From CEO’s Vision to Product Design
A fiction about a CEO who starts the habit of sketching
Once upon a time, there’s a business entity whose CEO is guarded by a team of business development (Biz Dev) team. The CEO only talks to them, because they’re the ones who can help the CEO navigate business opportunities, investors, and financial health. Anything that comes up as a decision out of their discussions are sent “downwards”.
One day as usual — like a captain in front of soldiers — the Biz Dev team tells product managers, “This is the next product to build to follow our strategy. Go talk to designers and engineers to build them. Make the CEO happy!”
The whole office floor is shaking with uproar from mobile app designers and engineers:
“Why are we building this?”
“What are they thinking by giving this to our customers?”
“What kind of company are we going to be, if we really launch this product?”
As the design lead, Joe is there to listen to them. They are her people. However, she has to listen to the other side as well:
Biz Dev: “We need this quickly in order to support our long term business!”
Joe: “Why are you so sure that this it the right solution to ABC problem?”
Biz Dev: “Our competitors are closing in. We don’t have the luxury to dig that question.”
Product Manager: “Can we work together to make sure that this effort can be done in the period we have agreed?”
Marketing: “All I care is… that this doesn’t reduce our customer acquisition.”
Joe: “Don’t worry. Our design process includes validation with customers.”
And then the product manager and a designer bring the product prototype back to the CEO.
“That’s not what I meant!”, the CEO gets anxious.
That is what you get if innovation is purely about business, and no designers are assigned to be one of the CEO’s guards. Designers can bring customer insights, but most importantly designers translate CEO vision in a way that is not business-centric but product-centric. This makes it easier for all designers and engineers “down there” understand why they need to build that product.
Joe and another designer are “sent above” to sit with the CEO. Bringing her usual attitude of everything-can-be-solved-if-we-treat-it-like-a-design-problem, she sits there to listen. A lot.
“I have a vision,” the CEO starts.
CEO: “This is our competition landscape. This is our market. We want to expand to that market, because it will give us ABC competitive advantage.”
Joe: “Why do you need it to happen in 3 months?”
CEO: “Because of the release of XYZ product. It will be the right moment to release this product, too.”
She stands up to the board. “This is what we’ve done,” saying while sketching.
The other designer stands up. Drawing another sketch. “This is the alternative if we don’t do it that soon.”
The CEO stands up! He tries to make a connection between the two sketches. “Why don’t we do it this way?” He scribbles some lines and shapes.
“Oh, that!” She confirms. The other designer looks at her. He immediately knows what to say. He says, “Yes, we mean that, not this.”
The CEO looks calm, puts down the marker, and goes back to sit down. The Marketing and Biz Dev dudes cannot say anything. They look dumbfounded. How can it be not about numbers? Conversations then only continue between designers and the CEO.
“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” -O.W. Holmes, Jr.
It’s difficult to explain to mobile app designers and engineers about the CEO’s vision around the product concept. They think a lot in product utility: why do we need to bring this to our customers this time, in this way? And Joe:
- Instead of speaking about competitor’s landscape and target market, she goes straight to customer characteristics in that particular market
- Instead of speaking in terms of business strategy, she explains the pros and cons of doing it sooner, and why it means big for the business
- Instead of speaking in terms of competitive advantage, she shows the CEO’s sketch
- Instead of criticizing how the current UI will not realize the vision as in the CEO’s sketch, she explains how this is an opportunity to fix that UI problem they’ve been talking about
Designers and engineers finally get it! Business jargons don’t have to be theoretical. A designer who knows the language of business can explain in terms of product to the tech team. A tech team who understands the vision is a happy team. They will work on the new concept passionately.
Summary:
- Get from the CEO his/her vision by asking in plain language. Don’t try to be business-savvy by asking in terms of business jargons. If you think competitor’s landscape, competitive advantage / SWOT, market size, are business jargons, then you’re too ignorant. They’re the basic words you can use to communicate with a CEO.
- Bring a fellow designer to the meeting. Showing a design artifact is a way to provoke action. Seeing at least two people sketching will help the CEO feel at ease to join the activity instead of putting him/herself in the analytical box of business jargons. By preparing two sketches we can inspire them that the current ideas aren’t set in stone, inviting more ideas instead of anxious criticism.
- Once you’re on the same page as the CEO about the vision, it’s time to start talking about the details of the product, pros and cons, etc.
Now prepare paper and pencil for your next meetings, because the CEO will most probably need them. Infected by the following designer’s mindset!
For a more structured tips on how to do more “show and tell” together with your CEO, try this presentation. Fore more business fluency, try this presentation. Find a time to know your CEO personally. Informal is the way to go, so this fiction may be your wildest dream in a typical organization ;)
If you want to read more about Design, Innovation, and Human Behavior please follow Design Strat instead of qonita’s profile :)
