With all of that said, too much zeal towards the nitty-gritty of product designing can get you sidetracked. In worse cases, it can cause you to neglect your user’s needs and eventually build a product they won’t find useful at all! This is where product thinking can be incredibly helpful.
In the simplest words, Product Thinking is a strategy used to close or at least reduce the gap between users and the business. It takes into account what the users need, what the business can give, and what can be used to connect the two.
If your product feels a little dry, it could be that it needs more than your typical UX design. To help you fashion your digital offering for better user experience, incorporate product thinking into the process using these tips:
Whilst creating features is indeed an essential step in product design, it shouldn’t be the first task in your to-do list. Otherwise, you will end up with a product that is heavily defined by the features that make it up. Whilst this may work for some, this will more likely cause you to lose sight of what your users truly need.
The best way around this is to take a look at the bigger picture. Think about the problem you are addressing and the product you are building. Doing so will naturally lead you to conceptualise features that complement it.
If you genuinely want to build a digital offering that is relevant and useful to your target audience, you will need to understand them first. The good news is that you have plenty of readily available resources to do your homework. You can turn to statistics, case studies, and other information available online. And take it a step further by talking with your users; it’s the best way to empathise with them and gather real insights.
Once you and your UX professionals understand your users better, you will be able to have a better idea of what the product should entail. You’ll also find it easier to determine why they would use it and what purposes it would serve them. Having all of these core aspects down will allow you to come up with apt features.
Whilst you are meant to be solving problems, it is better to do so only after you have gotten to the heart of them. Focusing on the problem widens your perspective and allows you to see other aspects of the issue you may have missed before.
Furthermore, it allows you to understand your users, along with their problems and struggles regarding particular products. This consequently enables you to tweak your offering and its features to provide a remarkable user experience.
On the contrary, fixing your eyes on the solution you have so far can limit your creativity and imagination. In the worst case, it can lead your product to become just another one of those that your users will pass.
If you are looking to build a product that prioritises user experience, you need to drive your UX design through product thinking. This strategy will keep you on the right track throughout the design process. It will encourage you to think of the product before the feature, your users’ motivations, and the problem you are addressing. In the end, it will put you in the best position to release a robust product that is relevant and helpful to your valued users.
Need help with your product design? We can help! At Fabric Group, we specialise in delivering custom digital platforms through our unique design thinking approach and leading-edge technology. Get in touch today and let’s start collaborating!
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