How do you determine if a product solution is feasible and desirable?

1 Define the problem

Before you start designing or building anything, you need to clearly define the problem you are trying to solve and the goals you are trying to achieve. You can use techniques like problem statements, user stories, personas, scenarios, and jobs to be done to articulate the problem from the user's point of view and the value proposition of your solution. You should also identify the key metrics and success criteria that will help you measure the impact and effectiveness of your solution.

2 Explore the solution space

Once you have a clear problem definition, you can explore the possible ways to solve it. You can use techniques like brainstorming, sketching, prototyping, and testing to generate and evaluate different solution ideas. You should aim to generate a diverse and creative range of solutions that cover different aspects of the problem and address different user needs and pain points. You should also seek feedback from your users, stakeholders, and peers to refine and improve your solution ideas.

3 Analyze the feasibility

Feasibility refers to the technical and practical aspects of your solution. You need to analyze if your solution is possible to implement with the available resources, time, budget, and skills. You also need to consider the technical risks and dependencies that might affect your solution, such as integration, compatibility, scalability, security, and performance. You can use techniques like feasibility studies, proof of concepts, technical reviews, and risk assessments to evaluate the feasibility of your solution.

4 Assess the desirability

Desirability refers to the emotional and psychological aspects of your solution. You need to assess if your solution is attractive, useful, and satisfying for your users. You also need to consider the user expectations, preferences, and behaviors that might influence your solution, such as usability, accessibility, aesthetics, and trust. You can use techniques like user research, surveys, interviews, usability testing, and user feedback to measure the desirability of your solution.

5 Compare the alternatives

After you have analyzed the feasibility and desirability of your solution, you need to compare it with the other possible alternatives. You can use techniques like SWOT analysis, decision matrices, cost-benefit analysis, and trade-off analysis to weigh the pros and cons of each solution and determine which one offers the best balance between feasibility and desirability. You should also consider the alignment of your solution with the strategic vision, goals, and values of your organization.

6 Iterate and improve

Finally, you need to remember that your solution is not a final or perfect product, but a hypothesis that needs to be tested and validated. You should always be ready to iterate and improve your solution based on the feedback and data you collect from your users and stakeholders. You should also monitor and evaluate the performance and impact of your solution using the metrics and success criteria you defined earlier. You should aim to deliver a solution that is not only feasible and desirable, but also viable and sustainable.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?