- writing insights well is not an easy task
- insights are usually results of Discovery MOC or Research-MOC
- is a non-obvious observation grounded in data that explains the "why" behind consumer motivations and human behavior
- the goal of every insight statement is to help stakeholders understand users' emotional experiences and inspire well-defined product ideation
- Data refers to unanalyzed user observations, findings capture patterns among data points, and insights are the actionable opportunities based on research and business goals.
- which is why most decisions we make are data-informed, not data-made (Fadell)
- and when you're making something new, there's never a way how to support with data that it's going to work (Fadell)
- one of the most important steps to creating an effective insight statement is knowing the information required
- Well-structured insight consists is:
- based on actual facts and data and not mere opinions
- inspiring ideas
- helping to understand users' mental models
- written in clear, simple, and precise language
- findings are not enough as they don't provide context
- user insights typically focus on the user's unmet needs, underlying motivations, and surprising behaviors.
- the best ideas are painkillers, not vitamins - painkillers eliminate something that's constantly bothering you, a regular irritation you can't get rid of (Fadell)
- A definition is helpful but knowing what value your insight should deliver in the customer journey is far more essential and makes them directly actionable, building momentum for change.
- research is a practice of delayed intuition (Fadell)
- Daniel Kahneman - in order to make better decisions - you need to slow down (Fadell)
Insight anatomy
“I saw this” + “I know this” = insight
- “I saw this” - user research data gathered through research, ideally from various sources
- “I know this” - accumulated life experience, worldview, and meaning for the insight creator(s)
- Insight - deep, meaningful, and contextual perception
Communicating insights
- Be Evidence-Based
- Be Visual
- Quantify findings. For example, instead of saying more users enjoy browsing on their smartphones, say, "6 out of 10 users enjoy browsing on their mobile phones.
- but numbers are empty without interpretation and that's where storytelling / empathization tools like personas can come into play (Fadell)
Structuring insights
- What are your findings
- This is where the most valuable data from finding is stored
- Why are they happening
- Articulating the root cause(s) of the discovery
- You can also draw inferences like educated guesses or hypotheses
- What is the evidence
- What can be done about them
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- SET THE CONTEXT
- COMMUNICATE THE DILEMMA
- ARTICULATE THE WHY
- CAPTURE THE MOTIVATION
- ENVISION THE IDEAL