Ever stood in that devastating moment when customers finally interact with your nearly-finished product only to hear them say, "I don't like that" or "This doesn't work for me"? After months of development and what you thought was adequate customer engagement, these late-stage revelations can send you spiraling back to the drawing board, costing time, money, and team morale.This episode dives deep into why this painful scenario happens even to the most diligent product development teams and offers three powerful strategies to prevent it. First, we explore the concept of the "problem space" - that crucial period between identifying a customer problem and jumping to design solutions. The power of cross-functional collaboration forms our second focus. These varied viewpoints collectively create a comprehensive understanding that helps identify potential issues much earlier.Our third strategy introduces the concept of "symptoms" - what customers experience when there's an unintended output or event with your product.  By intentionally exploring these possible negative experiences during concept development, teams can make informed design decisions that prevent or mitigate problems before they materialize in the final product. Ready to transform your product development approach? Start with these strategies on your next project and watch how they reduce those heartbreaking late-stage discoveries. Your customers—and your future self—will thank you.Visit this podcast blog.Other podcast episodes you may like:Uncovering Customer Desires: Understanding Benefits in Concept DevelopmentThe Hidden Costs of Poor Concept Development in Product DesignJOIN ME ON SUBSTACK Subscribe today. GET THE BOOK Pierce the Design Fog ABOUT DIANNADianna Deeney is a quality advocate for product development with over 25 years of experience in manufacturing. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, which helps organizations and people improve engineering design.

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