A feature list can grow while the reason for each feature becomes less clear. Look at the intended use context before adding another accessory, function or presentation element.
Observe the Use Context Before Expanding the Feature List Read More »
A hunch can start useful design work if the team is willing to learn from it. Convert it into a question before building an elaborate presentation around the answer.
A prototype can answer many small questions while leaving the central one untouched. Identify the uncertainty that could most change the design direction.
Test the Most Important Uncertainty Before Polishing the Prototype Read More »
Customers often describe an experience in broad language. A product team needs to translate that language into questions it can investigate without pretending the translation is already a specification.
Translate Customer Language into a Product Design Question Read More »
An attractive extra feature may not compensate for a missing basic expectation. Distinguish the roles of proposed features before spending the development budget on embellishment.
Basic Expectations and Delighters Need Different Design Attention Read More »
A brief that begins with a finished character can conceal the problem the product is meant to solve. Step back long enough to describe the intended situation before refining the object.
Define the Product Problem Before Choosing the Character Solution Read More »
A team can generate many ideas without making progress if it never changes how it evaluates them. Exploration and selection need different kinds of discussion.
Explore Widely and Choose Deliberately in Product Design Read More »
A polished prototype is not always the best first test. Choose the level of detail that exposes the assumption under review without making the result look more settled than it is.
Choose Prototype Fidelity from the Question You Need to Answer Read More »
