SUSS: A Product Design/Sense Framework

I don't believe in complicated frameworks. I have seen too many people struggle to memorize the CIRCLES framework and fail in interviews, myself included.

So, I developed a simple framework: S.U.S.S. and hopefully easy to remember.

SUSS Framework

suss out v : to find or discover (something) by thinking 

The point of the product design and product sense case questions is to see if you can suss out the problem and challenge and come up with a solution for a particular user and their pain or pain points.

• Strategy

• User

• Solution

• Success Metrics

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Strategy

• The Clarifying Questions

• Insights

Users - The heart of the question. There are three parts

• User Segmentation + Prioritization

• User Journey

• Pain Point Prioritization

Solutions

• Three Solutions or Three Features for One Solution

Success Metrics

• Three metrics that link back to goals

• Used to be mandatory but now rarely used in Product Design Cases.

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I still want to keep it simple, but let’s jump in and narrow down a little bit more each of the sections. Between each section you request permission to take a moment to gather your thoughts. Typically 30 to 120 seconds, the shorter the better. (It is always granted).

Strategy

1. Ask Clarifying Questions

   1. Pause: Take 30 to 90 seconds to gather your thoughts

2. Explain high-level framework. Strategy > Users > Solutions. Do NOT list all 10 steps, keep it natural, and not too frameworky.

3. Share insights into 'why' this is important. Include:

   • Mission

   • Goal: acknowledge the goal will be refined later

   • User Insights

   • Tech Insights

   • Use Case: narrow down to a use case or theme

     If Marketplace Prompt:

     • Acknowledge Stakeholders

     • Select the side of the marketplace you want to focus

     • Explain why that side of the market is best place to start

     • When reasonable: Offer up that you will consider the other side if necessary and/or if time allows

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Users

1. Explain framework for section: User Segmentation, User Journey and Pain Points

2. List three user segments based on motivation or behavior, avoid crude demographics

   • Prioritize Users, in a natural, non-robotic way

3. Walk through User Journey

4. Identify Pain Points

   • Prioritize Pain Points, in a natural, non-robotic way

5. Revisit goal to refine or create

Optional: Ask interviewer if they prefer 1 solution with three features OR 3 different ideas.

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Solutions

1. Tell the listener 3 short descriptions of your ideas

2. Then briefly explain your ideas weaving in selling points and trade offs

3. Prioritize Solutions

4. If time permits, and interviewer wants, dive into almost a verbal wireframe

Marketplace Consideration: Depending on your solution, you many need to acknowledge work you will need to do to attract the marketplace players you didn’t focus on.

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Success Metrics

Follow the basics you learn in Execution Prep

1. Three metrics that link back to goal

   • Three parts to metric: measure, action & time period
     

Here is a quick video where I run through the framework.