXDesigners 5-8Developers
- 89. ® CONFIDENTIAL
- 91. It’s easy to let insights get old, thinking you know enough, and moving to a pace where continuous discovery slows to a stop. Don’t get into a delta. C O N F I D E N T I A L Discovery Efforts Time Discovery Efforts Time
- 92. C O N F I D E N T I A L “The closest thing I’ve ever found to a silver bullet when it comes to reliably improving the products and experiences that organizations produce. ” h t t p s : / / a r t i c l e s . c e n t e r c e n t r e . c o m / u s e r _ e x p o s u r e _ h o u r s / — Jared M. Spool “Exposure Hours”
- 93. C O N F I D E N T I A L h t t p s : / / w w w . n n g r o u p . c o m / a r t i c l e s / u s e r - e x p o s u r e - g o a l s / 515 (12 weeks) - 1,160 (29 weeks) Y our team should have between... ... in a year . “...suggested annual goals for personal user-exposure hours for different classes of personnel. For a company or group you would add up the hours across your staff to come to an appropriate overall user-exposure goal.”
- 94. C O N F I D E N T I A L h t t p s : / / w w w . n n g r o u p . c o m / a r t i c l e s / u s e r - e x p o s u r e - g o a l s / *and these hours should go beyond... T alking to users or interviewing them (nice, but not exposure to actual use Focus groups (ditto Surveys (ditto Using products yourself (yes, this is real use, but you are not an average user Reading the report from a usability study (a great learning resource, but a summary is not the same as your own direct observation of live user behavior Summative findings from a quantitative user study , such as card sorting, tree testing, and so on (only counts as user exposure if you watched each individual user while they carried out the test)
- 95. How does your team fare in getting closer to users of the tools, products, and systems that you’re building? Simbatest? C O N F I D E N T I A L “I read the report” “I’ve seen the interview videos” “I’ve been part of a focus group” “I’ve been in some of the usability sessions” “I’ve observed them in context”
- 100. ® CONFIDENTIAL Thestoryneedstohaveabiasforaction, includingaplantomoveforward. Data Story Actions TiedtoBusinessMetrics BasedinData Plan (UXR) (PM) (UXR) + (PM) (UXR) + (PM) (UXR) +
- 103. ® CONFIDENTIAL
- 104. AI? CONFIDENTIAL Can we do more with today’s reduced budgets using AI