Strapped For Time? Find More Here.

A wormhole: It’s like a tunnel between two distant points that cuts the travel time from one point to the other.

Product people are consistently frustrated about poor innovation and product briefs.

Why? Schedules don’t allow time to do user research. It’s frustrating.

And I get it.

But I’m here to tell you that you do have time.

Because shifting to understand the user’s problem, accelerates the design process. It buys you more time.

It’s like entering a wormhole.

To quote Charles Kettering, the famed inventor and head of research for GM, “A problem well stated is half solved.”

In other words, knowing a problem well speeds up design.

This is so true.

Some people think ideating is the first step in product design. But that’s wrong.

Sketching too soon can make you miss the real problem and waste time.

You need to understand the user’s needs first.

That’s why I told my U of O students to — in a 10-week course — wait four weeks before sketching. 

They were not happy about it.

However, they followed a process of observing and researching their users. And, you know what? They found novel problems!

Which led to quicker product ideating and better prototypes. The users loved their ideas!

In week 7 some users adopted the prototypes for everyday use. 

The upshot: The products were delivered on time with stronger stories, execution, and adoption, even with a third of the time reduced.

Try it on your next project. Enter the wormhole. It’s a game-changer. I promise.