New Feature Design
Duration
Duration
1-2 weeks
Why
Allows for exploring ideas before engineering resources are committed. Provides early feedback to validate the soundness of concepts. Solves multiple features and/or flow problems. Addresses the product manager's chicken and the egg problem:
- Chicken: Need feedback to know if their feature ideas are worth building.
- Egg: Need to build features to get good feedback.
Goal
Illustrate a breadth of potential solutions.
How
The product designer and product manager closely collaborate throughout the process. Use annotations, diagrams, and abstract UI mockups as needed to explain the concepts. UI can be rough and lo-fidelity, such as simple screengrabs. Feel free to borrow, remix, and explore multiple directions. If possible, for the duration of concept development, the designer's time should be protected so they can focus solely on this task.
Schedule
- PM/PD brainstorm potential concepts using a whiteboard or Mural. Day 1.
- Designer focuses solely on developing concepts, diagrams,and abstract UI. Day 2.
- Refine any rough areas and send out for async feedback from engineers. If a real time meeting is needed, book it. Day 3.
- Fix all the issues from the comments, abandon any directions that are not working. Day 4.
- Designer refines based on feedback and creates presentation. Day 5.
Outcome
Presentation with flow diagrams, sitemaps, high level UI only showing detail when it matters. Emphasize there is no commitment to build. Make clear to PM and engineers that this is an experiment and The Product Team has the final say on any next steps.
Key points
- Tight PM-designer collaboration
- Protects designer time to focus
- Early feedback loop
- Seeds further discussion