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A problem is defined by two components: 1. The gap between the current and desired state. 2. How much the problem owner wants to do something about it?
New Terms:
- Problem: Defined as the gap between the current and desired state and how much the problem owner wants to do something about it
Further Reading:
- UX Strategy by Jamie Levy
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[MUSIC]
0:00
Hi, my name is Hope Armstrong,
I'm a teacher and
0:09
product designer here at Treehouse.
0:12
I wanna tell you about a TV stand, when
I moved into my last apartment I spent
0:15
some time unpacking boxes,
and reorganizing everything.
0:20
During this process,
I realized the TV stand was missing.
0:25
I love watching movies and TV shows so
0:29
I knew I needed to put something together
so I could still watch my shows.
0:32
After leaving my TV on the floor,
propped up against the wall for
0:37
a few days,
I realized I needed a real solution.
0:40
When my dad visited he
routed around my closet and
0:44
found an old computer monitor arm.
0:47
He discovered it worked quite well to
hold the TV on the entertainment stand.
0:50
Let's dive in.
0:54
But decided against it when
I realized it was costly and
1:00
wouldn't provide any
additional functionality.
1:04
Years later, I still use my free
computer monitor arm to hold in my TV.
1:08
It works well enough and
it didn't cost me any extra money.
1:12
A problem therefore is defined
by two components, one,
1:16
the gap between the current and
desired state.
1:19
And two, how much the problem owner
wants to do something about it.
1:23
It works well enough and
it didn't cost me any extra money.
1:27
Do people need my product?
1:34
The first step and
1:37
probably the most critical one is figuring
out the problem the product idea solves.
1:38
Life is too short for you to work
on a product that doesn't matter.
1:43
You don't have time to
work on the wrong product.
1:48
If the product doesn't solve
a problem people care about,
1:51
it is most likely that the business fails.
1:54
You'll waste money, you'll spend
time you can never get back and
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you'll be taking a huge risk.
2:01
Well, you might agree with
everything I just said.
2:03
Many businesses invest time and energy
into developing a product while neglecting
2:06
the critical part of what I like to
call falling in love with the problem.
2:11
What these businesses do
sounds very reasonable,
2:17
they approach as many people as they know,
usually friends and family.
2:20
Describe their product idea and
ask them if they'll use it.
2:25
If they think it's useful, if they'll pay
for it and how much they'll pay for it.
2:28
If they're a little bit insecure, they
launch a survey asking the same questions.
2:34
The feedback they collect usually
encourages them to think they have
2:40
validated their product idea.
2:43
And they quickly move ahead at full
speed to establishing their business and
2:45
nailing down product development.
2:49
The vast majority of businesses later
wonder why product sales are not
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taking off.
2:56
Why people sign up,
then don't use their product.
2:57
Why their beautiful so-called validated
creation is crashing to the ground.
3:00
Perhaps their target audience
didn't actually need the product.
3:06
In the book UX Strategy,
3:10
Jaime Levy brings up an anecdote about
a client of hers who is convinced
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there's a need for someone to curate
the wardrobes of busy professionals.
3:17
The client hypothesizes that these folks
don't wanna waste time in the morning
3:21
thinking about what to wear.
3:26
Once she does the competitive analysis,
she demonstrates to the client not only
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that the service exists, but that users
are pretty satisfied with their options.
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Unless his service plans to
offer clear differentiation,
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fulfilling a need that the competition
can't, it's not worth pursuing.
3:43
She ends up saving her client from pouring
time and money into an ill-fitted idea.
3:48
So the lesson here is to research what's
currently available in the market
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early on, before investigating too
deeply whether people want your product.
3:59
This workshop will introduce you to
the difference between a need and a want.
4:05
This distinction will help you
to solve problems in ways that
4:10
capture the attention of users.
4:13
Let's dive in.
4:15
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