Testing Solution Desirability (aka Positioning)

You have a great idea, you just need to evaluate whether customers really want it. You want to create a landing page and some social media posts that highlight how great your new feature is. But how do you convey the value of your product quickly and accurately?

The most common mistake that people make is to focus on features. "Now with 20% more AI!" The challenge with focusing on features is that it leaves it up to people to figure out how this new feature will help them.

April Dunford's book, Obviously Awesome, highlights how you need to focus not just on the value that a customer will get out of using your feature, but also to focus really narrowly on a niche that will get the most value out of it.

It feels weird to focus so narrowly when your feature is so amazing. But unless you get traction with the niche that will get the most from your product you are unlikely to get any broader market traction either.

I go into more detail, including an example of we could position the awesome new (fake) project management app ProjectAI in my article below.

This Week’s Updates

Enabling the Team

How To Become A Supermanager With AI by Hilary Gridley
Using AI can amplify a managers impact; including improving team writing skills, fostering debate, enhancing synthesis abilities, creating custom GPTs for on-demand insights, and teaching teams to collaborate effectively with AI.

Balanced Teams – Here’s How To Make Them Work by Martina Hodges-Schell
Building balanced teams requires combining diverse strengths while creating alignment around shared goals. Encouraging open communication and collaboration fosters a culture of trust and performance.

Product Direction

Good Taste Makes Great Products by Danilo Campos
Product quality often comes down to taste; sweating the details, trusting your instincts, and caring deeply about how things feel, not just how they work.

User-Focused Product Development Strategy In 7 Steps by Sprig
For an effective product strategy you need to define goals, identify opportunities, and validate ideas. Also of great importance is iterative design and customer feedback in building successful products. [Sponsored Content]

Continuous Research

Rethinking The Canonical Design Process Diagram, And A Call For Beauty by Irene Au
Revisiting the traditional design process diagram, Irene argues for a more holistic and aesthetically pleasing approach that emphasizes the flow of creativity and iterative improvements.

When Technology Becomes The Problem: A UX Cautionary Tale From Athens by Dr Maria Panagiotidi
Technology isn't inherently better. It's only better when it solves real problems for real people of all abilities. And you can't understand those problems without research, observation, and a commitment to accessibility.

Continuous Design

Testing Solution Desirability (aka Positioning) by Rory Madden
Testing solution desirability isn’t just about the product, it’s about how you communicate its value. Clear positioning ensures your product stands out in a crowded market, resonates deeply with your audience, and builds a strong foundation for growth.

Designing For The Unexpected: Strategies For Error Prevention In UX Design by Syed Balkhi
Understand user needs and design forgiving interfaces to prevent errors. This gives benefits such as; improved customer satisfaction, increased loyalty, reduced costs, and a better brand image.

Continuous Development

The Future Of Design: How AI Is Shifting Designers From Makers To Curators by Andy Budd
AI is shifting designers from creators to curators, automating tasks and allowing focus on strategic decision-making and user experience curation.

Designing Data Products by Martin Fowler
Building great data products requires cross-functional collaboration, clear product thinking, and a shift from tech-first to outcome-first approaches.

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Video of the Week
Design for Tomorrow vs. Design for Today

Join Jod Kaftan, Head of Product Design & Research at Oracle, and Alex Burke, CEO of Optimal Workshop, as they discuss the crucial balance between designing for immediate impact and investing in the future. This fireside chat explores whether UX designers should focus on practical, short-term solutions or prioritize long-term visionary designs.

Discover insights on how to navigate the tension between agility and a long-term vision, and whether the costs of deep futurism outweigh the potential benefits. Watch the full video now!👇

The Results of Last Week’s Poll

The question: How thoroughly do you test new product ideas?

This week’s poll results reveal that most teams are testing product ideas thoroughly, but there’s still room for improvement. The majority of respondents (35%) test their product ideas at all stages (from concept through to MVP). This comprehensive approach ensures that ideas are validated early and continuously refined before full-scale development.

However, 29% of respondents jump straight into prototype testing, and 24% bypass the testing process entirely, heading straight to MVP or delivery. Interestingly, one comment highlighted the risk companies face when skipping testing, as releasing an untested product can lead to poor market performance and unnecessary losses.

Testing early and often is key to ensuring that product ideas resonate with users and deliver value. If you’re looking to improve your product testing strategies, consider exploring how to integrate more structured testing processes throughout your development stages. Our Continuous Research course offers practical strategies to help refine your product validation approach!

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