R&D Toolkit
  1. Overview
      2. Overview
    1. Introduction
      2.
      1. Recent Updates
        2.
    2. Tools
      3.
      1. Research
        2.
      2. Delivery
        3.
    3. Resources
      4.
      1. R&D
        2.
      2. Websites
        3.
      3. Project Tracking
        4.
      4. Further Resources
        5.
  2. Research
      3. Research Tools
    1. Problem
      2.
      1. Discovery
        2.
      2. Prioritisation
        3.
      3. Project Scoping
        4.
      4. Framing
        5.
    2. Empathise
      3.
      1. Investigate
        2.
      2. User Interview
        3.
      3. User Insights
        4.
      4. Data
        5.
    3. Mapping
      4.
      1. Research Mapping
        2.
      2. User Mapping
        3.
      3. Organisation Mapping
        4.
    4. Synthesis
      5.
      1. Problem Reframing
        2.
      2. Define
        3.
      3. Feature Prioritisation
        4.
  3. Design
      4. Design Tools
    1. Ideation
      2.
      1. Warm Up
        2.
      2. Sketching
        3.
      3. Storyboarding
        4.
      4. Design Studio
        5.
  4. Delivery
      5. Delivery Tools
    1. Agile
      2.
    2. Scrum
      3.
      1. Overview
        2.
      2. Team
        3.
      3. Events
        4.
      4. Artifacts
        5.
      5. Glossary
        6.

marc.tools

A Product R&D Toolkit

Welcome. I'm Marc and this is a Toolkit to create things.
R&D Toolkit    Resources
Resources

As the Product Development space continues to evolve, more and more resources are created and launched that can aid with the process of creating products - these can range from rapid prototyping, to audience data, tracking projects and launching MVPs.

This section contains resources that can help hugely in the Product R&D process.

Sections
R&D
Websites
Project Tracking
Further Resources
  
R&D Toolkit    Resources

A dump for R&D resources I currently use, or could be useful in the future for rapid prototyping, experimentation and development.

R&D Resources

A large part of the Product R&D process is rapid experimentation and prototyping, these sites will help with the required efficiency and speed that is vital to successfully moving forwards.

Resource Description
Invision Create interactive prototypes from Sketch or Figma design files for rapid testing and feedback.
Axure RP 9 Prototyping software that helps plan and then seamlessly handoff to developers.
Principle Easily create animated designs and interactive interfaces.
Framer Rapid realistic prototyping - import designs that can be made interactive.
Flinto Interactive prototyping that can import Sketch/Figma designs.
Proto.io Hi-fidelity prototypes that look and feel like a finished product.
Origami Software that covers design, prototyping and animation as a single package.

Taking the time to understand what an audience is using a product for is incredibly important to discovering problems and opportunities.

Resource Description
Hotjar Identify exactly what users are doing with a product.
Google Analytics Raw and vast data around product usage including where users are referred from, how long they are on the site for, and what they are looking for.
FullStory Fully understand the existing digital experience of your products for users.

Efficiently taking insights, ideas and user requirements and translating them in to features and a user interface is very important, the various design software found here can solve that and more.

Resource Description
Sketch Design and manage different fidelity elements, symbols and screens using that can easily be exported for prototyping or to code.
Figma UI design software that encourages collaboration as well as the ability to easily export for prototyping and coding.
Marvel Design, prototype and easily handoff projects.
UX Pin Create high fidelity designs and make them interactive inside a single package.

Being able to scale up and efficiently conduct research will help with the speed and success of a project. Leaning on these products can help during rapid development.

Resource Description
Ethn.io Recruit research participants.
Ping Pong User interviews and usability testing.
Google Forms Use to conduct a screener survey to collect research participants and general data.
Survey Monkey Use for more in depth surveying of an audience, and use their other services for further expansion of particpants.

Being able to test an hypothesis with a real audience is the pinnacle of R&D, and MVPs are one of the most valuable methofs for achieving this.

Resource Description
Glide Create an app from a spreadsheet.
MapHub Plot personalised maps that can be shared and embedded.

These resources are particularly useful for easily and quickly generating code, as well as other efficiencies.

Resource Description
Deco Rapidly generate React Native code using this IDE.
Zeplin Collaborative and centralised design system that allows designers to sync designs that developers can then grab the code for.
  
R&D Toolkit    Resources

General websites that contain helpful information or tools that can aid the development process, whether it be theory behind R&D, tools, templates or other valuable insights.

Websites

Various sites that contain a wealth of tools and templates that can help with Product R&D - also good to follow as usually leading on innovation thought.

Resource Description
Design Methods Finder Searchable database of Design Methods and Tools.
DT Toolbook Design Thinking Tools.
dx.mba Strategic innovation toolkit.
Design Libs Tools that help defining what we want to do before ideation.
IDEO Design Kit Various design related tools from one of the oldest and most innovative design agencies.
Google Sprint Kit Toolkit focused on design sprints.
This is Service Design Doing Tools to aid with service design.
Product Discovery Methods Design thinking tools that specifically help with the product discovery and innovation process.
fyi Resource Depository Wealth of usable tools, templates and other resources for all manners of Product Development.
Design a Better Business Design and business tools for startups and innovation.
Design Think Make Break Repeat Design thinking tools and templates.

One of the hardest parts of Product Development is ensuring teams work efficiently and harmoniously when delivering the project, these websites cover the best practices and methods for doing so.

Resource Description
Atlassian Agile Excellent glossary of terms and processes used within Agile. Was particularly helpful whilst creating this toolkit.
Scrum Guide Overview of Scrum, including all of the components that help with the Scrum process.

A lot of approaches and ideas stem from theories and methodologies that help shape the eventual process, as like all things, Product Development/Innovation/Start-up theory is ever evolving and these resources are good places to keep track of changes and new thinking.

Resource Description
Stanford Design School As with many disciplines, Stanford are thought leads and design thinking is no exception.
Jesse James Garrett One of the original design thinkers and UX pioneers, JJG has plenty of insights and thoughts that can help shape thinking and approaches.
NN Group As well as a wealth of tools and templates, NN Group (founded by Don Normal and Jakob Nielsen) have a vast amount of articles, talks and other theory around User Experience and other digital processes.
  
R&D Toolkit    Resources

It's important to keep on top of a project, collaborating and being transparent as to progress. Fortunately there are better tools available than just a simple spreadsheet (which can still work well for a variety of tasks). These tools are ever evolving, with newer products often launching often to help level up the process.

Project Tracking Resources

Tracking progress, encouraging transparency and keeping teams on the same page is incredibly important and these resources are here to solve that problem.

Resource Description
Jira Industry favoured platform for Agile software development .
Trello Team organisation for project tracking.
Hygger Kanban software with roadmaps and backlog and other tracking features.

The Product Development process can create a lot of information, issues, thoughts, ideas and other things that need a central logging place, these resources can help beyond the normal spreadsheet or note taking app.

Resource Description
Miro Highly flexible whiteboard software. Featured heavily in this toolkit, it's great for collaboration, logging and idea collection.
Airtable At a base level, a highly flexible way of logging things, but could be used in more sophisticated ways to imagine products and projects.
Notion All encompassing powerful workspace for individuals or teams. Can be used across an organisation for a variety of tasks that require logging and sharing of information.
IDEO Shape "Shape: A Visual, Collaborative Space to Build, Test, and Refine your Ideas""

The Product function in an organisation is very unique, with no 2 product people ever being the same - whilst their remit is usually spread across a number of areas, there are some core functions that are required and these resources can help cover that.

Resource Description
ProdPad Software to help cover the base Product role, including ideas management, backlogs, customer feedback and strategic planning.
Aha! Resource focused on strategic roadmaps, along with a number of other tools that can help prioritise features.
Pendo Gather in-depth insights in to the existing user's experiences to help drive the roadmap for future features.

Collating, tracking and retrospectively looking at research is very important as a means of improving the likelihood of a successful product, and these resources can help with that.

Resource Description
UserBit A platform for organising research data, including user interviews, surveys and mapping users.
Roam Moving quickly whilst developing products is the name of the game, but sometimes this can create knowledge gaps. Roam can help link subjects together as a kind of directory to refer back to when making decisions.
EnjoyHQ Centralised place for all research data, with standardised formatting for consistent collaboration.
Dovetail Analyse data and then collaborate on the insights all in a single research repository.
  
R&D Toolkit    Resources

Miscellaneous resources that are helpful in general and worthy of future reference.

Further Resources

Resource Description
Stamford Design School Design Thinking Facilitator Presentation A number of tools and techniques packaged up as facilitating presentation for teaching and running a Design Thinking workshop.
Resource Description
The 4 Types of Innovation and the Problems They Solve Nice overview of Innovation models, with references to resources and discussion around big scientific backed innovation.
Trust the Process We can easily get distracted, get overwhelmed or get disillusioned with a project, this is a reminder to trust the process.
This UX Strategy Guide helps designers make better decisions Article on helping UX designers get onboard with corporate/business decision making that can help inform their designs in a positive way.

Resources that could be helpful in the future, but don't currently have a home or I haven't explored them fully.

Resource Description
PARA Method System for managing everything. Uses a format of Areas of interest, with individual projects that can help accomplish and further than Area.
Building a Second Brain I started this toolkit as a means to offload my thoughts and knowledge on Product Development and organise them in a way that allows me to quickly refer back and remind myself. This resource explores that concept further.