90% of a product's environmental impact is committed here.

Most people won't do this. ❌

Will you?...

Ninety percent of a product’s environmental impact is committed at the design stage.*

I’d argue it’s mostly committed well before: At the Brief.

But this is the most under-invested step to creating a product.

We aim to build socially and environmentally responsible companies.

Yet, we defeat our social and environmental purpose when we short-change the product planning phase.

Vague product briefs and biased focus groups amplify the risk of crappy products.

Rather, knowing WHY a product should exist dramatically lessens this risk.

Let’s look at this in the context of the product creation process.

I’ve simplified product creation into three interrelated pillars (pay special attention to the first pillar).

1. See: (Pre-brief). Most overlook this first step. Yet it is the most critical. Skimp here and impact the value of your product. Spend the effort with customers through applied empathy, to find the Why of your product. The best project Briefs come from deep insights that later provide a rich foundation for storytelling and marketing.

2. Solve: (Design and Development). Teams feel most comfortable here. Yet even here potential can go unrealized. Move quickly. Engage a diversity of ideas from various stakeholders. Brainstorm many ideas. Then build physical samples rapidly. Test these results for desirability, feasibility, and viability. Rinse and repeat until a winner emerges.

3. Story: (Marketing). Remember that Brief we created a while back? This is the genesis of the launch story. Now that we've solved the problem, we can highlight desirable benefits. Beyond this, we’ve identified motivations and emotions related to these benefits. A story emerges naturally and powerfully. 

There’s more to unpack here. But, simply put, let’s invest our time, energy, and resources in the few things that make a difference—to us, our customers, our stakeholders, and our planet.

We have a responsibility to double down on the first pillar.

What’s your next step?