In the world of design, product management, engineering, and venture capital, the concept of “product thinking” or “product sense” is a crucial factor by which individuals are evaluated during interviews or presentations. This concept is not limited to creators seeking to innovate new products, but also applies to investors looking to fund these innovations. Possessing a refined ability to think about products is the key to excellence and success at various stages of technology development, from adding new product lines to adapting to emerging market trends. In this article, we will explore the concept of product thinking, how to cultivate and apply it effectively to achieve better outcomes, and clarify the differences between product thinking and other thinking styles such as design thinking. We will also take a look at the importance of practicing observation and inquiry principles to support this thinking, and how mastery in this field can lead to the creation of outstanding products that effectively meet consumer needs.
Concept of Product Thinking
The skill of product thinking is the ability to understand what makes a particular product useful and beloved by users. Product thinkers do not only focus on what they like or dislike in products; they strive to understand the reasons behind why a product works or fails for a broader audience. This understanding is essential for the success of any product, as the ability to analyze, evaluate, and think proactively leads to positive results. For instance, if we look at the TikTok app, its success is not just a coincidence, but rather the result of a profound understanding of what users are looking for in terms of interaction and ease of use. Through this tool, content creators can learn how to produce content that reflects the desires of their audience and captures their attention.
In addition, product thinking relies on observation and inquiry. Product makers must analyze the feedback they receive from their users and interpret it in a way that contributes to improving the product or service, which requires emotional intelligence and an ability to understand others’ motivations. Furthermore, product thinking should not be tied to a particular organization or industry; rather, it can be a useful skill in any field. Indicators and data help provide deeper insights into the lives of commercial products and user behaviors, assisting companies in making informed decisions.
Elements of Product Thinking
There are several elements that form the core of product thinking. First, the ability to critique and analyze. This skill allows for the evaluation of the success of a particular product according to the practices followed for its development. For example, an IT program can be evaluated by studying the design choices and decisions that led to achieving the goals. Second, the readiness for creativity and solution provision. Product thinking requires those involved in product development to be ready to challenge the status quo and seek new and effective ways to solve problems. When this occurs, products can achieve sustainable success.
Third, testing and validation techniques. It is insufficient to look solely at verbal feedback; specific strategies must be adopted to test potential hypotheses. For instance, A/B testing can be used to understand how different audiences respond to specific elements in the product. This practice is an integral part of product thinking, as it ensures changes are made based on empirical evidence rather than just assumptions.
How to Develop Product Thinking Skills
To develop product thinking skills, one should focus on two main habits: observation and inquiry. Observation begins with paying attention to how people interact with products and services. The observation process starts with oneself, identifying situations that make one feel comfortable or uncomfortable when using a particular product. For example, when using the Jabra 75t Elite earbuds, you may notice that their use during meetings makes you feel relaxed, but you also realize that they may press on your ears due to their close designs. This type of observation invites questions about how appropriate the constructed designs are, and encourages you to make broader comparisons with competing products.
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developing the skill of observation, one must turn to inquiry. This requires asking deep questions about behaviors and experiences. Benefits can be drawn from reading specialized books, gathering customer feedback, and studying data extracted from market research. Just as Facebook did when it launched “Reactions” as a way to express user feelings. There was an urgent need to find a means beyond the “like” button that seemed insufficient to express a wide range of emotions. Thus, the introduction of varied reactions allowed users to portray opinions more accurately.
Productive Thinking in the Modern Business Environment
With many companies shifting towards product-driven innovation instead of traditional financial aspects, the skills of productive thinking have become critical. Productive thinking helps to understand new trends and directions in the market that benefit product-related innovations. It enhances critical and analytical thinking, enabling the ability to predict the future and anticipate potential changes in user behaviors. This holistic vision contributes to the development of more effective marketing strategies and improvement of internal processes in companies.
The dimensions of productive thinking change with technological advancement, but the foundation remains the same, which is understanding the user and why they use products in the way they do. By fostering a culture of productive thinking within organizations, an environment can be created that promotes innovation and adds value to various elements of the production chain. Successful companies demonstrate how to apply these skills and experiences across multiple stages of the production life cycle, leading to sustainability and long-term success.
The Evolution of Reactions in Social Media
The core idea of the reactions feature in social media began from the need to enhance user experience and expand the scope of emotional expression. The idea stemmed from concerns about how to interpret user feelings, especially when interacting with posts related to specific events or issues. Consider the example of a local sports team, where using the word “boo!” as a comment on a picture of the team could lead to misunderstandings and varied interpretations of feelings. Does it mean the user dislikes the team, or is it a dislike of the comment, or is the opinion directed toward the person who posted the picture?
This concern about inaccurate interpretation of responses prompted developers to choose a more expressive method that encompasses a range of emotions, from love to anger and sadness, instead of relying on the traditional “like” button. The outcome of these ideas was the launch of the “Reactions” feature, which allows for more expression of feelings through animated emojis. Five prominent emotions were selected from an initial set of seven to better meet the public’s desires, contributing to a richer and clearer interaction experience.
Developing such features is part of a long process of understanding and experimentation, where user feedback is taken into account to improve the product. It is important to emphasize that this process has various factors influencing its success, including how users interact with different emotions and how well they meet their needs.
The Importance of Productive Thinking and Experiences in Product Design
The ability to think productively is vital for anyone designing or developing products. Productive thinking is the process that involves understanding users’ needs and expectations, and it also requires the ability to engage in continuous consultations and adapt to feedback. This can be extremely helpful when facing challenges related to engaging with the audience and delivering a product that meets their needs.
There are certain principles that can assist in developing productive thinking, among the most notable: experiencing at least one product or new feature each week, and having discussions about how product decisions affect the target audience. Over time, you will start to see underlying patterns that illustrate why some products succeed while others fail.
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Utilizing daily practices in work, such as design reviews and feedback from users, to effectively apply product thinking. For example, designers exchange opinions about their designs, giving them the opportunity to learn from others’ feedback and gain new ideas to enhance user experiences. Researchers and analysts also use big data analytics to match patterns across a wide range of data, helping them understand success in social products.
Learning from Mistakes and Successes in Product Development
Although product thinking enables designers and developers to build strong products, failure or success cannot be completely predicted. Often, developers struggle to determine which step or decision had the most impact on the product’s success. This can complicate the decision-making process, making it difficult to direct efforts towards improving specific aspects. However, the best approach to tackle this challenge is to focus on a process of continuous learning.
By continually gathering feedback from users and analyzing data, developers can understand how customers feel about the product and their needs. Learning from both negative and positive feedback enhances product quality and gives its developers a clearer idea of what the market requires. Learning from mistakes is an essential part of the development process, as it helps mitigate risks and enhance success in the project.
This type of learning reflects Steve Jobs’s experience with the iPhone, where market analysis and trends helped him make bold decisions about product design, resulting in a device that revolutionized communications and computing. This story shows how trust in product thinking and bold choices stem from the ability to adapt and learn from setbacks. These lessons should be taken into account by anyone looking to build something that continues to attract the attention of users and customers.
Source link: https://future.com/product-thinking/
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