1. The Know-it-All

The Know-it-All headline promises comprehensive, in-depth knowledge on a particular subject. These headlines often include phrases like “Everything You Need to Know” or “The Ultimate Guide.”

They work well for long-form content, as they assure the reader that they will find all the necessary information within the post.

To use this type of headline effectively, always back it up with extensive research and thorough explanations.

• 10 Product Management Secrets the Pros Don’t Want You to Know
• UX Design Hacks: Insider Tips for an Unforgettable User Experience
• SEO Masterclass: Unlocking the Secrets of Search Engine Optimization

2. The Teacher

The Teacher headline aims to educate the reader by solving a problem or answering a question.

Often starting with “How to” or “Why,” these headlines appeal to readers seeking instructional content or explanations.

When employing a Teacher headline, make sure to provide clear, step-by-step instructions and valuable insights to give your readers a sense of accomplishment upon finishing the article.

• The Ultimate Guide to Agile Product Management
• Designing for Delight: A Comprehensive Guide to User Experience Design
• Demystifying SEO: A Step-By-Step Guide to Optimizing Your Website

3. The Gossip

Just as the name suggests, The Gossip headline taps into people’s natural curiosity and love for juicy stories or secrets.

These headlines often contain phrases like “The Untold Story” or “Behind-the-Scenes.”

To effectively use this headline type, find an exciting or controversial angle, and deliver a captivating narrative or juicy details that will leave your readers wanting more.

• The Shocking Truth about Product Managers and Their Success
• What the Best UX Designers Don’t Want You to Know: Their Secret Techniques
• The Untold Story of SEO: How the Industry Giants Really Got Their Edge

4. The Instigator

The Instigator headline is designed to provoke a reaction, often by challenging conventional wisdom or offering a controversial viewpoint.

These headlines might include phrases like “Why You’ve Been Doing (X) Wrong” or “The Unpopular Truth About (Y).”

To create a successful Instigator headline, be prepared to back up your claims with solid arguments and research, as such headlines may invite closer scrutiny from your readers.

• Why Traditional Product Management is Dead, and What to Do About It
• UX Design Myths Debunked: What You Really Need to Know
• SEO is Overrated: The Surprising Alternative to Drive Traffic to Your Site

5. The Nay-Sayer

As a contrarian headline, The Nay-Sayer seeks to debunk myths or challenge widely-held beliefs. It often begins with phrases like “Debunking (X): Why (Y) is a Myth” or “The Surprising Truth Behind (Z).”

To use this headline type effectively, provide concrete evidence and arguments to support your claims, as your goal is to change your readers’ perspectives on the topic.

• Why Most Product Managers Are Getting It All Wrong
• The Hidden Dangers of User-Centric Design: What You Need to Know
• Debunking SEO: The Top Myths that Are Hurting Your Website’s Performance

6. The Campaigner

The Campaigner headline aims to inspire action and motivate readers to join a cause or adopt a new habit.

These headlines often feature strong calls-to-action, such as “Join the Fight Against (X)” or “Start (Y) Today for a Better Tomorrow.”

When employing this headline type, support your cause with compelling facts and reasons, and make it easy for your readers to take action.

• Level Up: How to Empower Product Managers for Maximum Success
• The Future of UX Design: Building a More Inclusive and Accessible Web
• SEO for Good: Using Your Powers for Ethical and Effective Search Engine Optimization

7. The Connector

Finally, The Connector headline is designed to create a sense of belonging and community among readers. It often includes phrases like “The (X) Community’s Guide to (Y)” or “Why (Z) Matters to Us All.”

To create a successful Connector headline, ensure your content resonates with your target audience and fosters a sense of shared experiences or interests.

• The Surprising Intersection of Product Management and User Experience Design
• How the Principles of UX Design Can Transform Your SEO Strategy
• Pioneering a New Approach: Combining Product Management and SEO for Explosive Growth

Conclusion

Experimenting with these 7 types of article headlines can help you create engaging and informative content that stand out from the crowd.

Apply them to your content to grab your reader’s attention, convey your expertise, and spark curiosity in your chosen topic. And always remember, a great headline is the key to a successful blog post.

Myth 1: Product managers are mini-CEOs

This is probably the most widespread and persistent myth about product management. It suggests that product managers have total authority and accountability over their products, and that they can make decisions without involving anyone else.

The truth is that product managers are not mini-CEOs. They are more like product coaches. They have to work with various stakeholders, such as engineers, designers, marketers, salespeople, customers, and users, to define and deliver a product that solves a real problem and creates value.

Product managers don’t have the final say on everything. They have to align their vision and strategy with the company’s goals and values. They have to collaborate with their teams and stakeholders to make decisions based on data and feedback. They have to influence without authority, inspire without ego, and lead without being bossy.

Myth 2: Product managers need to be technical

Another common myth is that product managers need to have a technical background or experience to be successful. This stems from the assumption that product managers need to code, design, or debug their products.

The truth is that product managers don’t need to be technical experts. They need to be technical enough to understand the problem they’re solving, the solution they’re building, and the trade-offs they’re making. They need to be able to communicate with engineers and other technical stakeholders in their language, but they don’t need to do their job for them.

Product managers need to have a diverse set of skills and competencies, such as customer discovery, user research, data analysis, prototyping, prioritization, roadmapping, storytelling, and more. Technical skills are just one part of the equation.

Myth 3: Product managers come up with all the ideas

This myth suggests that product managers are the sole source of innovation and creativity in their teams. It implies that product managers have to constantly generate new ideas and features for their products.

The truth is that product managers are not idea generators. They are idea curators. They have to collect, validate, and prioritize ideas from various sources, such as customers, users, competitors, industry trends, internal feedback, and their own intuition.

Product managers don’t work in isolation. They work with their teams and stakeholders to brainstorm and evaluate ideas based on data and market research. They don’t fall in love with their own ideas. They focus on solving customer problems and delivering value.

Myth 4: Product managers know everything about the product

This myth portrays product managers as omniscient beings who have all the answers and information about their products. It assumes that product managers have a clear vision of what their products should be and how they should evolve.

The truth is that product managers don’t know everything about their products. They have hypotheses and assumptions that they need to test and validate with real users and customers. They have to deal with uncertainty and ambiguity on a daily basis.

Product managers don’t work with perfect information. They work with incomplete and sometimes contradictory data. They have to make decisions based on evidence and intuition. They have to learn from their experiments and outcomes. They have to adapt to changing customer needs and market conditions.

Myth 5: Product management is a one-size-fits-all role

This myth implies that product management is a standardized and uniform role across different companies and products. It suggests that product managers have the same responsibilities and expectations regardless of their context.

The truth is that product management is a highly variable and dynamic role. It depends on factors such as the size of the company, the stage of the product, the type of the market, the nature of the problem, the culture of the team, and more.

Product managers have to adjust their style and approach based on their situation. They have to understand the specific needs and challenges of their customers, users, and stakeholders. They have to align their goals and strategies with the vision and mission of their company. They have to adapt to different methodologies and frameworks, such as agile, waterfall, lean, or scrum.

Summing It Up

Product management is a fascinating and rewarding career that offers many opportunities for growth and impact. But it’s also a complex and challenging career that requires a lot of skills and competencies.

To be a successful product manager, you need to be aware of the myths and misconceptions that surround this field. You need to be able to separate fact from fiction and learn from the best practices and experiences of other product managers.

Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

Strong strategic thinking

A product manager must be able to think strategically and envision the long-term direction of the product.

They must be able to identify market trends and customer needs, and develop a product roadmap that aligns with the company’s goals and objectives. This involves conducting market research, analyzing data, and making informed decisions based on that data.

Excellent communication and collaboration

A product manager must be able to effectively communicate and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders, including the development team, sales team, marketing team, and customers.

This requires strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build strong relationships with others. A product manager must be able to articulate the vision and goals of the product, and inspire others to work towards achieving those goals.

Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities

A product manager must be able to quickly and effectively identify and solve problems that arise during the product development process.

This involves gathering and analyzing data, identifying potential solutions, and making informed decisions based on that data. A product manager must be able to weigh the pros and cons of different solutions and choose the best course of action.

Technical expertise

A product manager must have a strong understanding of the technical aspects of the product they are managing. This includes an understanding of the underlying technologies, the product architecture, and the development process.

This technical expertise enables a product manager to effectively communicate with the development team, and to make informed decisions about the technical direction of the product.

Strong leadership skills

A product manager must be able to lead and motivate the development team to deliver the best possible product. This involves setting clear goals and expectations, providing guidance and support, and inspiring the team to work towards achieving those goals.

A product manager must be able to motivate and inspire others to work towards a common goal, and to build a sense of camaraderie and collaboration within the team.

Summary

The best product managers possess a unique set of strengths that enable them to excel in their role.

Some of the top strengths that product managers should possess include strong communication skills, the ability to think strategically, the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks effectively, the ability to work well in a team environment, and strong problem-solving skills.

These strengths help product managers to manage the development and launch of new products effectively, as well as to continually improve existing products to meet the changing needs of customers and the market.

Photo by Victor Freitas on Unsplash

Prioritization Frameworks

One of the most common methods used by product managers to prioritize work is through the use of prioritization frameworks.

These frameworks provide a structured approach to prioritizing work, and help product managers to clearly identify the most important tasks and ensure that they are completed in a timely and efficient manner.

MoSCoW Framework

One popular prioritization framework is the MoSCoW method. The MoSCoW Framework uses four categories – Must, Should, Could, and Won’t – to prioritize requirements and deliverables. Each category represents a different level of priority, with Must being the most important and Won’t being the least important.

Must items are the absolute requirements for the project to be successful. These items must be delivered in order for the project to be considered a success.

Should items are important, but not critical, to the success of the project. These items should be delivered if possible, but not at the expense of delivering the Must items.

Could items are items that would be nice to have, but are not essential to the success of the project. These items may be delivered if time and resources permit. Won’t items are items that will not be delivered as part of the project.

The MoSCoW Framework helps project managers and teams focus on the most important items and prioritize their efforts. By using this framework, teams can ensure that they are delivering the most critical items first and making progress towards the project goals.

Additionally, the MoSCoW Framework can be used to communicate priorities to stakeholders and ensure that everyone is on the same page. By categorizing requirements and deliverables in this way, stakeholders can clearly see which items are the most important and which are less so.

This can help prevent misunderstandings and ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals.

Kano Model

Another popular prioritization framework is the Kano model. It is based on the idea that not all product features are equal in terms of their impact on customer satisfaction. According to the model, there are three types of product features: basic, performance, and exciters.

Basic features are those that customers expect from a product and take for granted. They are necessary for the product to function, but do not add any value or satisfaction to the customer. Examples of basic features might include the ability to turn on and off, or the ability to adjust the volume on a music player.

Performance features are those that directly impact the customer’s satisfaction with the product. They are the features that customers use to evaluate the quality of the product, and they can have a positive or negative impact on satisfaction. Examples of performance features might include the battery life of a phone, or the audio quality of a speaker.

Exciter features are those that surprise and delight the customer. They are not necessarily expected, but they add value and enhance the customer’s satisfaction with the product. Examples of exciter features might include new and innovative technologies, or unique design elements.

The Kano model uses a series of questions to identify which type of feature a particular product has. These questions help to determine how much satisfaction a feature will provide to the customer, and how much effort should be put into developing and implementing that feature.

For basic features, the question is: “If the feature is not present, will the customer be dissatisfied?” For performance features, the question is: “As the feature improves, does the customer’s satisfaction increase?” And for exciter features, the question is: “If the feature is present, does it surprise and delight the customer?”

Based on the answers to these questions, the Kano model can be used to prioritize features and requirements during the product development process. Basic features are necessary, but they do not provide much satisfaction to the customer, so they should be prioritized lower.

Performance features are important because they directly impact the customer’s satisfaction, so they should be prioritized higher. And exciter features can provide a competitive advantage and enhance customer satisfaction, so they should be prioritized even higher.

RICE Method

A third popular prioritization framework is the RICE method. This method helps individuals and teams prioritize tasks based on their potential impact and feasibility.

The acronym stands for Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort. It is a simple and effective way to prioritize tasks and ensure that the most important and achievable tasks are tackled first.

The first step in the RICE method is to evaluate the Reach of a task, which refers to the number of people or areas it will affect. Tasks with a high reach, such as those that affect a large number of people or multiple departments, are generally considered more important than those with a low reach.

Next, the Impact of a task is considered. This refers to the potential benefit or value that completing the task will bring. Tasks with a high impact, such as those that will generate significant revenue or save a large amount of time, are generally considered more important than those with a low impact.

The third factor in the RICE method is Confidence, which refers to the likelihood of successfully completing the task. Tasks with a high level of confidence, such as those that have been successfully completed in the past or those that have clear steps and resources, are generally considered more important than those with a low level of confidence.

Finally, the Effort required to complete a task is evaluated. Tasks with a high level of effort, such as those that require significant time and resources, are generally considered less important than those with a low level of effort.

By considering all four factors in the RICE method, individuals and teams can prioritize tasks in a way that maximizes the potential impact and likelihood of success.

This can help ensure that important tasks are completed efficiently and effectively, while also allowing for flexibility and adaptability as priorities and circumstances change.

User Feedback

Another common method used by product managers to prioritize work is through the use of user feedback. It provides valuable insights into the needs and preferences of the users, which can be used to prioritize the features and improvements that are most important to them.

There are several different types of user feedback that can be used for prioritization, including:

Quantitative feedback

This type of feedback is based on numerical data, such as customer surveys and ratings. This data can be used to identify trends and patterns in user behavior, which can be used to prioritize features and improvements that are most popular or in high demand.

Qualitative feedback

This type of feedback is based on detailed, written responses from users, such as customer reviews and comments. This feedback can provide valuable insights into the specific needs and preferences of users, and can be used to prioritize features and improvements that are most important to them.

User testing

This type of feedback is collected through user testing, where users are asked to try out a product or service and provide feedback on their experience. This feedback can provide valuable insights into how well the product or service meets the needs of users, and can be used to prioritize improvements that will make the user experience more satisfying.

User interviews

This type of feedback is collected through interviews with users, where they are asked to provide detailed feedback on their experience with a product or service. This feedback can provide valuable insights into the specific needs and preferences of users, and can be used to prioritize improvements that will make the user experience more satisfying.

In order to effectively use user feedback for prioritization, it is important to collect a diverse range of feedback from different types of users, including both regular users and potential users.

This will provide a more comprehensive view of the needs and preferences of the target audience, and will enable more effective prioritization of features and improvements.

Furthermore, it is important to regularly collect and analyze user feedback, in order to identify any changes in user needs and preferences over time. This will enable the development team to continuously improve the product or service, and ensure that it remains relevant and satisfying for users.

Data Analysis

In addition to prioritization frameworks and user feedback, product managers also use data analysis to prioritize work. This involves using data and metrics to identify the most important tasks and ensure that they are completed in a timely and efficient manner.

Descriptive Analysis

One of the most common methods of data analysis is descriptive analysis, which is used to summarize data and highlight key characteristics. This type of analysis is useful for understanding the overall trends in a dataset, and can be used to identify areas of focus for further analysis.

For example, a descriptive analysis of customer data could reveal that a large proportion of customers are in a particular age group, live in a specific region, or have similar purchasing habits. This information could be used to prioritize marketing efforts or product development.

Inferential Analysis

Another type of data analysis is inferential analysis, which uses statistical techniques to draw conclusions about a larger population based on a sample of data. This type of analysis is useful for making predictions or generalizations about a population, and can be used to identify potential areas of growth or decline.

For example, an inferential analysis of customer data could reveal that customers in a certain region are more likely to make large purchases, indicating that this region may be a good target for expansion.

Predictive Analysis

A third type of data analysis is predictive analysis, which uses algorithms and machine learning techniques to identify patterns in data and make predictions about future events.

This type of analysis is useful for identifying trends and making forecasts, and can be used to prioritize initiatives that are likely to have the greatest impact.

For example, a predictive analysis of customer data could reveal that customers with specific characteristics are more likely to churn, indicating that these customers should be prioritized for retention efforts.

Summary

Prioritization methods play a crucial role in decision making and resource allocation. Prioritization frameworks, user feedback, and data analysis are three effective approaches to prioritization.

Prioritization frameworks provide a structured approach for identifying and prioritizing tasks based on their importance and urgency.

User feedback allows organizations to understand the needs and preferences of their customers, enabling them to prioritize tasks that are most relevant to their stakeholders.

Data analysis helps organizations to make informed decisions by providing quantitative insights into the performance and impact of different tasks.

By combining these approaches, organizations can effectively prioritize their tasks and allocate their resources in a way that aligns with their goals and objectives.

Happiness

The first metric, Happiness, refers to the emotional state of the user as they interact with a product or service. This can be measured through surveys or interviews, where users are asked to rate their overall satisfaction with the product or service on a scale from 1 to 10.

One of the key aspects of the Happiness metric is its focus on the emotional well-being of users. This includes factors such as their level of enjoyment, satisfaction, and contentment with the product or service.

By measuring these emotional responses, the Happiness metric can provide insight into how well the product or service is meeting the needs and expectations of users.

In addition to emotional well-being, the Happiness metric also considers cognitive responses such as the user’s perceived ease of use and effectiveness of the product or service.

These cognitive responses provide valuable information about the usability and functionality of the product or service, and can help identify areas for improvement.

Engagement

The second metric, Engagement, measures how actively and deeply users are involved with a product or service.

It is an important metric because it can indicate whether a user is enjoying an experience, is likely to continue using it, and is likely to recommend it to others.

To measure engagement, the HEART framework suggests looking at several factors, including how much time a user spends on a task or in an experience, how many actions they take, and how much they talk about it with others.

For example, if a user spends a long time using an app, completes many tasks within it, and shares it with friends, this would indicate high engagement.

Engagement can be affected by many factors, including the design and functionality of an experience, the relevance and value it provides to the user, and the user’s motivation and goals. A well-designed experience that is easy to use and provides value to the user is likely to result in higher engagement.

One way to improve engagement is to focus on creating a positive emotional response in the user. This can be achieved through design elements such as color, imagery, and layout, as well as through the use of interactive features and personalized experiences.

Another way to increase engagement is to provide regular feedback and rewards to the user. This can be in the form of notifications, badges, and other incentives that recognize the user’s actions and encourage them to continue using the experience.

Adoption

The third metric, Adoption, measures how widely a product or service is being used by its intended audience. This can be measured through metrics such as the number of users or the percentage of users who are actively using the product or service.

Adoption is a critical measure of user experience because it indicates whether users are finding value in the product or service and are willing to continue using it.

If a product or service has low adoption rates, it may be an indication that it is not meeting user needs or is not user-friendly. In contrast, high adoption rates indicate that users are finding value in the product or service and are likely to continue using it.

One way to measure adoption is through user engagement metrics such as the number of active users or the average number of sessions per user. These metrics provide insight into how often users are interacting with the product or service and can be used to track changes over time.

Another way to measure adoption is through user retention metrics such as the percentage of users who return to the product or service after their first visit. This metric can be used to determine whether users are finding value in the product or service and are willing to come back to it.

Adoption is also closely related to user satisfaction. Satisfied users are more likely to continue using a product or service and to recommend it to others. Therefore, it is important to measure user satisfaction in conjunction with adoption to get a complete picture of the user experience.

Retention

The fourth metric, Retention, measures how long users continue to use a product or service over time. This can be measured through metrics such as the percentage of users who return to the product or service after a certain period of time, or the average length of time that users continue to use the product or service.

One of the key benefits of the Retention metric is that it provides a clear and measurable way to assess user engagement. By measuring how often users return to an app or website, organizations can gain a better understanding of how well their user experience is working.

This is particularly important for companies that rely on customer loyalty and repeat business, as a high retention rate can indicate that users are finding value in the app or website.

Another benefit of the Retention metric is that it can help organizations identify areas for improvement in their user experience. For example, if the retention rate for a particular app or website is low, this could indicate that users are not finding the content or features engaging.

By analyzing the data from the Retention metric, organizations can identify where they need to make changes to improve user engagement and retention.

One potential limitation of the Retention metric is that it only provides a snapshot of user engagement at a given point in time. While it can be useful for identifying trends and patterns, it may not provide a complete picture of user experience.

For example, if users only visit an app or website once and then never return, the Retention metric would not capture this information. In order to get a more comprehensive view of user experience, organizations may need to combine the Retention metric with other metrics from the HEART framework, such as Time Spent or Task Success.

Task Success

The fifth and final metric, Task success, measures how well users are able to complete the tasks that they set out to do with a product or service. This can be measured through metrics such as the percentage of tasks completed successfully, or the average time it takes for users to complete tasks.

Task Success is important because it directly measures the effectiveness of a system or application. If users are unable to complete tasks within the system, it is likely that they will become frustrated and may even abandon the system altogether. This can lead to decreased user satisfaction and a negative overall user experience.

To measure Task Success, researchers can use a variety of methods. One common method is to ask users to complete a specific task within the system and then assess their ability to do so.

This can be done through direct observation, or by asking users to self-report their experience. Researchers can also use automated tracking tools to measure task completion rates and times within the system.

Another important aspect of Task Success is its relationship to user goals. When assessing Task Success, researchers should consider not only whether users were able to complete the task, but also whether they were able to do so in a way that met their own personal goals and objectives.

For example, a user may be able to complete a task quickly, but if the task does not help them achieve their desired outcome, their experience will still be negative.

Summary

The HEART framework is a valuable tool for measuring user experience and making improvements to the design of products and services.

By tracking the five key metrics of Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, and Task success, designers and researchers can gain valuable insights into the effectiveness of their designs and make necessary improvements to enhance the user experience.

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1. Lead with goals, not constraints

Start with the outcomes you are trying to deliver without worrying about constraints, such as budget, time, or resources, that could limit what you want to achieve.

Your stakeholders will want to know what are the possible outcomes we could achieve with this product if we had no limitations. If the outcomes are meaningful enough for the business, you may find that the constraints are reduced or removed.

You can always apply constraints to reduce the scope of the product to something more realistic given your operating environment, but it’s better to do within the context of knowing what could be achieved.

2. Understand how your product is built

As a product manager, you should understand how your product is built and operates from a technical standpoint.

This is not to say that you need to have an engineering degree, but you should know the tech stack, its benefits, and limitations, along with the technical roadmap to understand what opportunities may become available in the future. An understanding of data models and security will also be useful.

The products you build will have an impact on technical performance — for example, for mobile apps, startup time and time to render screens, amount of bandwidth to download, and storage space to install. You should be aware of these so you can factor in these tradeoffs as you make product decisions.

As a side benefit, learning about your technical platform helps you build better relationships with your engineering team as well.

3. Start with the problem, not the solution

Before you start thinking about product solutions and how to deliver them, make sure you really understand the problem you are trying to solve. Products often don’t achieve business objectives or fulfill customer needs because they are a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist or is not fully understood.

Don’t assume that the other teams you are working with have a good understanding of the problem either. Try using the Five Whys technique to really dig down to the root cause of the problem.

4. Voicing your opinion is a good thing

If you are presenting options to stakeholders, share your opinion on which one you prefer (and why). You will be respected for putting a stake in the ground and you may save a great deal of time in gaining alignment if others do not strongly disagree with you.

If you are a new product manager or are junior compared to the other people in the meeting, you may feel shy about making your opinion heard. In this case, try asking questions about the topic being discussed to ensure you have a clear understanding.

You may find that your questions give you an inroad to sharing an opinion; at the very least, you are contributing to the discussion by ensuring there is a common understanding.

5. Consider team morale when weighing trade offs

This principle relates primarily to requests to expedite product features. Sure, a team member can stop working on something and move to a new project, but think what that churn does to their morale.

Creating a hacked together MVP might get your product launched, but at what cost in terms of your team’s pride in delivering a product that your customers will love?

Or, if you cut UX design activities (e.g., user research) in order to hit a deadline, think about how those designers will feel about not being able to do their best work. Hint: if this happens on a regular basis, they may feel that they can do their best work elsewhere.

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I have found that a tool called an “Experience Canvas” gives designers a helpful framework for clarifying this scope, which is shared by all the parties involved.

Why Use an Experience Canvas?

In short, an Experience Canvas breaks a project down to its essential components and provides an organized, concise reference for the team. It helps teams to:

1. Develop a shared understanding of what problem they are trying to solve
2. Identify the project’s value and success metrics
3. Align on goals, outcomes, and user experience
4. Bridge communication across teams and stakeholders

Where Does it Fit in Design Thinking?

If you use Design Thinking to structure your product design process, I have found that the Experience Canvas best fits in stage 2, Define. Once you better understand your users, you now want to understand the problem to be solved.

5 stages of Design Thinking:

1. Empathize — with your users
2. Define — your users’ needs, their problems, and your insights
3. Ideate — challenge assumptions and create ideas for innovative solutions
4. Prototype — create workable versions of your solutions
5. Test — solutions with your users

How to Create an Experience Canvas

It’s best to create an Experience Canvas in a workshop with as many project stakeholders involved as possible. Go through the different components and have the team share their ideas for each.

It’s important to note that creating an Experience Canvas is an iterative process; it will often take several rounds of refinement to reflect the project accurately. It can also change as you uncover new insights or challenge assumptions

What Does it Look Like?

An Experience Canvas consists of the following components:

1. Hypothesis — The overall belief about what needs to be done
2. Problems — What led to the hypothesis? What is the problem users are experiencing?
3. Value — What are the user benefits? What are the benefits to the business?
4. Target Users — Who is having the problem; what motivates them; what are they trying to accomplish?
5. Solution / Ideas — Early thoughts and ideas to solve the problem
6. Minimum Viable Experience or Product (MVE / MVP) — The smallest, easiest-to-make version of your idea that can prove the hypothesis
7. Success Metrics — What metrics will show us if we have been successful?
8. End-to-end Journey — Tell an end-to-end story from the user’s perspective
9. Team — Who will work on the project to make it successful?
10. Stakeholders — Who has a say in the project and should be consulted?

It’s typically written as a one-page document for simplicity, but the format is less important than the information contained within it.

Experience Canvas Example

I’ll use a real-world project example to explore the components of the Experience Canvas in more detail. Here’s the scenario:

The product team is planning to launch a new international remittance service for our e-wallet, enabling Burmese workers living in Thailand to send money back home to their friends and family.

Traditionally, they would have to go in person to the store of a remittance agent. This was inconvenient and involved long waiting times, as most workers could only visit at the weekend when they were off work.

However, these users have low technical proficiency and are unfamiliar with using digital tools for financial transactions. Therefore, we want to help them become comfortable with using our e-wallet so that when our international remittance service launches, they can start using it right away.

Hypothesis

This is a summary of the project. Usually, it is written in the format “By doing [X ACTION] for [Y USER GROUP] we will be able to achieve [Z RESULT].” For this project, it was:

We think that by offering Burmese e-wallet users a game of chance we will drive higher engagement as they will have a reason to use the app on a regular basis.

Problem Statement

Here you list the main problem(s) you are trying to solve. In this example, it was:

Burmese workers can sign up for an e-wallet account; however, they have low monthly active usage. These users lack the motivation to use our e-wallet as there is no specific use case for them to use it frequently.

Value

In this section, you capture the project’s benefits for both the user and the business.

• User — The opportunity to earn cash rewards through a fun game by simply performing normal payment activities.
• Business — 1/ Familiarize Burmese users with our e-wallet so when international remittance launches it will be easier for them to use. 2/ Increase Burmese MAU which will give more of them access to the remittance service.

Target Users

It’s critical to have a clearly defined target user group, and not “everyone.” Most likely, you will have a more detailed user persona or description elsewhere, so this can be just a summary. In our case, it was:

Burmese factory workers living in Thailand on a worker visa. They typically work in factories and live in shared accommodation, near their place of work. They send money back to their family every week, usually at the weekend. Sending money home involves waiting in long queues.

They have low technical literacy and typically own low-end mobile phones. They do not own a computer.

Solution / Ideas

In Design Thinking, the design solution usually comes out of the third phase, Ideation.

However, it may be that the project team has already identified some potential solutions; you can capture them here. In this example, we had the idea of creating a scratch card style of game:

• Game of chance with up to 3 plays per day
• Earn cashback by matching three numbers
• Earn plays by using the e-wallet for everyday activities (e.g., logging into the app, paying for something, etc.)

Minimum Viable Experience / Product

This section captures the key features needed to launch the product.

You are unlikely to know them all during the Define stage; however, you can add to and update your MVP feature list as you go through the Design Thinking process.

• Scratch card game with up to 3 plays
• Random chance of winning
• Translated into the Burmese language
• Share on social media for a chance to win a big prize
• Gameplay animations to make the experience more fun

Success Metrics

Good product design teams focus on delivering outcomes, not just a functional product.

Often, you will find that the project team has not thought deeply enough about the outcomes they are seeking to deliver and the metrics by which to measure them.

Without clear outcomes or objectives and success metrics for them, how will you know if your project was successful and delivered value both to the user and the business?

Google’s HEART framework provides a structured way to create outcomes.

For our project, the success metrics were:

• Increse Burmese MAU by 50%
• Increase Burmese wallet registrations by 60%

End-to-end Journey

In this section, you describe a typical experience of a user using your product so that the project team can imagine what the desired experience would be like for the end-user. You will likely refine and improve it as you go through the product design process.

We imagined our user experience to be like this:

Saruna buys an iced coffee from a 7-Eleven and pays for it with our e-wallet app. Outside the store, she stops to open the scratch game within the app and sees that she can play two scratch cards.

She opens the first card and taps two squares on the grid –no match. The card shows her all the values; there was a matching square that she was going to pick but changed her mind. Better luck next time.

She plays the second scratch game and wins a cashback prize; the winning animation makes her smile. The money is added to her wallet balance. It’s a small amount, but it still feels good to win something.

She uses the share feature to post her win on Facebook and tags her sister to let her know about this fun game.

Team

Here’s where you list the core members of the project team.

Usually, this will involve members from product, UX design, business, engineering, marketing, and so on, depending on the size of the project.

Stakeholders

Lastly, it’s important to align on who the key stakeholders for the project will be. Who is the sponsor for the project and will ultimately approve it?

Whose feedback could impact the project and therefore needs to be consulted about it? Legal, compliance, and customer support teams are often included here.

Conclusion

To summarize, an Experience Canvas is a straightforward framework that helps a project team clarify the problem they are trying to solve, the customer they are solving it for, and what success looks like.

It helps product design teams develop a shared understanding of the problem to be solved, identify the value and metrics for a project, align on goals, outcomes, and user experience, and communicate this information to all participants.

Office photo created by pressfoto – www.freepik.com

To help sift through all the noise, I’ve collected the 18 most liked (well, clapped) articles that are directly focused on the subject.

The First Principles of Product Management

Jan. 2018, 17.2k claps

Top highlight:

Customer signals are the qualitative and quantitative data sets you accumulate on how customers are using the product. This data is the “ping” from the goal, and when you hear that ping get stronger, you know you aren’t veering too far off course.

Product Management Mental Models for Everyone

Aug. 2018, 17k claps

Top highlight:

Most teams tend to work forwards, which optimizes for what is practical at the cost of what’s ultimately impactful.

Let’s talk about Product Management

Oct. 2015, 12.1k claps

Top highlight:

But I always felt product management was one of the most important functions that when done well, helps make companies and products much better, and when done badly, can really hurt a company and team.

Changing the Conversation about Product Management vs. UX

Product Management with no User Experience Design creates functional products that don’t make users excited. User Experience Design with no Product Mana

Jan. 2016, 8k claps

Top highlight:

Product Management with no User Experience Design creates functional products that don’t make users excited. User Experience Design with no Product Management produces delightful products that don’t become businesses.

Observations on Product Management

Dec. 2017, 6k claps

Top highlight:

Being data-driven is not vision. People who cling to being data-driven rarely create anything new or interesting. I also personally find it hard to explain why to them.

6 diagrams I use to explain Product Management concepts

Dec. 2019, 6k claps

Top highlight:

Great Product Managers know when to be involved and when to step back. They know when to let conversations happen without them. The purpose of an autonomous team is to remove as many dependencies as possible.

Product Management from First Principles

Aug. 2017, 590 claps

Top highlight:

To learn is to read, to understand is to write, and to master is to teach.

Product Management for the Enterprise

Mar. 2016, 580 claps

Top highlight (on the difference between customers and users):

Literally no one likes to use Lotus Notes. Truly, it is a horrible piece of software. Yet guess what? It’s still a one billion dollar business for IBM.

Demystifying product management

Jul. 2017, 480 claps

Top highlight:

Wouldn’t your product’s chances of success increase if you enlisted every customer-facing colleague as a user researcher… an extension of the product team itself?

Product Management 2.0: A Growth Story

Oct. 2016, 450 claps

Top highlight (KRs = key results):

Features are merely tactics to achieve your KRs.

Hacking Your Product Management Career

Aug. 2017, (415 claps)

Top highlight:

The main advice I would give to my “younger self?” Be bold.

The Product Management Hierarchy of Needs

Sep. 2017, 400 claps

Top highlight (on why ideas must be viable):

Successful products can come from seemingly nonexistent problems e.g. over 75 million Tamagotchis have been sold ‘just for fun’, but remember, it’s harder to sell a vitamin than a painkiller.

Why is product management hard?

Jun. 2017, 380 claps

Notable quote:

Product managers must ensure their products solve a significant need for a sufficiently large group of people in a way that’s better (or less costly) than existing alternatives.

Why? Because I cannot view the message without opening LinkedIn. I don’t even get to see a preview of the message so that I know if it’s worth taking the effort to open LinkedIn to view the rest and to possibly respond.

In addition, I’m reluctant to view the message on LinkedIn because I don’t know whether this informs the sender that you have viewed their message but perhaps have decided not to respond. This is why I never allow read receipts for emails.

I assume that LinkedIn does this to force you to visit their website or app, but it’s a frustrating, user-unfriendly experience. Especially when there are examples of companies doing a much better job.

Take Google Docs, for example. When someone leaves a comment on a document, you receive an email with their comment, the previous comments for context, and you have the ability to reply or take action directly from your inbox! How’s that for putting the needs of the user first?

Jira doesn’t do this quite as well, but when someone leaves a comment on a Jira ticket you receive an email with the comment and you can respond just by replying to the email.

You can’t reply to LinkedIn direct message emails because you don’t know the content of the message you’re replying to.

Imagine if LinkedIn direct message emails looked like the mockup below, where you can see the content of the message in your inbox? And imagine if you could reply to the message directly from your email client?

Admittedly, visits to the LinkedIn website would probably decline slightly, but user engagement would likely increase dramatically. I wonder, which metric is more important?

Here are 11 tips for taking your ecommerce mobile search to the next level.

1. Dedicated search screen

Display a dedicated search screen when the user taps on the search bar. This allows useful content such as trending or popular searches to be displayed, along with search history or personalized recommendations once the user has performed some searches of their own.

2. Immediately active search box

When the user taps in the search box it should immediately become active with the cursor placed in it and the keyboard open. Otherwise, after initiating a search your users will have to tap again to actually start typing.

On the Coach mobile site, however, after you tap on the search icon to activate search, you must still tap inside the search box to open the keyboard and start typing.

3. Obvious search box

It may sound like a no-brainer, but make sure that your search box is easy to see. Include a search magnifying glass icon and relevant placeholder text such as “Search for products and brands” or “Search [store name]”.

In the example below from Warby Parker, site search is actually not available from the home screen; you must tap on the menu icon to access it. This will substantially reduce the number of visitors who use the search feature.

4. Dynamic search suggestions

As the user starts typing their search phrase, automatically offer relevant search suggestions that update dynamically as more characters are entered. This will help to guide the user’s search to match products that are available.

It’s best to wait until three characters have been typed before offering search suggestions, as it’s hard to know the searcher’s intent with only one or two characters entered.

5. Category-specific search suggestions

If you do offer dynamic search suggestions, include category-specific suggestions to enable the user to narrow their search more easily. For example, if the user types “pencil” you might show “pencils in School Supplies” or “pencil skirt in Women’s Dresses” in the search suggestions.

6. Pre-filled search box on search results pages

Display the search box on search results pages and keep it filled with the search term that was used. This makes it easy for the user to edit or change their search by just tapping into the search box.

If the user does tap back into the search box, make sure that the active cursor is placed at the end of the word or phrase, so they can add to their search or easily edit it.

In the example below from John Lewis, tapping into the search box positions the cursor at the front of the search term, so the user must tap again at the end in order to edit their search phrase.

7. Auto-correct misspellings

It’s not easy to type on a mobile keyboard. Help your users by correcting common misspellings and displaying results for the corrected search term. For example, if the search term is “iphome” it makes sense to display search results for “iphone”.

Help the user further by informing them about the corrected search and offer related search options if it’s possible that the user’s search intent could be interpreted in other ways.

8. Search within current category

If a user has navigated to a category and then performs a search, allow them to limit the search to only display results from within that category.This will enable them to use search terms that would have otherwise caused many

This will enable them to target their search by using terms that would have otherwise caused many irrelevant results to display.

9. Clear active search button

Include a ‘clear search’ button in the search box to make it easy for users to start a new search.

10. Insert search suggestion into search box

You know the upwards pointing arrow that you see to the right of some search suggestions? Tapping it puts the search suggestion in the search box and updates the list of suggestions based on the new phrase. This makes it easy for the user to navigate through related searches without typing.

In this example from Mercado Libre, tapping on any of the up arrow icons inserts the search suggestion into the search box and displays new suggestions based on the new phrase.

11. Lowercase keyboard

Display a lowercase keyboard when the user is typing their search. This makes it clear that the site search is not case sensitive and is visually easier to scan.