In Part 1, we discussed three ideation techniques.

The next logical step? Validating your ideas in the real world.

How can we do this? Here’s a simple, actionable guide:

Customer Feedback Loops for Reverse Brainstormed Ideas:

• Action: Directly ask users, ‘What could break our product?’ Present them with specific scenarios and listen carefully to their reactions.
• Example: For our e-learning platform’s ‘bite-sized learning’ concept, we conducted user surveys to test its appeal. By engaging directly with our target audience, we received invaluable insights.
• Result: The overwhelmingly positive feedback led to its full-scale implementation, boosting user engagement by 25%.

Prototype Testing Aligned with Problem-Solution Mapping:

• Action: Turn the solutions from your mapping into tangible prototypes. This is your chance to test these solutions in a real yet controlled setting.
• Example: We created prototypes for interactive quizzes based on our problem-solution mapping. Testing these prototypes provided key insights into user preferences.
• Result: Adjustments made from this feedback resulted in a 20% increase in quiz participation, a clear win!

Market Analysis to Validate Storyboarded Journeys:

• Action: Compare your storyboarded user journeys against existing market offerings. Is your concept filling a gap or offering a unique experience?
• Example: We integrated a social platform feature into our user journey and then analyzed similar features in the market.
• Result: This in-depth market analysis confirmed our approach was on target, leading to a 40% increase in feature usage in the first quarter alone.

Validating your product concepts is crucial for ensuring your innovative ideas truly resonate with your audience and stand out in the market.

Have you “really” validated your ideas before building a product? What were the hits and the misses? Share your experiences!

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s part 3 – Building a Business Case.