The 4 Ws of Product Design
All the best frameworks hover around the same concepts. I personally like my S.U.S.S. approach (sussing out the problems through strategic thinking), but many people prefer the question (similar to the 5 Whys Approach). You will notice Why starts it off and keeps popping up as a continual qualifier throughout the whole process.
I have seen many candidates be successful with a series of questions that start with ‘W.’
Why is this an important problem to solve? Why is there a unique opportunity now?
Who are we solving for? (And, Why are we solving for them in particular))
What is the problem(s) we are prioritizing? (And, Why this problem?)
Which solutions are we considering? (And, Which one do we want to prioritize? And, Why?)
Breaking them down a little more…
Why
strategic landscape (industry & tech trends)
user behavior insights (user trends) that will influence your exploration
narrow down to a use case (if needed) that fits the whys of the industry and user trends
Who
psychographic segements (beliefs, values, lifestyle, social status, opinions and activities)
rule of three
What (problem)
pick a series of problems
think about unsolved problems
Which (solution)
think outside the box
leverage ideas from one industry to another
think small, medium and large in size and complexity
Aha Check List:
What are insights interviewer seeking?
Is there a twist in the Industry?
How do User Behaviors differ from average?
i.e. Kid/Parent Dynamic, developmental stage, digital presence
Physical ability of older adults
Different world view for people in new markets?
Think about what makes this prompt different from others you have practiced.
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