How to FIND Your Why.

What makes a good insight? An insight is a deep truth about the customer (or their culture) we can leverage to help solve a problem.

An example: People rarely choose cars merely for transportation. Rather, choosing a car is more about validating one’s self-concept. Which car brand best signals who I am, and how I’d like others to see me?

This is an insight.

This is why we look for these deeper meanings when creating products. When we find the motivations underneath the behavior, we find the ultimate WHY. Without this, we make it harder for customers to choose our products. And easier for them to go elsewhere.

Let’s try it. The resulting avalanche of data from our observation and research is scary. Yet trust in the process. Strong ideas will emerge!

Start by loosely grouping our notes into general themes. Name these concepts. Which of the concepts are common between multiple users? These are the ‘causes’ or ‘enablers.’

From these, do they point to a motivation? Yes? This is the true insight or the problem to solve. It’s the WHY. Now we’ve tapped into something interesting.