Thematic road maps of projects: the first step to innovation

Do you want to accelerate growth, increase competitiveness, get ahead? Then, perhaps it is time to rethink your approach to product planning. Invision's Jenna Bestow shares on the company's blog the experience of integrating thematic roadmaps into the workflow and talks about the benefits this team has brought to the team.

Thematic road maps of the project are not a step by step methodology; they do not imply strict rules and do not bind you to a specific product or program. In essence, this is just a flexible approach to strategy development.

It looks like this:
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And it sounds like this:

“What the future holds, we don’t know. Therefore, here is a list of what we want to do, in general terms, and we will make adjustments along the way. ”

With thematic road maps, work begins with the formulation of the problem and moves to the search for the optimal solution. The process does not have to be customized to pre-set patterns and deadlines. At your disposal is a document that can be freely changed in accordance with the needs of customers and the goals that they set for you.

Themed roadmaps are a strategy to develop a strategy that leaves you room for a real breakthrough. The minimum of restrictions means the maximum of creativity, cooperation, and innovation.

What is a thematic roadmap?

Its main goal is to define priorities clearly and clearly for all, so that the team can work on common goals.

- What problems need an immediate solution?
- What would you like to achieve at the moment?
- What can be postponed for later?

Each column of the map represents a specific time plan, allowing you to build an approximate hierarchy of priorities. There are three time plans in the diagram presented, but their number can vary:



Now is what you are working on at the moment.

In the near future - something that will require your attention very soon.

In perspective , this is what you would like to do in the future, although it will take a lot of preparatory work before you can begin.

Each card sets the topic or problem you want to solve. They can be rearranged and interchanged if priorities change - and most likely, it will.



Thus, you can be flexible and urgently raise the appropriate card in case it turns out that a minor, as you thought, flaw actually affects the entire user base. Conversely, the solution of too global problems that you are currently unable to cope with, can be moved to a later date.

How to determine the topic?

Look at the root of the problem. Best start with backlog and user reviews - there you will find many clues. Accurately fixing what difficulties your users face or what exactly they want to achieve is half the battle.

However, keep in mind: reviews only reveal symptoms and pain points. As you formulate the themes, you should not think about how small improvements can improve the user experience, but how to change the approach in order to satisfy the maximum possible number of consumers.

The topic is a major issue that needs to be resolved, which is behind scattered complaints about particulars.

As an example, the author cites the following case. Suppose you have the following set of user reviews:

"It is not clear where the goods are added - to the wish list or to the basket."
"After the purchase I did not receive a letter of notification."
“Why not pay with PayPal?”

At first glance, it may seem that all this is resolved with the help of minor edits, but if you get to the root of the problem, you start to see a general topic : your payment plan does not work.

Therefore, it is better to ask yourself the question: “What is the best way to approach the payment process so that it is convenient for the widest possible range of users?”.

Consider a variety of solutions for each problem.

What is great in identifying the problem that lies at the bottom is that you get the opportunity to creatively approach its resolution. Do not discard ideas as being too ambitious or ridiculous. The bottom line is to come up with more options and think outside the box, so as not to waste time and resources on short-sighted decisions.

Let's see how everyday problems are solved in this paradigm. Suppose users offer you to add to the application output in social networks. Here are some questions you should ask yourself to understand the situation:

How many people ask for it? Will this help you achieve your business goals?

Sometimes the problem may seem more serious than it actually is because of the users who actively express their claims, while the silent majority is quite quite the current state of affairs. Is this a key point or just a nice bonus for a small group of consumers?

Since there is no social component in your product, how do users get out of the situation at the moment?

Investigate user behavior to get an answer. Do they copy links into tweets manually? What is the link? It is possible that they do nothing at all to solve the problem - in this case, you can conclude that it is not as sharp as it seemed.

Why do people want to share content? Why do they think that this information is important to their environment?

Perhaps you will come to the conclusion that no one wants to post content in public (for example, in the form of a tweet) - users would rather prefer to send it by a personal message on Facebook or via Whatsapp.

Place each invented solution on the card with the stated theme and look further.

Conclusion

Successful products become successful, not because they have the most functions, but because they solve problems in the best possible way. There is no point in expanding the functionality until you know exactly what the problem is. Trying to predict the future in your plans, you do not win anything.

The true advantage comes from the ability to observe users, to balance the needs and capabilities of the company, and to throw the combined forces of all teams to achieve results.