How to create an effective digital product design strategy
What makes a digital product successful? Is it a great USP or UX? The truth is, it’s a combination of multiple factors. And that kind of harmony doesn’t just happen - it needs to be planned first. That’s where digital product design strategy comes in. In this article, we unpack eight tips and ideas that will help you put together an effective digital product design strategy. We look at why design is important for a product, the role of the digital product design strategy, and take you through each step in the process.
Table of contents
What is a digital product design strategy?
A digital product design strategy functions as a set of design guidelines that support the company’s overall product-related objectives. In essence, it makes sure that the product’s design supports a high-level vision of the business and gives designers the means to achieve these goals. A product design strategy is a handy ally in helping the design team ask and answer some critical questions which tell them how to best solve their customers’ problems.
Among other things, a strategy helps the team understand:
- who their customers really are and what it is that specifically motivates them to choose to use their product,
- where in the market the product will fit best and what advantages it has over the competition,
- how to maximize product growth.
8 tips for designing a digital product strategy
In understanding why design is important for a product, we’ve picked eight pointers that will help you build a digital product strategy. All so you can make sure that you set up your product for success!
1. Establish a clear vision for the product
Too often, design teams dive straight into the product development process without a clear understanding of the goal of the product, or why they’re even building it. This can lead to the entire design process setting off on the wrong footing, with different ideas of what the team is trying to achieve.
A clear vision will help define the goals and objectives for the product. This vision should answer the following about the product:
- What they’re building and how to get there?
- Which goals the end result is looking to achieve?
- Whom are they making it for and what are their needs?
- Why are they building it in the first place (not how to do so)?
A clear vision rooted in an effective solution will ensure teams are on the same page from start to finish. It should stand as a statement that is always guiding the design team’s activities, and when things get difficult, it should be there to reset and motivate.
2. Synchronize digital design goals with business goals
Businesses have more than one simple goal. Each department or division has their own set of objectives and desired outcomes. While many of these goals differ to some degree, they should ultimately all point in one direction – achieving overall success for the company. The same goes for your digital product design strategy. When laying out the vision, it is important to remember to set goals that will support the company’s business strategy further down the line.
Bonus Tip: When designing a new product, including a digital product designer to oversee the product’s overall design will help hit those UX goals while helping achieve the business goals. A product canvas (source) is also a helpful tool that enhances the user experience while transforming ideas into validated solutions aligned to the business strategy.
3. Ensure that everyone agrees on the problem
Once you’ve got a clear idea of your digital product design strategy vision and goals, it’s time to figure out what you’ll be needing to achieve them. We begin by ensuring that everybody has a clear understanding of the problem at hand.
An essential step in understanding the customer’s problems is to talk to them. According to Alpha’s 2019 Insights report, 86% of product managers claim they don’t spend enough time talking to users. And yet, only one-third of them actually conduct user research daily (source).
Product discovery is an effective process for learning about users’ needs. It involves a couple of valuable methods to gain this critical data straight from the users themselves:
- focus groups – give teams a well-focused view on selected market segments only,
- market research surveys – useful for learning about the nature of problems and how they affect customers,
- user interviews – gather unbiased, accurate data directly from customers by asking them a set of standardized questions about their problems.
Since the core objective of the product is to solve the issue faced by users, it should be purpose-built to resolve the problem which everyone agrees is the most relevant.
4. Analyze the target audience
The user experience (UX) often defines a digital product. According to toptal.com, 88% of users are less likely to return to a website where they had a bad experience (source), and billions are lost every year due to bad mobile optimization, faulty apps, and slow loading speeds.
User testing allows designers to iron out all of the issues and kinks, making sure that the UX is optimized before going to market.
This research method allows users to test out the product’s functionality during the design phase, giving designers valuable insight into getting the design right by enabling teams to:
- find innovative ways to improve the UX,
- determine if the product addresses user needs or not,
- test the solution’s effectiveness and usability,
- identify any concerns from the customer’s perspective.
5. Create a solution that stands out from the competition
You’re not alone in designing a new product with problem-busting abilities. Finding ways to differentiate yourself from the competition will help you create a unique value proposition (source) that takes care of the needs of your consumers better than others do.
Once you’ve explored and analyzed the user market and found a genuine solution to their – now clearly defined – problems, it’s time to start looking at where you stand against the competition. This involves considering the following:
- Where do you think your design will perform well?
- Where can you see room for improvement?
- What advantages does your product have over the competition?
- What are possible ways of spreading the message about your advantages?
Ensure that your digital product strategy’s competitive approach aligns with the company’s strategy by engaging with marketing, operations, finance, and management consistently. This maintains a united front in leveraging your value proposition.
6. Identify the most likely risks and issues
Any effective product strategy must consider the potential for issues and challenges to pop up along the way. From staff turnover to impossible-to-predict design flaws and inadequate testing, every product designer will tell you that problems and risks are part of the digital product design process.
Include a list of potential risks and problems in the initial strategy, and keep them up to date. Some of the more common risks and how to address them include (source):
- Budget risks – where the costs of the project may exceed initial targets. Try to include a buffer in the budget to cover any extra expenses if necessary.
- Schedule overruns – are inevitable. Set deadlines for milestones during the process instead of a final completion date. This way, you can adjust timelines accordingly.
- Technical risk – sometimes, new tech or rushing integration can lead to challenges. Offer adequate training to staff and recruit the necessary skills early on.
7. Define your product’s success metrics
The job doesn’t stop once your product is finished and ready to hit the market. The very nature of digital products means that they’re constantly changing to keep up with customers’ evolving needs. Success metrics inform the business about how well the product is doing while letting you know if any opportunities for changes and improvements arise. This keeps your product optimized and relevant.
Some of the most frequently cited metrics include abandonment and conversion rates, task success and time (how long it takes people to successfully use your solution to solve their problem) and, most importantly, usability and credibility. A 2020 Statista report found that the number one rated factor for customers in an online shop was usability (source), while 75% of users cite a digital product’s aesthetics as a big credibility judgment factor (source).
8. Keep revising your product design strategy
A good product design strategy is a constantly evolving plan. Data is always changing, and so are customer problems and the solutions you can offer them. From shifting target audiences to increases in competition or new opportunities, your digital design strategy needs to be constantly updated to reflect this. Keep the stakeholders in the loop at all times and ensure that your product is well-maintained and monitored.
Good design strategy pays off
If you’re trying to understand why design is important for a product, look at what products are the most successful – they are well designed and address the fundamental user problems. A digital product strategy whose vision aligns with the company’s goals, is understandable by everyone involved, and is based on data drawn directly from the customers, is destined for success. So, before you even think about bringing up that unnecessary feature addition at the next design meeting, first turn to your product design strategy for accurate information that keeps you on track to create something that your customers simply cannot live without.
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