Research & Discovery
Start your project with well-defined goals and a firm sense of purpose.
Starting a project with research might seem like an unnecessary delay, especially if your organization is chomping at the bit to get your new digital service up and running.
However, a digital project can suffer without first establishing solid knowledge of your internal processes and your goals for the project.
What does a research phase involve?
A research and discovery phase typically involves:
- Carrying out user research and stakeholder interviews to fully understand how a customer's information travels through your organization.
- Establishing goals and defining "success".
- Outlining the value proposition – the reason why this digital service is worth building.
- Understanding how this digital service fits within the broader context of your organization.
Why run a research phase?
When these activities are not pursued before a project begins, the project is in danger of hitting all sorts of hurdles, like delays due to knowledge gaps, miscommunication, and confusion about expectations. Not to mention overblown budgets and unhappy stakeholders.
A well-run discovery phase will ensure the project begins with well-defined goals and "success" metrics, and a firm sense of direction and purpose.
Additionally, your organization will be equipped with documentation from the research which will provide a new level of insight about how your customers experience your organization.