You have a creative problem to solve, and you have generated some possible solutions. But how do you know which one is the best? How do you test your solutions quickly and effectively, without wasting time, money, or resources? In this article, you will learn some tips and techniques for testing your solutions in the context of creative problem solving.
Before you test your solutions, you need to define your criteria for success. What are the goals and objectives of your problem-solving process? What are the constraints and requirements that your solutions must meet? How will you measure the impact and value of your solutions? By defining your criteria, you can create a clear and consistent framework for evaluating your solutions.
Here is an EXAMPLE of SMART minimal viable product MVP GOALS to be tested in an experiment: 1. User Acquisition: The goal could be to acquire a specific number of users within a given time frame. 2. User Retention: The goal could be to test the engagement and retention of users with the product. 3. Market Fit: The goal could be to determine if the product meets the needs of the target audience. 4. Revenue Generation: The goal could be to test the potential revenue streams for the product. 5. Scalability: The goal could be to test the scalability of the product, especially if it involves technology or infrastructure. It's essential to define clear, measurable goals to evaluate the viability and potential success of the product.
When testing your problem and solutions, you may need to use different methods. Prototyping, for example, involves creating a simplified or partial version of your solution that you can test with real or simulated users. Experimenting involves setting up a controlled or natural situation to test the solution against a baseline or alternative. Simulating involves using a model or tool to mimic the behavior or effects of the solution in a hypothetical scenario. Surveying includes asking questions or collecting feedback from your target audience or experts, and reviewing requires examining the solution from different perspectives or criteria using checklists, rubrics, or peer feedback.
EXPERIMENT BY PRETOTYPING instead of PROTOTYPING… What is pretotyping? YOU FAKE IT BEFORE YOU MAKE IT ???. Check it out here … Pretotyping is a technique for testing hypotheses and validating ideas quickly and cost-effectively, founded by Savoia. It involves creating a simplified version of a product or service to collect user feedback and understand market demand. For example, in the food industry, a company may pretotype a new salad recipe by offering a limited quantity to a small group of potential customers to gauge their interest before investing in full-scale production. Pretotyping helps reduce the risk of failure by assessing market response early in the development process. Check out an example of Tesla later in this article.
Once you have chosen your methods, you need to plan your tests. How will you conduct your tests? Who will be involved in your tests? When and where will you test your solutions? How long will your tests take? What materials or resources will you need for your tests? How will you record and analyze your data? By planning your tests, you can ensure that you have a clear and realistic schedule and budget for your testing process.
Now you are ready to conduct your tests. Follow your plan and use your methods to test your solutions. Be flexible and adaptable if you encounter any challenges or surprises. Be observant and attentive to the feedback and data that you collect. Be open-minded and curious about the results and the insights that you gain.
PRETOTYPE AND IMPROVE LIKE TESLA Tesla used a Lotus Elise to interest potential buyers for their first car. In 2003, the founders of Tesla had an ambitious idea (an all-electric 2-door sports car). In order to convince potential buyers to order its car, Tesla created a pretotype of what the car would look like. Lotus supplied Tesla with a ‘glider’ Elise - which was filled with models of key components. This was not a prototype, because the vehicle didn’t function. Tesla was able to show buyers a close proxy for the final design. Tesla asked “Will you put down a $5,000 deposit to have it built to order?” From this test Tesla secured several hundred deposits, a non-trivial result to reassure their Investors.
After you have conducted your tests, you need to evaluate your results. Compare your results with your criteria and see how well your solutions perform. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your solutions. Look for patterns, trends, or outliers in your data. Draw conclusions and recommendations from your results. Be honest and critical about your findings and avoid confirmation bias.
Based on your evaluation, you may need to iterate your solutions. Iterating means making changes or improvements to your solutions based on the feedback and data that you collected. You may need to refine, modify, or combine your solutions. You may need to generate new solutions or discard ineffective ones. You may need to test your solutions again using the same or different methods. By iterating your solutions, you can increase their quality and effectiveness.
10 WAYS TO EXPERIMENT Here are ten ways you can experiment to validate a new innovative solution: 1. Conduct surveys or questionnaires. 2. Organize focus groups. 3. Create pretotypes, prototypes or minimum viable products (MVPs). 4. Run A/B tests. 5. Conduct usability testing. 6. Set up pilot programs. 7. Engage in one-on-one interviews. 8. Implement feedback channels. 9. Monitor analytics and metrics: Track user engagement, usage patterns, and other relevant metrics to gain insights. 10. Seek early adopters and engage with them directly. In my experience as innovation facilitator, experimentation is an iterative process, and it's crucial to be open-minded to customer feedback as you validate your innovative solution.