Text: Jenifer Soares, Designer Coordinator at ília
A survey by Gartner consultancy points that, after the Covid-19 pandemic, the most urgent demand, for 80% of companies, is for a scope of action of their technology sectors.
One that is in alignment with business priorities, and that does not suffer from noise or delays.
This means that digital initiatives need to be more effective, and exposed to minimal risks.
They must also be conducted in such a way that the company’s business is positively impacted as quickly as possible.
That’s why we base all our processes, both internally and for customer delivery, on two main pillars: assertiveness and speed.
Therefore, our UX team developed a method that explores the reality of a product, to propose solutions that actually solve the end user’s problems: the Discovery.
Thus, the idea of Discovery is to understand, through data, what the problems, pains and opportunities of the target audience are.
For example, this research adds a lot of value to the project, since it reduces risks in the solution construction phase – besides ensuring assertiveness and generating insights for the client.
For each project, we outline a customized strategy, seeking to cover all the nuances of the product and to ensure a final result that is optimized to the maximum.
Searching for data to solve problems
First, when starting a new project, we talk to the client to understand what problems they see that need to be solved so we can work out a strategy together.
Then, the Discovery methodology can be developed in two ways: through a qualitative or a quantitative view.
Thus, qualitatively, we conduct surveys on the target public in small groups, relying on varying formats (such as interviews or usability tests, for example).
Quantitatively, we work with surveys conducted on large groups, such as forms sent to thousands of users.
Thus, there are several processes that we can use through these methods, everything will depend on our client’s challenge.
The processes work in an individualized manner for each project, adapting the Discovery techniques.
However, each company that comes to us has a different issue to solve. There is no fixed recipe!
An example of this is the project we developed with BB Previdência. The strategy started with the search for Analytics data, social networks and stores.
Then we moved to the second stage with individual interviews and focus groups.
The individual interviews also unfolded into an online questionnaire and the whole process resulted in blueprints, construction of personas and conclusions about improvements that could be made.
During this process, there were more than 2000 questionnaire answers, 29 hours of recording, 40 GB of files, and 10 thousand words on analysis reports.
All this data was essential to draw an assertive strategy in the remodeling of BB Previdência’s digital platforms.
Discovery is the starting point for product creation
Here at ília, Discovery is usually the first step when creating a digital product. In fact, we do it to really understand the user’s needs and find the focus of the problem.
Sometimes, clients come to us with great research conducted within the company itself, but with a different focus.
The work then consists of gathering all the inputs and making a cut of what is necessary for the solution.
This method also helps us and the client to have up-to-date knowledge about the problem. Hearing from management their experience with past or current challenges and analyzing how these converge.
Discovery allows us to analyze all the end user’s ideas in the present moment. This generates more assertive solutions and assists in business decision-making.
How to guarantee speed during the process?
During the research phase, there are some nuances to be experienced. It is important to define the main guidelines right at the beginning so we can follow the correct path and not have to backtrack.
In addition, we are concerned with bringing the client closer to the process, which facilitates faster and more assertive decision-making.
In Discovery we need to adapt the strategy according to what we discover in the research.
For this reason, it is important to establish a partnership with the client to negotiate the possibilities together and decide, quickly, which path to follow.
Why invest in Discovery?
Discovery is only the first stage of the digital acceleration process; it is the beginning of our work.
By generating such thorough research, we are able to deliver value to customers early in the journey.
Even before the final product is delivered – which is why time to value is such an important concept at ília.
In addition, the research we conduct gives us information about what the user expects in the future, what their needs are, and how they expect the solution to be.
These short, medium, and long-term visions allow our clients to prepare in advance for the changes to come.
At the end of the process, we also bring a diagnostic report, with recommendations for the next steps.
In it, we present trends, insights, which show how the issues on the agenda are linked to the company’s business, and what the big players in the market are doing.
Therefore, a global vision is fundamental for the work to proceed in an assertive manner until the delivery of the product.
Assertiveness is our mission
Discovery gives us a complete history, showing us what the user’s vision was like in the past, how it has evolved in the present, and what they expect in the future.
All this insight enables us to create much more assertive and optimized digital products. It is worth every part of the process when we see the success of the final product.
It is extremely enriching for the team and for each client who bets on our work.
Get to know our methodology in practice and apply it to a product in your business now. You can count on us to make it happen!
