1. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Walking the line:
The Role of Product
Development
Paul Dawson
Partner, Experience & Innovation, Fluxx

2. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
The boring cred’s bit

3. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
A product & service
innovation company
Se#ng
Strategy
&
Vision
Developing
&
valida5ng
products
Innova5on
prac5ces
&
long
term
change

4. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Ideal outcomes from this session?
Digital UX
Product design
Product
development.
How to get better briefs that allow you to
explore interesting opportunities and less
dispute with the people who are ‘leading’ it
How to get closer to the product you had
envisioned, and create greater harmony with
the team tasked with making it great
“wtf ?”

5. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
There are two types of
organisation in the world

6. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Develop, design
and sell products

7. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Behave like they
are a product
company
Don't behave like
a product
company

8. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
‘Product’
is
what
is
on
the
shop
floor
‘Product’
is
what
we
do

9. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
New Product Development (NPD)
q Strategy
q Ideas and insight
q R&D Concepts
q Developed & Validated Concepts
(Desirability, Viability, Feasibility)
q Partnerships and organisation
q Design & Build
q Operate

10. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
The ‘Non Product’ Approach
q Strategy
q Ideas and insight
q R&D Concepts
q Developed & Validated Concepts
(Desirability, Viability, Feasibility)
q Partnerships and organisation
q Design & Build
q Operate
Research
Business
Case
Investment
decision

11. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
q Strategy
q Ideas and insight
q R&D Concepts
q Developed & Validated Concepts
(Desirability, Viability, Feasibility)
q Partnerships and organisation
q Design & Build
q Operate
Opinions,
guesswork
and
specula5on
The ‘Non Product’ Approach

12. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Fortunately, most digital projects
I’ve worked on start here:

13. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
But then they go one of two ways:
Exci5ng,
interes5ng,
innova5ve.
Empowered,
crea5ve,
inspired
Detailed,
monotonous,
not
thinking
for
myself
Demo5vated,
dis-­‐spirited,
‘done
to’
What
if…
Wireframes
An
explora5on
of
why
What
new
opportuni5es
there
might
be
within
it
New
ideas,
‘blue
sky’
thinking,…
Well,
they
seem
to
have
made
up
their
minds,
we’ll
just
get
on
and
be
the
wireframe
monkeys
shall
we?

14. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
What if companies who know
they are product companies
did not behave like product
companies?

15. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
An imaginary new product
“A new range of luggage specifically for the family”
The budget is set
The board is all behind it

16. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Stage 1: Research
When product companies don’t
behave like product companies

18. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Stage 2: Envisioning
When product companies don’t
behave like product companies

19. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
We could pre-load them with
things people need

20. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
We could do niche products for
specialist audiences

21. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Hey, what if the suitcase became a
mode of transport?!

22. Hey, what if the suitcase actually
became the holiday?

23. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
But then…
“Product
Owner”
But suddenly…
The
more
radical
thinking
simply
gets
dropped
as
it
can’t
be
validated
Ideas
may
be
good,
they
might
not.
Nobody
is
in
a
posi5on
to
judge
before
5me
starts
running
out.
“We’ve
got
a
whole
stack
of
basics
to
do
first”

24. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Agile approaches in non-product
thinking companies…
Things
we
know
we
can
do
Things
we
know
our
customers
value
The
unproven
ideas
domain

25. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Stage 3:
New ideas get pushed to the back and we focus in on the
basics, having no time, resource or remit to progress our
half-formed ideas, no matter how brilliant they were…

26. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
but…
We have bright people, all eager to unleash
their creative juices and we lost them quite
early on…

27. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
The Line
Exci5ng,
interes5ng,
innova5ve.
Empowered,
crea5ve,
inspiring
Detailed,
monotonous,
not
thinking
for
myself
Demo5vated,
dis-­‐spirited,
‘done
to’
Anything
is
possible
I
have
a
very
5ght,
prescrip5ve
brief

28. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
We might have had the ‘right ideas’

29. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
but we haven’t been able to
‘make those ideas right’

30. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Now
design
something
magnificent
What we needed was an inspiring
brief with real possibilities
“Design
a
suitcase
that
children
and
parents
will
love.
We
know
that
hassled
parents
and
kids
will
love
a
ride-­‐on
case.
We
can
save
5red
parent
arms
and
5red
toddler
legs
and
make
travel
fun.”
Research
&
Insight:
A
clear
product
proposi8on:

31. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
And that’s what product
development is

32. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Product Development is pure UCD
But it doesn’t design interfaces, and it’s not
concerned with usability or ergonomics
desirable
feasible
viable

33. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Product Development’s Goals
1. To flesh out and validate product and service
propositions
Desirable:
Customers will find value in it
Feasible:
We can make it work
Viable:
It can be an economic success
2. Prove that this is the right thing to do, kill it early, or learn
enough to turn it into the right thing to do
3. To arm a design and build team with all they need to get
the product designed and built in the right way

34. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
But what many product
development teams miss is…
That once they’ve ‘developed’ the idea into a
product, the customer experience still has to be
designed
(because generally, they’re a bit crap at doing that bit!)

35. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
I’ve been on both sides
Digital UX
Product
development
.

36. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
“The
CEO
had
a
designer
mock
something
up”
“We’ve
had
a
product
design
consultancy
working
on
it”
“We’ve
developed
a
new
brand,
and
the
branding
agency
have
done
some
mock-­‐ups”
Words that strike terror…

37. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
“Here’s how it could look”
Movie
UI
Design
by
Jayse
Hansen

38. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Getting the wrong side of the line only leads
to conflict…
“Arrogant
tossers,
they
just
don’t
get
it!”
“Ha,
they’re
so
wrong.
This
is
a
much
beCer
idea.”

39. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Today’s Line
Exci5ng,
interes5ng,
innova5ve.
Empowered,
crea5ve,
inspiring
Detailed,
monotonous,
not
thinking
for
myself
Demo5vated,
dis-­‐spirited,
‘done
to’
Anything
is
possible
I
have
a
very
5ght,
prescrip5ve
brief

40. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Setting out to raise the bar
Exci5ng,
interes5ng,
innova5ve.
Empowered,
crea5ve,
inspiring
Detailed,
monotonous,
not
thinking
for
myself
Demo5vated,
dis-­‐spirited,
‘done
to’
Anything
is
possible
I
have
a
very
5ght,
prescrip5ve
brief
“Mmmm. Nice concept, full of possibility.
Will be fun to see how we make it work.”

41. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
So two key questions:
How do you do this cost-effectively?
We already think we don’t have enough
time for design – how do you make it
worth investing in?
How
do
we
ensure
this
process
does
not
en5rely
alienate
design
and
development
teams?

42. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Three answers
Focus on generating facts, not
opinions; and be lean about it
Enable and equip your design & build
team, don’t tell them what to do
Don’t be precious – about your ideas,
or being right

43. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Focus
on
genera5ng
facts,
not
opinions;
and
be
lean
about
it

44. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Flux[x] Labs

45. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee

46. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee

47. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
insight
idea
feasibility
design
&
development
manufacture
distribu5on

48. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Hard
to
do,
and
a
lot
of
risk
man
ufac
ture
design
&
development
feasibility
Idea
d
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
i
o
n
insight
Easy
to
do,
and
no
risk
Star5ng
to
invest
5me
&
money

49. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Hard
to
do,
and
a
lot
of
risk
man
ufac
ture
design
&
development
feasibility
Idea
insight
Easy
to
do,
and
no
risk
Star5ng
to
invest
5me
&
money

50. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee

51. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
MVP = Minimum Viable Product
Q: What is the absolute minimum we
can do to see if people actually value
our product?

52. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
distribu5on
Dim
and
distant
past
insight
concept
feasibility
design
&
development
manufacture
Painful,
but
we
got
there…
Dragon’s
Den
Give
it
to
the
press
Bankrupt
factory
Dodgy
catches
People
bought
it
Licensee
liquidated
Rob
Law’s
facts
were
generated
by
pu#ng
his
product
in
the
hands
of
the
press,
and
sure
enough
they
loved
it.

53. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee

54. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
He believed strongly because he
had generated real facts
So what do the opinions of the
dragons matter?!
The toughness of his journey was
testament to the fact that his
MVP could not be that minimal

55. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Fortunately…
This now happens in days, or maybe weeks,
but certainly not months.
The Lab’s job within a product development
cycle is to generate evidence-based learning, to
help get the ideas right, and make good
decisions based on facts

56. labs

57. labs
Basic Insight
We found it really hard to find a whiteboard the
size we want and think that other people will
have the same problem.

58. labs
This leads to a value hypothesis that we
can begin to test
“We think that people will value a
premium service that makes and installs
whiteboards to a precise set of
dimensions.”

59. labs
1. Make a site that
calculates the cost
and puts customers in
touch with us.
2. Get a phone!
If people value
this service as
much as we do.
Volume of people
searching for it on Google
Requests for pricing
People who buy

60. labs
The first MVP
(c.2 days)

61. labs
The 2nd MVP

62. labs
The Lab’s Learnings
This is a viable, small, local
business.
It would be a good idea to make
the whiteboards erasable!
It is possible in a week to prove
out a digital physical business
in a lean way

63. labs
“The High Street Bank”
A real life case study

64. labs
Amongst others, we created one
experiment designed to test
something that had been debated
for ages at the bank

65. labs
It was a thorny subject.
It involved using customers’
personal data to do something we
thought they would like and value.

66. labs
But would they accept it, or would
they go nuts and call the Daily Mail?
We put it live in a few weeks in an MVP to
several thousand real customers who didn’t know
it was just an experiment.

67. labs
But before we did…

68. labs
It was usability tested
It
panned!
Only
24%
of
people
said
they
would
do
it

69. labs
How many ACTUALLY did it in
real life?
96%
of
people
just
jumped
right
on
in!

70. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
“What people say they will do and
what they actually do is often
very different and can be greatly
affected by their level of
awareness of the task at hand”

71. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Market Research
(quant and qual)
Usability Testing
Prototype Testing
A/B Testing
Multi-variate testing
True
ethnography
MVP/Lean
Market Intelligence
and behavioural data
Unaware Aware
Product/Service
Maturity Level
Idea/Concept
Partial/Fully
Developed
Is the User
aware of the test?
The fluxx ‘Tested User’ Framework

72. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
A wide variety of
opinions, ideas and
stories
UsabilityOptimising where
there are multiple
options
Proving an idea
one way or the
other
History
Unaware Aware
Product/Service
Maturity Level
Idea/Concept
Partial/Fully
Developed
Is the User
aware of the test?
The fluxx ‘Tested User’ Framework

73. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydeeflux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
The outcome of which is…
Armed with facts, a product development team
can simply ‘tell’ they don’t ‘sell’
It’s hard to argue with, people don’t want to
It’s equally obvious how to apply that data to
influence the design later on

74. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
A key point here though is…
An MVP does not a design make
Which leads us to:
Enable and equip your design
build team; don’t tell them
what to do

75. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Briefing the team means
focusing on the outcome
“Nice concept, full of possibility.
Will be fun to make it work.”

76. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Briefing the team
Present the trail of evidence
• A user-centred journey
• Help the team understand the
insight on which the product
was founded
• Don’t hide any facts
• Show your wrong turns

77. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
What it should be
like, not what it
should look like
Briefing the team
Describe, don’t prescribe

78. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Create useful assets.
Things that will enable, not confine your design team
Draft Personas
If you don’t know these, then the product you’ve
developed isn’t worth the Omnigraffle it’s visualised on!
Product and Experience Principles
Distil your experience of the product development
learnings into principles that will help guide the design
and build team

79. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
What we don’t say:
“Yeah, we already prototyped it”
Product development should never be testing a UI,
or a brand VI
We ask questions like:
• Is the content valuable to our audience?
• Is the function that it performs valuable?
• How easy or low cost does it have to be to become, in
order to become valuable?

80. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Which has led us to a unique
design principle:
Make it as bad as you can get away with
(So long as you don’t get in the way of the core testing objective)
“I’ve never been asked
to make my work
‘more sh*t before!”

81. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
How do you brief in how a
product ‘feels’?
I’ll give you a briefing I’ve used
many a time

82. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Let me tell you
why I love
Virgin Atlantic

83. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
After a briefing like that, it should
be easy to sum it up as something
as simple as:
Brilliant basics, magic touches
… and a number of other principles to which
a user experience or product would have to
conform in order to be the one that we
believe customers will love

84. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Finally
Our brief must be full of possibility
“It’s clear to us that people want a degree of
serendipity; for the finding of information to have
a ‘fuzzy edge’ that allows them to stumble on
something that they love, but weren’t
expecting”

85. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee

86. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Creating a product design
brief with possibility
Always guide, never prescribe
Set principles, not guidelines
Design experiments, not UI
Say how it feels, not what it does
In short: Let the design team design it…

87. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Finally:
Avoiding the ivory tower
Don’t be precious – about
your ideas, or being right

88. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Talk about the dead ends
Experiments never fail or succeed, they
merely have outcomes

89. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Take input wherever you can
Regularly take time to gather
intelligence, ideas and product
thoughts from everywhere you can,
and credit your sources

90. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Be inclusive
Get the design and development team to
develop the MVP
A RapidStart approach looks to get an
experiment out in under two days

91. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Product Development can be a
state of mind, not a department
For complex products where there
is a high degree of uncertainty, it’s
an upfront investment

92. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
For new features in existing
products, it can become a ‘spike’
in the existing process
Product Development can be a
state of mind, not a department

93. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
Playing to each other’s strengths

94. flux[x] @fluxxstudios @poleydee
paul@fluxx.uk.com
Phew… J