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Product Thinking 101: Why fall in love with the problem before you look for a solution?

Product thinking is a way of solving problems. Before looking for a solution, you must first fall in love with your problem. Product thinking is not just about coming up with ideas and executing them. It’s about understanding the problem deeply before trying to find a solution. Furthermore, it’s about understanding the customer and their needs, what they are looking for, their pain points, and how your product can serve as a solution for the same. Product thinking is a way of thinking about how to create value for the customer. It is an attitude and not just a process. With that said, let’s walk through this blog to understand why falling in love with the problem is essential before looking for a solution. 

What is Product Thinking?

Product thinking is a way of thinking about a product, service, or business that is more expansive and holistic than traditional linear design thinking. Product thinking starts by understanding the current state of the product and then exploring how to improve it. It’s not just about designing great products but also understanding how to use them and what they need to succeed in the market.

The Evolution of Product Thinking

Product thinking is an approach to product development that recognizes values in all aspects of a product’s life-cycle, from conception to implementation. It considers the needs and desires of all those involved in the process.

Product thinking is a framework for designing products from the user’s point of view while taking into account every stage of the life cycle of the product. It also helps marketers understand how their products will fare in the market and what features will be most appealing to customers.

Apple has popularized this approach, focusing on understanding and meeting customer needs throughout its history. Apple’s design process includes considering how people interact with their products during each stage of their life cycle – from purchase to use, repair and resale – and how they circulate them through the economy.

The Power of Defining a Problem

A problem is a situation that needs to be solved. Problems can be small or big. The key to solving any problem is defining it.

To define a problem, one must first comprehend it and the steps that must be taken to address it. It also entails considering the problem from all perspectives, figuring out its underlying causes, and considering all available options for resolving it.

The power of defining a problem lies in its ability to help you decide how best to solve it, whether you will need help from others or not, and how much time you will need to do so.

 

power of defining a problem

Picture Credits –  Unsplash

 

The Importance of the Product’s Problem

A product’s problem is one of the most critical aspects of its design. It can be seen as the foundation for the entire product. This is because, to solve a problem, it must be identified first.

The problem should be identified before any other aspect of the design process begins. This is because it will help with the direction you want to take your design and what aspects you need to focus on more than others.

For example, if a company wanted to make a new app that helps people with their diet, they would need to identify what problems people face when trying to lose weight before they could start designing their app.

This enumerates the importance of the product’s problem. Next, the ‘how to address the product’s problems?’ can be figured out through direct user interactions, surveys, market research, etc. By doing all these steps, more details about the problem can be collected and thereby that helps to better the upcoming products. 

What is the Benefit of Product Thinking?

Product thinking is a business strategy gaining momentum in the past few years. It is a way of designing, developing customer-centric marketing products.

Product thinking aims to understand your customers and their needs better. This helps you make decisions that will have a more significant impact on your customers’ lives. It also allows to create products that are more valuable to your customers.

Benefit of Product Thinking

Picture Credits – Unsplash

 

Product Thinking in Practice: 4 Ways to Apply Product Thinking to Solve Problems

Product thinking is a new way of designing and developing products. It is not just about coming up with the next big idea. Still, it also includes the entire journey from conception to completion. It involves understanding the customer, empathizing with their pain points, and then designing a solution that solves those problems. Product thinking helps solve problems in all business areas, not just for products. 

The four ways to apply product thinking to solve problems includes:

 1) Designing a better experience for your customers

2) Improving your product line-up

3) Increasing customer loyalty

4) Improving your bottom line

3 Pillars Of Product Thinking

Product thinking is a new way of looking at your business. It is a holistic approach that encompasses all aspects of the company, from the design to the customer experience and everything in between. This process begins with a problem or need. It leads to an idea that can solve this need, which is then tested by the customer and validated through testing methods, such as surveys. Finally, the idea is brought to market with a product design and development plan to carry out the idea in a sustainable way.

The three pillars of product thinking are:

1) The customer-centric mindset

2) The holistic view 

3) The cross-disciplinary approach.

What are the Benefits of Product Thinking to Your Business?

Product thinking is a way of looking at the world around us and asking what we can make better. It’s about imagining a future where you can delight your customers, not just with one product but with an entire ecosystem of products and services.

Product thinking is a philosophy that embraces the idea that the customer is always right. It’s about understanding their needs and desires and meeting them in ways they never imagined.

Product thinking means staying curious and asking what else this could be? How could it be better? Why does it exist? Who else could use it? What if we did this instead?

The benefits of product thinking for your business:

  • Increased customer satisfaction 
  • Improved customer experience 
  • Increased revenue 
  • Reduced costs

Product Thinking

Picture Credits – Unsplash

Wrapping Up…

Product thinking is the way forward for businesses in this digital age. It will help them to remain competitive and deliver quality products that meets customer needs. Product thinking emphasizes the need to create a desirable, feasible, and sustainable product for users. Product thinkers are not only concerned with the features of a product but also how these features will affect other aspects of the customer’s life. People often try to find an answer before they understand the problem. This is a huge mistake because it can lead to an incomplete or ineffective solution. We should always fall in love with the problem before we look for a solution. In other words, we should be able to empathize with the user and have a deep understanding of their pain points before we jump into solving their problems.

Are you in the process of designing your application? And are you looking out for a product thinker? Reach out to us!

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