It can make the difference between a failed launch and a blockbuster.
But the new product requirements process remains one of the most challenging aspects of product development – creating a dynamic tension between engineering (features) and marketing (benefits). Defining new products involves deep customer knowledge and the ability to probe beyond what customers say they want, to serve their actual needs. Teasing out new product requirements is an art that includes listening and respecting customers.
The challenge of the product definition process is one of the largest, most complex, and meaningful elements of any new product development.
Not only does it include gathering the product requirements, it includes the personas of users, segmentation of the user types, context of use, and the definition of other aspects of the product, such as customer service, support, the out of the box experience, user interface and user experience, etc. And we could go on from there. Product definition is the umbrella concept that includes all aspects of how to marry the voice of the customer with the technical constraints to come out with unique and beautiful designs.
Download Product Definition Tools
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Additional Resources
Blog Posts
Innovation Best Practices: Creating Better Innovations Faster
John Carter
Need to improve team performance? Find and Correct the “Pinch-Points”
John Carter
Community Product Requirements Chart: Using Communities to Understand Customer Usage
Jeanne Bradford
Articles & Presentations
Innovation Sprint Readiness Scorecard (.pdf file)
Design Thinking increases innovation while Agile increases speed; using them together in an Innovation Sprint gives you the best of both with more power than the sum of its parts. This scorecard helps identify areas to address before implementing Innovation Sprints.
Leadership and Product Strategy (Slideshare)
This presentation focuses on the technical and organizational skills for developing and refining a portfolio of new products.
Ten Questions to Answer Before Using Social Tools for Product Innovation
The effectiveness of social media for outbound marketing activities, i.e. getting the news out about new products offerings, and interacting with customers, is well known. But social media is also a tool for inbound marketing – for understanding the customer requirements that become inputs for innovative products.
Customer Collaboration & Product Innovation Using Social Networks
A presentation on using social networks to extend the product development team and create a competitive advantage for your business.
Social Innovation Readiness Scorecard (YouTube)
Video describes a tool for rating an organization’s readiness to use social tools for defining new products.