Solution Interview
help the team clarify the purpose and format of the interviews with a solution interview worksheet
What is a Solution Interview?
The Solution Interview allows the team to collect qualitative feedback from prospective end-users through one-on-one interviews or a focus group. During the Solution Interview, end-users will be presented with the product or service as a prototype or demo and then asked to provide feedback on their experience.
The prototype should be a mid-to-high fidelity and advanced prototype. Unlike the tests conducted earlier in the Design process, where paper mock-ups may have been appropriate, successful Solution Interviews require a more detailed and functional prototype. Remember, the goal is to provide the interviewees with a solution that resembles the end product so that you can capture their reaction to the product or service.
An important aspect of the Solution Interview is that the testing method is largely unstructured and unmoderated. During the interviews, the interview team simply sets the stage, introduces the concept, and then steps back to observe the customer’s natural behaviors for interacting with the solution. Usability tests attempt to investigate customer behavior without intervention, taking note of subtle cues such as facial expressions, body language, and other implicit emotional responses.
The focus of these conversations with the prospective customers is to determine:
- If the solution solves the customer’s problem or helps them accomplish their goal?
- What are the minimum features needed to solve the problem?
- What is the customer willing to pay to have the problem solved?
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Organizations need to understand what the perspective customer is thinking about a product or service. this can be accomplished by completing a Solution Interview through one-on-one interviews or focus groups. This topic is a core concept of applying creative problem-solving through design thinking. To learn more about design, please visit our Introduction to Design Thinking Course.
The Design Thinking course teaches a creative problem-solving that will give any professional an advantage in their industry or career.
- Designers or Product Development professionals that are motivated to bring innovative new products and services to their business and customers.
- Consultants who want to offer their clients a model for applying creative problem-solving to help address business challenges.
- Human Resource professionals seeking to develop more human-centered solutions to support workforce members while driving higher levels of employee engagement.
- Members of Leadership who are wishing to gain competitive advantage by differentiating their business’s products and services.
- Individuals or Teams that are searching for new ways to solve complex problems by placing the customer’s needs at the center of their solutions.
This course will help expose the learner to various design thinking tools and mental models – all with the emphasis on innovating through creative problem-solving.
Our objective is to provide the learner with practical tools for applying a versatile 3-step design thinking process within their organizations. Through this framework, the learner will be able to reframe problems from the customer’s perspective. With this perspective in mind, the learner will drive improvements around the customer experience using tools such as deep-dive interview, journey mapping, empathy mapping, and rapid prototyping.
Need help introducing use of a Solution Interview at your organization?
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