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Ask DN: Product research process

over 4 years ago from , product designer

Fellow designers, how do you know if you have done enough research to start the design process?

5 comments

  • Foday KargboFoday Kargbo, over 4 years ago

    For me, I find that it depends on what I'm researching. If the feature, functionality etc... has been tried and tested and proves to work, I try not to reinvent the wheel and move into assimilation mode into my wire-frame, low-high fidelity prototype and screenshots. This process usually lasts half a day to a full day (depending on the complexity of the puzzle).

    If it's something new and there's very little out there that addresses this particular puzzle I'm trying to solve, then I research not more than 2 days and start solving the puzzle. User testing will confirm the hypotheses used.

    Hope this helps.

    3 points
  • Scott ThomasScott Thomas, over 4 years ago (edited over 4 years ago )

    Kudos. I having the same problem. I guess its when you know just enough about the market, your product, and your goals.

    • What are our business goals, success metrics, and vision?
    • Who are the users we want to target and their needs we are trying to fulfill?
    • Who are our direct and indirect competitors and their strengths and weaknesses? - How are different from the current market?
    • What core features that will make this product work? Do these features meet the goals for of company? Users? & separate us from the competition?
    • How do other people solved these problems?
    • What are our key assumptions going into this?
    1 point
  • Jonathan EngstromJonathan Engstrom, over 4 years ago

    I think this question assumes a linear process. I often flick between research, mockups and more hi-fi designs as the project requires it. No matter how much research you do, some ideas need more than research to be proven/disproven.

    1 point
  • Kelley Mangel, over 4 years ago

    Great question. If you don't mind, I'd like to add on to it...where does everyone find the best inspiration when you're not looking to reinvent the wheel completely?

    0 points
  • P GP G, over 4 years ago

    Research helps me a lot when I'm trying to learn as much as I can about the domain the product is in (for example: productivity, real estate, educational etc.). Doing this I lean about how the business works, which helps me afterwards in tacking the different problems I need to solve. Once I know most of the things are covered and I have a mental map of how everything comes together I start doing wireframes/prototypes. Once you do this you'll realize that maybe some things don't work or you get feedback from others that the flow sucks or is not optimal. Either way, it's an iterative process and you should try and work step by step.

    0 points