Introduction
In this article, you will learn how to properly plan a project by defining clear objectives and involving the right stakeholders. By precisely identifying the users’ pain points, you will be able to better understand their reality and design a solution that truly meets their needs.
Too often, companies develop products or features that do not meet the real expectations of consumers. The inability to meet a real need often comes from poor analysis and a lack of understanding of the true problem.
Even if budgetary and scheduling planning is a success—although it is rare—if the final result is not what consumers want, they will abandon it.
By having an understanding of the true expectations of the consumer, you will be able to have a well-defined problem and, therefore, a well-thought-out solution.
A bit like an insight, solving a real problem is like removing a weight from the shoulders. All of a sudden, we are much more “light,” that is to say less mental load with regard to the product.
Plan First
The methods used in the planning phase aim first of all to understand the client’s request (through the brief) and to properly define the project by asking the right questions and challenging its product. These elements will be the skeleton that will guide the project in the right direction.
The Costs of Poor Planning
Bringing a project to completion is extremely delicate. A poor estimate, a lack of budget, or excessive pressure can cause it to fail—or, even worse, turn it into a real disaster at launch.
70%
of projects fail to fulfill their promises to consumers.
(PM360, 2023)
STEP 1 – Explore the 4 essential themes.
The product
It is there to solve the problem(s) for the users. As obvious as it may seem, it is essential to know your product. Take out your Value Proposition Canvas and make sure you know the why of the product.
Ask yourself these questions:
– How do you see your product in the future?
– What is its distinctive element, what pain does it remove for the consumer?
– What are the strong and less strong points of your product?
Les utilisateurs
Identifiez votre cible et ses attentes. Quels sont ses freins et ses motivations ?
Autrement dis, qu’est-ce qui est un fardeau pour lui ?
Ces données alimenteront votre Value Proposition Canvas et affineront votre persona.
From this point on, you should have a complete picture of what your product offers and what your consumer wants.
Then comes the question for the project: what hypotheses do you have about them that you want to verify?
Example: Users prefer to filter by price rather than by types of products on our website.
Tip: Never assume that the consumer knows what they want: they often have a blurred or biased vision of their needs. Ask precise questions to clarify their expectations and align the objectives.
Temporality
Ask yourself these questions:
What is the scope of the project? What does the project represent in relation to the entirety of the product?
To properly assess the projection of the project, establish an impact scale. This will help define the amount of measures necessary to ensure smooth progress.
1 – Short-term isolated project
Project limited in time, without major impact on the overall product.
Ex.: Bug fix, minor update.
2 – Local improvement
Targeted project that optimizes an existing feature but without changing the overall product.
Ex.: Interface improvement, addition of a specific report.
3 – Significant component
Project that adds a notable new feature, influencing the user experience.
Ex.: Addition of an API, development of an add-on module.
4 – Strategic evolution
Structuring project that transforms an essential part of the product or its model.
Ex.: Redesign of a key system, technological migration.
5 – Global transformation
Project impacting the entire product or the company.
Ex.: Strategic repositioning, complete software overhaul, major integration with another system.
Tip: During project planning, don’t be afraid to ask those who commissioned you: On what is the deadline based?
You never know, you might find a way to extend the delivery time if the schedule is too tight. At best, you will have a better understanding of the context, which allows you to better grasp the reality of the client and their constraints.
Define the desired results
Establish a charter of the expected deliverables. Define the criteria that will determine the success of the final result.
Sonos example
In 2024, Sonos announced a complete overhaul of their application. Result: the application turned into a disaster. Released before it was fully functional, it had connectivity problems between devices and it was difficult to play music. This disaster led to a great loss of consumer trust in the brand.
Digital Trends. (2024, août 7). What Happened to Sonos ? | Is the Sonos App Fixed Yet ? [Vidéo]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wU6zNRGDB4
STEP 2 – Define the project objective
To properly define the project, you must set SMART objectives and success indicators (KPIs) for the mission.
For example:
Design a filter system based on the quality/price ratio in order to improve user retention and increase the conversion rate by 15% in 3 months.
KPI
- Average cart value
- Time spent comparing products
- Cart abandonment rate
Remember that defining KPIs is always based on the objective. Ask yourself this question: how will I measure whether my objective is a success or a failure?
STEP 3 – Identify stakeholders and their expectations
- Identify potential stakeholders: identify the team members who have the best understanding of the issues, constraints, and objectives of the project.
- Identify each person’s role.
- Example: The project manager ensures that deadlines and objectives are met. They facilitate communication between the different stakeholders.
- Place the stakeholders in the interest-power matrix.
STEP 4 – Plan user research
This method is recognized as the one that will make the most of qualitative data collection and analysis methods.
What is it for?
– Understand user needs: identify users’ expectations, motivations, frustrations, and behaviors.
– Develop empathy for users: put yourself in their place, understand their challenges, and design human-centered experiences.
– Form a basis for idea generation: the insights gathered during the research provide a solid foundation for brainstorming and designing relevant solutions.
How to proceed
Your objective is what will define whether you need data in quantity (quantitative) or in depth (qualitative). Interviews allow you to explore users’ motivations and frustrations in depth, while surveys and questionnaires offer a broader view thanks to quantitative data.
The insights generated enable truly user-informed decision-making. They are the most effective for profoundly changing a product or generating a user-centered strategy (whether for consumers or not).
The goal is to reveal what really matters to users during their journey. This step explains WHY users act the way they do.
Step 5 – Synthesize the data
Different options are possible depending on the type of project to be carried out.
User journey mapping:
- Place the collected information to know in which phase of the journey the information is located.
- Enrich the persona sheet with the new data if necessary.
- Establish a research and recommendations report.
Step 6 – Conduct secondary research
Secondary data focuses on already existing information. It aims to explore accessible information to enrich understanding of the context without launching new studies.
Users:
– Comments on social networks.
– Reviews on platforms (Google Reviews, Trustpilot, Reddit)
– Forums.
Analytics:
– Web analytics or product analytics data.
Sales :
– History of the best-selling products.
– Geographical breakdown of sales.
– Seasonal purchasing behaviors.
Competitors :
– Website analysis
– Applications or marketing campaigns
– Published case studies
– Blog articles
Conclusion
A successful project relies on a deep understanding of customer expectations. Plan smartly, ask the right questions, and create solutions that really matter. Don’t fall into the trap of companies that build before they understand.
Source : Lallemand, C. (2015) Méthodes de design UX (2° Édition)