No successful product is developed overnight, specially its first versions. Innovating can be very hard and it can cost a lot and take a very long time when you are not using the right technique.
It is key to rely on techniques that can minimize these problems while adapting the product to the specific demands of potential customers in the market. In order to do that, Design Thinking and PoC Design are strategic for creating better results.
Do you want to know how to launch something innovative without having to spend a lot in less than six months? Check out the technique we use at Action Labs which has already generated more than 15 successful launches!
Getting ideas off the drawing board thinking they will be tossed out
The greatest losses in the elaboration of a new product happen when the company insists too much on the wrong idea. That is why the entrepreneur must not work on an idea for too long, at the risk of falling in love with it. Because when we are in love with something, we stop looking at the most obvious defects and start ignoring the most revealing attitudes.
Therefore, the ideal way for you to get your ideas off the drawing board is through a validation method. In this sense, PoC Design is an excellent guide.
Methodologies to validate innovative ideas
Validation methodologies are specific techniques that permit you to test out an idea or a product before it is made available to the public. The goal is to correct the greatest number of errors possible and better guide the scope of the proposed solution by means of the right questions to potential customers.
Prototype
The aim of a prototype is to make an idea tangible in order to make more concrete and avoid generic and unfruitful discussions. Each type of product requires a different type of prototype. In architecture, there are mockups that represent the finished work. In fashion, there are croquis. In interaction design, it can be a paper-based representation of the navigation structure. The essential point is to make sure that the whole team, the stakeholders and the customers can really see the product by means of the prototype.
MVP
An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is the simplest possible version of the product that can already be purchased. It is important to have an exact view of the value proposition in order to be able to reduce the product to its essence.
Contrary to the prototype, the goal here is not onto making the idea concrete, but onto delivering the minimum version of its features. Thus, the main concept must be present and validated.
PoC Design
PoC Design is a broader methodology which may or may not include the previously mentioned techniques. Its focus is to determine the validation path of the concept even before beginning the development of the first versions.
With the help of an immersion process, the people who are responsible for the construction of the new product are put in the position of being the most interested parties: customers. With that, they end up having the truest view of the reality of the target public and so they can really understand the actual needs and preferences to be developed.
Next, the project continues with a test plan, the development of prototypes and MVPs (if necessary) so that the right aspects can be confirmed and the next steps can be defined until the first version of the product is ready to be launched.
PoC Design provides several advantages to those who wish to develop successful products. Let’s see some of the most relevant ones:
- Value proposition is clear: when this technique is used, the idea is developed around what is identified in the market researches and the analysis of the public’s behavior, as well as what is pointed out as being the errors and the positive aspects. If a company intends to implement a popsicle delivery service, it is first necessary to check if people really desire to receive popsicles in their houses. This is why the most important part of this method is the validation of the concept.
All throughout the process, various prototypes and MVPs can be elaborated to be presented to and tested by customers as part of the strategy. However, the searched answer in a proof of concept is “what are the next step?” and “it worked” or “it did not work”.
- Time is saved: the whole process takes 90 to 120 days. The focus onto the most precise definition of the core of the product helps designing shorter paths and making fewer mistakes in each one of them.
- Prioritization: the method helps you understand both what has to be done and what must not. Thus, the time that would be spent on the development of the prototypes is optimized and it is not necessary to wait for the delivery of several features and layouts in order to only then see that that was not exactly what the customer wanted or expected.
- Costs are reduced: it is evident that there is a reduction of costs. In PoC Design, a small part of the budget (10% to 20%) is directed to the development of the concept, the rest is dedicated to the production of the validated idea.
Hence, even the low-budget ideas can be better defined. Besides that, the techniques used in this methodology allow you to have more predictability of cost with this first phase, before launching the product in the market. This makes it possible for you to be more rational and precise with regards to resources.
Count on an experienced partner to help you launch successful products
This process of validating a new idea demands great effort and, above all, knowledge. Therefore, it is key to have an experienced company by your side who has expertise in the methodology and can correctly guide the actions.
In this sense, Action Labs is the ideal partner because we use PoC Design to help businesses create innovative solutions. We have more than 15 successful launches in our portfolio and the next one can be yours!
You have an idea but you are not sure how to implement it? We can help you make it real in a quick and cost-effective manner. Get in contact with us and turn your idea into a successful product!
