marc.tools

A Product R&D Toolkit

Welcome. I'm Marc and this is a Toolkit to create things.

Research is the key - it might sound obvious, but something we all do is jump straight to solutions. Coming up with ideas to a pre-perceived problem that is littered with assumptions. This sometimes works, but usually leads to failure or a poorly crafted solution.

Part of this desire to skip the research phase is sometimes borne from the lack of faith in the process, the ability to feel truly confident that all the work required will help with the eventual solution and testing assumptions. This is the most resource intensive step, but also the most important - don't skip it.

  

The problem comes to you - it could be something you've noticed, something you've experienced, something you've heard about and can often manifest itself as an idea of a solution to this imagined problem.

However, taking the time to fully understand the problem itself first will make the likelihood of finding the right solution much higher.

This section covers the discovery of that problem, and the various tools that can be used to frame, prioritise and define it further.

Problem Tools

ToolDescriptionTemplate
Problem LogKeep track of problems to be further investigated.PDF    Miro
Problem WorkshopBring a team together to discuss, analyse and prioritise problems to be solved.Multiple
Problem InterviewDiscover the problem from the source through an interview.PDF    Miro
5 WhysGo deeper with understanding the problem.PDF    Miro
SailboatDiscover future problems that may occur.PDF    Miro
ToolDescriptionTemplate
Priority MatrixVisually plot problems in order to prioritise which should be worked on.PDF    Miro
SWOT AnalysisLook inwards to help focus on the problems that are aligned with the business goals.PDF    Miro
NUF TestAdd some quantitative data to the problem to help prioritise the best problem to work on.PDF    Miro
Priority ChartWeigh up effort vs reward as a means of prioritising problems.PDF    Miro
ToolDescriptionTemplate
Project CanvasOutline the scope of the project, including tools and resources.PDF    Miro
Lean CanvasHave more focus on speed and efficiency when outlining the project.PDF    Miro
Project BriefClarify what the goals and processes that are expected from the project are.PDF    Miro
DeliverablesDocument the exact things that are expected to be delivered during and at the end of the project.PDF    Miro
ToolDescriptionTemplate
Problem StatementUse to state the problem in a consistent and clear way.PDF    Miro
HypothesisAlign why solving the problem will help the user achieve their goal and the business their goal.PDF    Miro
Problem Framing WorksheetA method for framing the problem, what activities should be conducted and the goals, reducing crossover.PDF    Miro
Problem Framing SketchVisualise the problem as a means of removing assumptions that could affect the perception of the problem.PDF    Miro
Proto-PersonaBuild empathy by creating a Persona of someone who could be experiencing the problem.PDF    Miro
  

We've discovered problems, we've prioritised and framed them and now we need to validate that such a problem exists and test our assumptions.

We do this through investigative research, speaking to users and stakeholders, looking at data and observing competitors.

This section contains the tools to help guide and structure the validation process.

Empathise Tools

ToolDescriptionTemplate
Research CanvasA single source of truth for how the Research phase will proceed.PDF    Miro
Competitor AnalysisHas anyone tackled this problem before? How? What products are users using to help solve the problem?PDF    Miro
Stakeholder InterviewFurther understand the problem from those closest to the coal face.PDF    Miro
ToolDescriptionTemplate
RecruitingHow to target and recruit the right users to interview.PDF    Miro
Screener SurveyA vital and lean method of finding target users and gathering general feedback data.PDF    Miro
Interview StructureHow to efficiently and thoroughly conduct an interview to maximise insight.PDF    Miro
Question StructureStructure questions in a way that will help conversation flow and insights appear.PDF    Miro
The InterviewConduct the interview and capture the output in a concise, digestible way.PDF    Miro
ToolDescriptionTemplate
Competitor UsabilityObserve and discover how uses solve their problem using competitor's products.PDF    Miro
Contextual InquiryObserve a user experience the problem in their context to understand what they go through.PDF    Miro
Card SortingUnderstand the best way to structure a product, and how users think whilst navigating.PDF    Miro
ToolDescriptionTemplate
AnalyticsUse existing products and usage data to uncover problems and opportunities.PDF    Miro
A/B TestingUnderstand user's preferences and motivations by testing different options.PDF    Miro
QuestionnaireGather large amounts of high level data to further understand trends and problems.PDF    Miro
  

Once we've thoroughly interrogated the problem space and collated lots of research and now we need to understand it. We can do this by grouping similar themes, extracting insights, fully understanding our users and their needs and wants.

By visually mapping and linking insights, it helps to build a bigger picture of the problem space and like panning for gold, combing through all this data with a fine tooth comb will extract value constantly, and mapping this information will help immensely with the decision making process.

Mapping Tools

ToolDescriptionTemplate
Summarising ResearchEfficiently collect, summarise and present research insights.PDF    Miro
Affinity MapSpot trends and patterns by visual grouping of research insights and data.PDF    Miro
Concept MappingCombine existing and new knowledge to connect insights in a way that can lead to an idea or product feature.PDF    Miro
Assumptions MapMap and test key assumptions by deconstructing and mapping them to check they are still valid.PDF    Miro
ToolDescriptionTemplate
PersonaBuild empathy and understanding by creating a typical user type.PDF    Miro
Empathy MapUnderstand user's and their problems further by understanding what they are trying to accomplish and their experience doing it.PDF    Miro
Customer Journey MapA visual way of showing what a user experiences whilst trying to reach their goal.PDF    Miro
Experience MapUnderstand what a user goes through when trying to achieve their goal outside of a product.PDF    Miro
ToolDescriptionTemplate
Stakeholder MapConnect the various stakeholders in an organisation that could effect and influence the product development process.PDF    Miro
Service BlueprintThere are many other hidden functions that go in to a functional product and a Service Blueprint will help map these.PDF    Miro
  

Taking the mapped insights we can begin to understand and define the problem in a way that moves us towards the ideation and solution phase.

Encouraging ourselves to interpret things in different ways is also important, and the tools in this phase allows us the opportunity for real innovation.

Synthesis Tools

ToolDescriptionTemplate
ConceptLook at the problem from a different perspective, helping with more diverse and leaner solutions.PDF    Miro
Root Cause AnalysisDive deeper on the problem to come up with alternate ways of looking at the cause.PDF    Miro
Reframing MatrixBring people together from different perspectives to focus on 4 key areas to look at the problem in different ways.PDF    Miro
Challenge MappingUse 'How Might We' in a way that helps to dive deeper in to the problem from 2 different directions - 'Why' and 'What's Stopping Us'PDF    Miro
ToolDescriptionTemplate
5 WsUse the 5 Whys as a method of interrogating, and ultimately defining the true problem.PDF    Miro
ScenariosSmall stories that help define the problem and understand the user goal.PDF    Miro
Job StoryDefine what the user is trying to accomplish in a succinct way that a development team can fully understand.PDF    Miro
User StoryTie a user persona to a specific task that a user would like to accomplish in a consistent format that the development team can follow.PDF    Miro
How Might WeDefine a user need in an optimistic way that moves away from a problem and towards a solution.PDF    Miro
ToolDescriptionTemplate
Feature LogKeep track of features that could be used in current or future Product Development.PDF    Miro
MoSCoWA prioritisation method that helps focus minds on the most vital elements and can also help define an MVP.PDF    Miro
Weighted ScoringBuild empathy across stakeholders and an organisation by prioritising features based on their impact on both the user and business.PDF    Miro
Buy-a-FeatureInvolve stakeholders in the feature prioritisation process by allowing them to choose features based on a specific budget.PDF    Miro