Aspirational Product Design
I had no idea that strolling past a small booth in the Javits Convention Center in NYC would provide me with one of the most gratifying moments in my career.
I paused at a booth to watch a 2D engineering drawing animate between 2D and 3D views in a new way that made such drawings clearer than they had ever been before. And done in an engagingly visual way.
The person working the booth approached me and said, “That’s an eDrawing”. Unprompted by me, he proceeded to tell me how he received an eDrawing for the first time from a peer who wanted to discuss the design. But he was so enthralled by the animated drawing, that he only wanted to know what this drawing technology was, and how could he create these drawings himself. Now he sends eDrawings to everyone that he needs to communicate designs to.
Frustration - Not All Customer Pain is Equal
The problems your customers face as a part of their job come in two levels of intensity… inconveniences and frustrations. If another word for “problem” is “opportunity”, then focusing on a big and frustrating problem is a potentially big opportunity. And when customers express frustration, they are implicitly telling you where they would appreciate and value your help the most. Help them here, and you will be their hero.