What is the problem you’re trying to solve?
I’ve asked this question so many times, it’s become a catchphrase. But when stakeholders approach with ready-made solutions (and artifacts, sometimes!) getting to the root of the issue can reveal a different approach.
One hotel requested a feature they had on their self-hosted microsite. They wanted to replicate it on their branded site. We knew the problem the hotel was trying to solve: they wanted to make it easier for guests to book ancillary services, like spa treatments and restaurant reservations.
My team wanted to solve the same problem, just not in the same way. We knew at our phase of the journey users are seeking information, so we needed better ways to share it. The hotel’s solution presented a lot of risks: technical complexity, scalability, security, and potential operational challenges at the hotels. There was also another team working on an enterprise initiative to solve the problem.
This was a design opportunity. With our research partner, I hosted a workshop with all kinds of stakeholders: developers, product managers, delivery managers, designers and researchers working on related efforts.
What we wanted to do
- Acknowledge the hotel’s challenges and demonstrate how we are working to address them
- Understand user perceptions and behavior
- Learn where business and user needs intersect
- Collaborate and share information with other relevant teams
- Strengthen relationships with cross-functional partners through shared ownership of design and product decisions
What we accomplished
From interviews our researcher identified some opportunities to improve the user experience. The team was able to create and implement those quickly and focus on big priorities. We got the insights we needed to take to the hotel partner, so the product manager could help them understand why we couldn’t do exactly what they asked. Bonus: they were excited to learn about the upcoming enhancements. These impacts don’t always translate immediately to dollar signs, but building relationships with partners and trust with stakeholders can pay dividends in the long run.