Avoid costly product design mistakes with our proven Product Discovery framework
Designing a digital product is a complex and challenging process that requires a deep understanding of users, market trends, and business goals. Without a structured approach, it’s easy to get lost in the process and end up with a product that falls short of expectations. At BrightVibe, we’ve developed our own hybrid framework that combines the best of both Product Discovery and Design Sprint methodologies. Our process is designed to help our clients navigate the product development with confidence and deliver a digital product that meets the needs of their users and business goals.
In this article, we’ll walk you through our three-phase Design Thinking approach: Product Discovery, Visual Concept, and Final UI Design. We’ll explore the benefits of each phase and explain how our approach can help you minimize unnecessary risks and bring value to your customers.
Our three-phase Design Thinking approach
- Product Discovery
- A strong visual concept
- Final UI design
1. Product Discovery: Creating a Strong Foundation
Product Discovery is the critical first phase of our Design Thinking approach. It’s during this phase that we work closely with our clients to gain a deep understanding of their business goals, identify potential problems to solve, and ideate possible solutions. Our shortened version of Product Discovery begins with a series of workshops designed to explore the client’s vision and align it with their business goals. We then move on to the UX design phase of research and wireframing, where we begin to refine the concept and gather data about user needs and pain points. This part of our shortened version of Product Discovery process typically takes 2–3 weeks to complete and is designed to move quickly while still providing valuable insights into the project.
The output is a high-fidelity black and white prototype ready to be tested on a target audience through interviews and surveys. Valuable feedback we receive is incorporated during the next phase of design. This iterative approach allows us to refine what the product should be, who it’s for and ensure that it’s meeting the needs of both the client and their users. All while moving fast and avoiding analysis paralysis — the feeling of being unable to make a decision due to overthinking a problem. This often happens when you’re dealing with too many variables and continually researching solutions, instead of taking action and making a decision.
2. A strong visual concept: From rough sketches to polished visuals
While we wait for the result of user testing, we can take advantage of this time to work on multiple visual concepts of the product. This allows us to explore a variety of possibilities and ensures that we create a final product that is visually appealing and engaging for the target audience. Moreover, if the client does not yet have a brand manual or design system, or if the current branding has become outdated, we can also design a new unique brand identity that is memorable and resonates with the client’s values.
3. Final UI design: Crafting an intuitive and engaging experience
In this final phase, we can focus solely on design of all screens and states of the final product that needs to be prepared for developers. To ensure a seamless and consistent implementation, we also prepare a design system that outlines all design elements, patterns, and guidelines for the user interface.
In addition, our proposals usually include a set of recommendations of what needs to be measured for analytical tools. This can provide valuable insights on user behavior and measure the success of our designs. By tracking these metrics, we can make data-driven decisions for future product development and continuously improve the user experience.
Benefits of this approach
⚠️ Reduced Risk
Validate your assumptions and hypotheses before investing too much time into building a product that may not meet the needs or expectations of your customers. By testing your ideas early, you can avoid costly mistakes and pivot quickly if needed.
💰 Cost Savings
Optimize your resources and prioritize the most important features and functionalities for your product. By focusing on the problems and needs of your customers, you can eliminate unnecessary features and reduce the complexity and scope of your product. This can save you money on development and maintenance.
🏃♂️ Faster Time to Market
Product Discovery helps you accelerate your product development process by providing you with clear and actionable insights and feedback from your customers. By iterating on your prototypes and solutions, you can refine your product vision and deliver a product that is ready for launch in a shorter time frame. This can give you a competitive edge and increase your chances of success.
