2. The Customer: Understanding The Opportunity

Question 1

Challenge at understanding the customer:

Answer 1

Know what customers really want, and turn that knowledge into a concept

Question 2

The “Fuzzy” Front End of Innovation

Answer 2

-Product strategy formulation and communication
-opportunity identification and assessment
-idea generation, product concept definition
-project planning
-and executive reviews
→ Activities that come before the formal and well-structured new product (technology/service) portion of innovation

Question 3

Common Problems at FFE

Answer 3

-Lack of highly profitable ideas
-Lack of understanding where highly profitable ideas come from
-Front end perceived as mysterious (unclear responsibilities)

Question 4

Main clusters at FFE

Answer 4

-Trend analysis: Understanding external environment
-Opportunity analysis: Identifying gaps present state ↔ envisioned future
-Idea generation: Creating alternatives for solutions from opportunities
-Concept development: Combining ideas into concepts which cover primary features and customer benefits

Question 5

Trend and Opportunity Analysis

Answer 5

-Methods for trend analysis: Scenario planning, trend workshops customer innovation workshops, coolhunting, open technology scouting
-Methods for opportunity analysis: technology forecasting, outcome-driven innovation, competitor intelligence, netnography
-Netnography: Analyzing social media and forums → identify latent needs / early concepts / trends, build up customer loyalty

Question 6

Idea and Concept Generation

Answer 6

-In order to capitalize from an opportunity, an idea is needed
-Definition of product concept: A product concept is a verbal or prototype statement of what is going to be
changed and how the customer stands to gain or lose.
-Inputs to the creation process: Benefit to the customer, form (physical thing or steps in process), technology
-Elements of concepts

Question 7

“Jobs” of a product

Answer 7

-Challenge: Job to be done independent of particular solution
-Approach: Qualitative research (asking about problems with existing solutions), quantitative research
(validate and prioritize with large group of customers)
-Goals: Reveal “true” needs, address all possibilities by focusing on needs instead particular technology,
identify new business models

Question 8

What is a „Job“?

Answer 8

A ”job“ is a stable factor over time – products or services are temporary solutions which are evaluated based on
their contribution to a solution.

Question 9

Components of a „Job“

Answer 9

-Jobs-to-be-done: Context-specific problem or goal of a customer
-Objectives or outcomes: Functional, emotional, social metrics
-Barriers: Factors inhibiting getting the job done
-Solutions: Products, services, compensating behaviors

Question 10

Getting at latent needs through empathic design

Answer 10

-Challenge: Customers: envisioning future solutions / verbalizing their needs
Company: doesn’t know users’ own solutions to improve products
-Approach: Observing customers in non-intrusive way in their usage environment: interaction, habits,
validation of product features
-Goals: Develop concepts based in unarticulated needs, breakthrough design in potentially shorter
development cycles, create opportunities for differentiation strategies

Question 11

Process of empathic design:

Answer 11

1. Search field definition: target segments/users, issues to focus on, permission for observation
2. Capturing data: Non-intrusive, photography/videography, note critical incidents and customers’ solutions
3. Evaluation and documentation: Share and extract observations, cluster to need areas, formulate problem
   statement (not solution)
4. Reflection and analysis