I have always aimed for excellence in my products, dedicating countless hours to understanding customer needs and collaborating closely with the dev and release teams. This commitment has consistently resulted in positive outcomes for both customers and the business.
However, one pivotal moment changed my perspective on even the smallest details and elevated my expectations for my products' performance. Let me share that pivotal experience with you.
Sprint Review #1080
Nearly fifteen years ago, on a cold afternoon, I found myself in a sprint review for our next-generation Environmental, Health, and Safety (EH&S) cloud and mobile software platform. This platform was my brainchild—anyone who has developed and launched a product from scratch will understand the deep personal investment implied when I say it was 'my baby.' We were in the early stages of the project and had just concluded a sprint review when I was asked for my overall assessment of the team's progress towards the project's objectives. As I heard my name called followed by, 'What do you think?' I took my phone off mute, ready to speak, but then paused.
You see, what was on my mind was to provide a general sense that everything was all good, but it wasn't. Something had been nagging at me for some time, even before this session. The UX was good. The quality excellent. The customer feedback was positive. But something was missing. The product lacked personality—a certain sense of swagger, if you will. We were replicating a desktop experience for a cloud based enterprise platform. "Team," I began, "the product functions well. The usability looks good. We are presenting users with the shortest route to complete tasks. Again, the functionality is there, but something is missing. I can't quite put my finger on it just yet."
All of a sudden, like a lightning strike It hit me. "Guys, we need a better design that's going to set the tone for the product's personality. We need another iteration on the design language for the platform.” I reached out to several agencies to assist us in coming up with a revised look that would be equal to the effort we were putting into the functionality and usability.
That Rug Really Tied the Room Together, Didn’t It…
The key to great usability and design starts with the product manager and their understanding of what customers really do. For this project, I had kicked things off with customer discovery sessions that were pretty open-ended, focusing on their general work related to machine operations and maintenance. Then, we dove into more specific product discovery data to tackle particular tasks in the context of the customer work. I shared this information with our selected design agency, which provided several outstanding designs. From these, we chose one that truly resonated with us.
When the dev team and I got back together with the new design, our meetings felt like jazz jam sessions. We explored customer workflows and issues, bouncing ideas off each other to craft innovative solutions. When we applied the new look to the application, it was as if someone flipped the switch and let the electricity flow - it basically took our solution to another level.
During our usability sessions, I introduced both the product and its vision. The UX team then facilitated the session with customers, that in this case, led to overwhelmingly positive feedback. I was later informed by our sales reps that the customers were so excited by what they’d seen, they eagerly began asking when the product would be available to them.
This mix of digging deep into customer needs, collaborating creatively, and having a great visual language helped us create a product that not only met user requirements but also felt natural and intuitive. It was all about keeping it flexible while staying focused on what mattered most to our users. A good design communicates its understanding of the user work by mirroring their language and layout and aligning with the tasks it is intended to assist. In other words, it's like a rug that truly ties the room together, seamlessly integrating functionality and usability in its expression.
The Point of It All
Great products and services possess a distinctive personality—a signature swagger or 'je ne sais quoi.' Once you experience this phenomenon at play in one of your products, it leaves an indelible impression.
In salute of this experience, I say, never release a product with obvious flaws though minor, even if they're in less-trafficked areas. These apparent bugs or design oversights, though not critical, convey a sense of carelessness and lack of attention to detail. Such imperfections shape customer expectations about your service quality and company as a whole, ultimately diminishing the perceived value of your product.
When you love what you do, as a product manager, you take pride in your craft and the products you deliver, knowing they reflect your values, craftsmanship, and dedication. This is just one product management love story among many.
Need help creating, implementing, or optimizing your product management machinery, contact Froogel Product Manager.
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