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1955 : STEP THREE – EVALUATING AND SELECTING IDEAS

As we saw in the discussion on user observation in Chapter 3,
qualitative market research on existing products can be misleading, let
alone market research on products and services which are new to the
market. Crucially for this phase of the idea development process,
therefore, visual or physical prototypes allow customer feedback to be
generated and communicated effectively.

see it, touch it, feel it, taste it You cannot beat customers actually
being able to see, touch, feel and taste your product or service. New
Covent Garden Soup Company created the idea of ‘Soup of the Month’,
introducing a new and unusual flavour such as Spinach and Nutmeg on
to retailers’ shelves every month to evaluate customer reaction. Close
monitoring of this real-time test market allowed informed decisions to
be made on whether the prototype should be included in the standard
product range.

ganging up on glitches Prototyping is standard practice in the
software industry, where key users are granted access to new software
ahead of full launch in order to facilitate product improvement and
eliminate glitches.

you cannot beat customers actually being
able to see, touch, feel and taste your
product or service

Intuit routinely canvasses for customers to beta test forthcoming
releases, acting on the maxim that the best way to refine your product
is to share it early and often with potential end-users. This highly
person-centred approach to prototyping was emphasised by Inc.com
magazine’s report of Intuit’s ‘Follow-Me-Home’ testing method: ‘Intuit
representatives observe new users when they first use the product.
“You watch their eyebrows, where they hesitate, where they have a
quizzical look,” says Cook [Scott Cook, founder of Intuit]. “Every glitch,
every momentary hesitation is our fault.” The testing helps the
company figure out which areas to work on each time it updates its
products.”147

the slippery slope of commitment By suggesting improvements to
prototypes, potential customers are starting to descend the slippery
slope of commitment to the product or service which should result in
orders for you. Exposure of the product or service prototype to