So what exactly is Design Strategy anyway?
All the branded design processes
Every design organization has an approach to designing products, once they are given a problem to solve. But what problem should they solve?
People were expected to be able to use this software
Many product development organizations follow a few approaches:
fix all the user complaints on our existing (sometimes unusable) product
copy the features that competitors have already shipped
add the new technologies the engineering team has discovered or developed
But what if we want to dominate our category, rather than just try to catch up? How do we create something iconic, that delivers lasting value? How do we even approach that goal?
Personas from our previous user research team
Well, we could start with doing user research, and uncovering user needs. But what needs? We could learn that users are confused by the product, or that it’s missing features that would really help them do what they want to do. Or, we might discover that their biggest complaint is about their work environment, or maybe even getting to work. Then what?
Well, if you propose creating transportation drones to the leadership of a traditional company, you might be walked to the door. But if you work at Virgin Galactic, you just might get budget to explore the idea.
So now we have it: Design Strategy is about reconciling the internal with the external: aligning business goals with user needs. We call this the Motivation Matrix™
Motivation Matrix™: aligning business goals with user needs
In the graph above, we can see that there are several business motivations and several user motivations, and each alignment requires a different approach to Design Strategy & Product Development:
In the upper right we have a business with a strategic need: enter a new market, change the perception of their brand etc. We have a user who is open to trying something new, such as a tablet to replace their laptop, or an ultrasound machine they can bring with them on rounds. Success requires giving a team of innovative thinkers the time and protection to create something amazing and new.
On the bottom left we have a business with a tactical need (beat a competitor to market, launch something as a story for investors) and a user who has a job they need to do. These projects require speed and efficiency, as these products typically have a crazy timeline that absolutely must be met.
Both types of projects are ripe for innovation, for very different reasons. But of course it’s not that simple…
Check out part 2, How do we approach Design Strategy?
