Innlegget er skrevet av Salvador Baille, partner i Aggrator.
Many entrepreneurs start with an idea and quickly set about building something. It's
understandable. But the path from idea to a profitable and scalable product requires more than just motivation and a lot of trial and error. It requires structure. One method that has inspired many in product development, and which is still relevant, is the Total Design method developed by Stuart Pugh.
Here are six points from the method that I believe every entrepreneur should have in their toolbox:
1. Start with real needs
Total Design doesn’t start with technology, it starts with people. What do users actually need? Not what they say in a survey, but what makes their lives or everyday lives easier. It requires insight, not assumptions. This is as true for a small business app as it is for a new type of solar panel.
2. Create a Product Design Specification (PDS)
PDS is a systematic overview of everything the product must deliver on. Performance, price, reliability, environmental requirements – everything should be included. This document is living and will be adjusted along the way, but it gives you and the team a common map. I have used something similar in several early-phase projects myself – and it dramatically reduces both misunderstandings and wasted time. And communication within the team becomes considerably better, with more productivity and less frustration.
3. Think broadly – and choose smartly
After the requirements and specifications come the ideation phase. Many teams choose the first or “best” idea too quickly. But Total Design uses what is called the Pugh matrix – a systematic way to compare concepts. You evaluate against the requirements you have already defined and compare different new ideas or concepts against a product to beat, a “benchmark”. Having a benchmark to compare new ideas to provides a framework for the creativity process. Believe me, creativity can be steered in the right direction.
4. From idea to product
Once you have chosen a concept, you enter the technical development. Prototypes, user testing and iterations – all of this is familiar to entrepreneurs. But again: It happens with the PDS as a reference point. You are not working blindly.
5. Production is not an attachment
For many entrepreneurs, manufacturing is something you “take when you get there.” It’s risky. Total Design insists that you need to think about manufacturing and suppliers early. A small adjustment in manufacturing can mean big savings for years to come.
6. Think about the entire life cycle
A product doesn't stop being important when it's sold. User support, maintenance,
upgrades, feedback – all of this is part of the product lifecycle. Total
Design includes that from the start. It also makes it easier to build services around your product, and perhaps find new business models.
There is no method that can guarantee success. Total Design gives you a framework that increases the likelihood that you will build something that actually works – not just on a technical board, but in the marketplace.
After all, that is where we create value for a society that needs transformation more than ever.
ever.
Are you interested in learning more about design and product development? Join the masterclass with theory and practical work on your product next Thursday, led by NxTech.