PoC Design is a method for you to run tests to confirm or reject the core of an idea. It is the practice of proof of concept aligned to the design, an essential tool for the development of new businesses.
In this article you will deeply understand what PoC Design is and also see why innovation teams invest in this approach. Check it out!
What is PoC Design?
A proof of concept (PoC) is the exercise in which work is focused on determining if an idea can be transformed into reality, its goal is to check the viability of the idea or verify if it will work as foreseen. It can also be described as a prototype that does not represent deliveries.
The proof of concept is also known as proof of principle or PoC Design. It is a great way to validate the market, with a small budget. Before spending money on coding you need to validate your supposition that people really want your product. Finding out that there is a problem that your idea will solve is easy, finding a solution that people desire is what you need to validate.
In the context of software and product development, a PoC is how development team or a startup demonstrate if a product is really technically or financially viable. They show this by developing a software prototype with minimum features or by testing a product with a limited set of resources.
For example, a startup could develop a PoC with just the main resources in order to test if the application would really be accepted by the target public. Or they could try to develop just a part of a new and complex feature which had never been tested previously.
In short, despite all the differences in several methods, most of the members of the software development community agree that the fastest and most economical way to develop a prototype or a product is by making a proof of concept.
PoC Design is different from MVP
It is very important to not confuse PoC Design with MVP (Minimum Viable Product).
MVP is a development technique in which a new product is developed with enough resources to meet the needs of the first users. The final and complete set of resources is designed and developed only after considering the feedback from users.
An MVP helps the learning process begin as fast as possible. It is not, however, the smallest imaginable product. It is simply the fastest way to start learning how to build a sustainable business with minimum effort.
In short, a PoC validates two goals: “people need this product” and “you can build this product”. The MVP validates the following objectives: “people need this product” and “people will buy this product”. Customers do not see the PoCs, because they are made internally. MVPs can be implemented in production while PoCs cannot.
Benefits of PoC Design for innovation teams
The benefits of PoC Design are very useful for innovation teams which work with disruptive ideas and need to run tests continuously. Read bellow what the main benefits are:
You can test technical viability easily
There are moments in which you wish to develop a product but you are not sure if it will be technically viable or if a specific module will be viable. A proof of concept is essential for you to verify the technical propositions, see if they are feasible or if it is necessary to change something.
You can quickly test the acceptance of your product in the market
Sometimes, the team wants to develop a scalable product, but they are not sure if consumers will accept it or not. It is hard to know if the market is ready for a disruptive idea or, if so, if there are enough buyers to ensure a good return of the investment. This is even more relevant in startups, because their goal is to launch concepts that do not exist in the market yet.
You can reduce costs
Developing a PoC Design also helps you considerably reduce costs. It is a way of reducing investment risks, playing the game with a small amount of cash, instead of investing your whole capital all at once and soon discover there will not be any return of the money invested.
You can be sure about its financial viability or discard it
It is easy to create a product, but it is not so easy to find customers who are willing to pay for using it. Therefore, financial viability is essential for maintaining profits in the long run.
You can get new potential customers
The development of a PoC is sometimes necessary when there is a need to impress potential customers, showing them possibilities. Or when you must propose a new concept to a customer, something he might not have yet thought about.
The steps of PoC Design
Now take a look at the details of the four steps a proof of concept must go through.
Immersion
It is the phase in which the team dives into a reality so that they can better understand it (target-public, market segment, competitors, new technologies, etc.). In this phase, empathy maps are made, researchers observe the studied group as affectionately as possible.
Ideation and Prioritization
Next comes ideation and prioritization. The first is the moment of “thinking outside the box”: The more ideas, the better. The second is the filtering phase, when it is time to choose between the several options created in the ideation phase. It is time to "separate the wheat from the chaff”.
Prototyping
“Prototyping is the phase when elementary versions of the product are created. We always work on prototypes having in mind that they will be discarded. Prototypes bring answers, they can be shown to customers who will give their opinion on them and help improve the final product.
Tests
The last phase is about testing, which can happen in several ways (interviews, online campaigns, technical tests, etc). They are not the final result, but they are a part of the creative process, which explains why metrics are defined in order to make them measurable, to make it possible to map them and create interactions that can facilitate the evolution of the project.
Finally, we want to highlight that organizations and teams who are dedicated to innovation need to invest in PoC Design. This method must be incorporated to the cycle of companies, for testing products, services and features in a recurring manner. Startups can do it for their new products and big companies can do it as a way of keeping a continuous innovation flow.
Can you now see the importance of PoC Design for innovation teams? Get in contact with us and see how we can help implement this approach to your business!
