These slides are for the software design class I teach (currently at UVA Darden). The materials page is here: http://bit.ly/sw-class .

1. © 2015 COWAN+
SOFTWARE DESIGN: SESSIONS 2, 3
MANNING THE LOOKOUT-
CREATING ACTIONABLE
OBSERVATIONS WITH PERSONAS
Alex Cowan

2. © 2015 COWAN+
THE VENTURE DESIGN PROCESS
SCALE?
PIVOT?
PRODUCT &
PROMOTION
USER STORIES
& PROTOTYPES
CUSTOMER
DISCOVERY &
EXPERIMENTS
VALUE
PROPOSITIONS &
ASSUMPTIONS
SHOW
M
E
…
?
WHATIF?
Is the problem
relevant? Is the
proposition better
vs alternatives?
Do we understand
this person? What
makes them tick?
Did the
implementation
deliver on
the story?
Was the implemented
story relevant to the
proposition?
How did the customer
/user react?
WHO?PERSONAS
WHAT?
PROBLEM
SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES

3. © 2015 COWAN+
THE VENTURE DESIGN PROCESS
Do we understand
this person? What
makes them tick?
WHO?PERSONAS
WHAT?
PROBLEM
SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES

4. © 2015 COWAN+
The Twin Anti-Poles of Design Failure
Doing precisely what
the user asks
Assuming you know what’s
best and ignoring the user
SNAP!
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING

5. © 2015 COWAN+
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING
Finding the Right
PROBLEM
Finding the Right
SOLUTION
time
alternatives
divergence convergence divergence convergence
source: adapted from ‘The Design of Everyday Things’
User Stories
Personas
Problems
Alternatives
Field
Discovery
Value Hypothesis &
Assumptions
Product
Hypothesis
Software
Prototypes
Experiments on Motivation

6. © 2015 COWAN+
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING
What is? What if ? What wows? What works?
source: adapted from ‘The Designing for Growth Field Book’

7. © 2015 COWAN+
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING
Personas
Problems
Alternatives
Field Discovery
Product
Hypothesis User Stories
Comp’s
Prototypes
…
Software
Value
Hypothesis &
Assumptions
Experiments on
Motivation
What is? What if ? What wows? What works?
source: adapted from ‘The Designing for Growth Field Book’

8. © 2015 COWAN+
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING- WHY IS IT HARD?
Design Thinking
Now
Survival
Then

9. © 2015 COWAN+
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING- FOUNDATIONS
Empathy Creativity

10. © 2015 COWAN+
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING- FOUNDATIONS

11. © 2015 COWAN+
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING- FOUNDATIONS
Entry1
Urinate as they go2
Edges preferred3
Speedy4
PB > cheese5
Empathy

12. © 2015 COWAN+
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING- FOUNDATIONS
1
2
3
4
5
Check & Repair
UV Validation
Relevant Placement
A Better Mouse Trap
Powered by Better Bait
Creativity

13. © 2015 COWAN+
THE VENTURE DESIGN PROCESS- PERSONAS
Do we understand
this person? What
makes them tick?
WHO?PERSONAS
WHAT?
PROBLEM
SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES

14. © 2015 COWAN+
DESIGN THINKING: EMPATHY & PERSONAS
ALEX COWAN
alexandercowan.com
@cowanSFbit.ly/2persona

15. © 2015 COWAN+
DESIGN THINKING: EMPATHY & PERSONAS
ALEX COWAN
alexandercowan.com
@cowanSFbit.ly/2persona

16. © 2015 COWAN+
• Women
• Age 28-45
• Has kids
• Socialize with other mom’s
• Online with Facebook
• 86% said they’d like to be more
organized
• 70% said they’d use an application
that organizes them
PERSONA: BAD

17. © 2015 COWAN+
Bullet points are almost never
vivid or detailed
Stock photo- not real
This is a huge population-
not exact
These responses are ‘fake actionable’-
survey responses like this are
unreliable
PERSONA: BAD
• Women
• Age 28-45
• Has kids
• Socialize with other mom’s
• Online with Facebook
• 86% said they’d like to be more
organized
• 70% said they’d use an application
that organizes them

18. © 2015 COWAN+
THE ART OF CUSTOMER DISCOVERY

19. © 2015 COWAN+
Mary is a mom by choice. She had a successful career in
accounting, but welcomed the opportunity to be a stay at home
mom. She loves it. But it’s not like having kids purged her
creative, social instincts. She wants to connect, she wants to
learn, she wants to interact. Being a mom is a job and she wants
to do it well. That means corresponding with other mom’s on
child education and keeping track of what works. She posts to
Facebook at least twice a week and responds to other moms’
items more often than that.
She has a few blogs and publications she reads regularly…
Mary the Mom
PERSONA: BETTER

20. © 2015 COWAN+
the use of a first name helps w/
vividness (a little)
these full sentences look like a good
start towards something vivid and
detailed
this is a real photo of a relevant
person taken with an iPhone in the
real world
PERSONA: BETTER
Mary is a mom by choice. She had a successful career in
accounting, but welcomed the opportunity to be a stay at home
mom. She loves it. But it’s not like having kids purged her
creative, social instincts. She wants to connect, she wants to
learn, she wants to interact. Being a mom is a job and she wants
to do it well. That means corresponding with other mom’s on
child education and keeping track of what works. She posts to
Facebook at least twice a week and responds to other moms’
items more often than that.
She has a few blogs and publications she reads regularly…
Mary the Mom

21. © 2015 COWAN+
ivid
eal
ctionable
dentifiable
xact
etailed
E
I
R
A
V
D

22. © 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE- PERSONA CREATION
Mary the Working Mom
Susan the Stay-at-Home Mom
Douglas the Dad
Nathan the Nanny
Ivan the Infant
…
List at least 3 personas
(4 min)
use 1 index card/
persona

23. © 2015 COWAN+
Day in the Life
We look at a few photos for a given persona (not a full picture, just snippets)
You make some guesses about them
There are no right answers BUT
There is a right process: observe and infer
OBJECTIVE:
Get a feel for what’s real; start to create something vivid
A LITTLE GAME FOR BETTER PERSONA DISCOVERY

35. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO

36. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- ‘THINKS’?
Thinks: (The cognitive part. Often: the tension between how they’d ideally like things to be and how they are now.)
Sees
Feels
Does

37. © 2015 COWAN+
EXAMPLE- ENABLE QUIZ & HELEN THE HR MANAGER

38. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development is
something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole
thing started.
Sees
Feels
Does
Example: Helen the HR Manager

39. © 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE- DISCOVERING WHAT THEY THINK
Question Form Examples Questions (‘Enable Quiz’)
Tell me about [yourself in the role of the persona]? - Tell me about being an HR manager?
- What do you most, least like about the job?
- What are the hardest, easiest parts of the job?
- I’ve heard [x]- does that apply to you?
Tell me about [your area of interest]? - Do you do screen new candidates? If not, who?
- Can you tell me about the last time? What was the trigger?
- Who else was involved? What was it like?
Tell me your thoughts about [area]? - How should it ideally be done?
- How is it actually done? Why?
Draft discovery questions
in the areas above
(If complete, converge
with your group)
(7 min)

40. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development is
something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole
thing started.
Sees
Feels
Does
Draft the ‘Think’ portion for your top persona (If done, converge with your group.)
(4 min)
Example: Helen the HR Manager

41. © 2015 COWAN+
CAN YOUR PERSONA DO THIS?
Capture
Attention
via Google
AdWord
Secure the
infamous
‘click through’
Engage Interest,
Desire on
landing page
Action,
onboarding,
retention
( )

42. © 2015 COWAN+
CREATING AN ADWORD AD

43. © 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE: CREATE AN ADWORD AD: THINK ANGLE
1. Select keywords (put in Notes section)
2. Draft ad copy
How does the draft follow from your personas?
Are you speaking in the language your customers use?
Are you connecting with the THINK in your Think-See-Feel-Do?
(NO RULE AGAINST UPDATING YOUR PERSONA WHILE YOU DO THIS!)
Create at least one Google AdWords ad on the paper template- specifically
using the ‘think’ angle on your persona

44. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- ‘SEES’?
Thinks: (The cognitive part. Often: the tension between how they’d ideally like things to be and how they are now.)
Sees: (The interactions that shape their Thinking- media, peers, education, training, casual observation.)
Feels
Does

45. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development is
something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole thing
started.
Sees: Helen is at the tail end of every bad hire and sees the damage it does to the employee and company, alike. Helen sees that
online learning has rocketed forward in the last few years. If someone wants to learn a specific skill, there’s a number of high
quality options online, many of them free. They just need a way to help employees organize select into these courses.
Feels
Does
Example: Helen the HR Manager

46. © 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE- DISCOVERING WHAT THEY SEE
Question Form Examples Questions (‘Enable Quiz’)
Tell me about [yourself in the role of the persona]? - Tell me about being an HR manager?
- What do you most, least like about the job?
- What are the hardest, easiest parts of the job?
- I’ve heard [x]- does that apply to you?
Tell me about [your area of interest]? - Do you do screen new candidates? If not, who?
- Can you tell me about the last time? What was the trigger?
- Who else was involved? What was it like?
Tell me your thoughts about [area]? - How should it ideally be done?
- How is it actually done? Why?
What do you see in [area]?
Where do you learn what’s new? What others do?
Who do you think is doing it right?
How did you make your last decision?
Draft discovery questions
in the areas above
(If complete, converge
with your group)
(4 min)

47. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development is
something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole thing
started.
Sees: Helen is at the tail end of every bad hire and sees the damage it does to the employee and company, alike. Helen sees that
online learning has rocketed forward in the last few years. If someone wants to learn a specific skill, there’s a number of high
quality options online, many of them free. They just need a way to help employees organize select into these courses.
Feels
Does
Draft the ‘See’ portion for your top persona. (If done, converge with your group.)
Example: Helen the HR Manager

48. © 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE: CREATE AN ADWORD AD: SEE ANGLE
1. Select keywords (put in Notes section)
2. Draft ad copy
How does the draft follow from your personas?
Are you speaking in the language your customers use?
Are you connecting with the SEE in your Think-See-Feel-Do?
(NO RULE AGAINST UPDATING YOUR PERSONA WHILE YOU DO THIS!)
Create at least one Google AdWords ad on the paper template- specifically
using the ‘see’ angle on your persona

49. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- ‘FEELS’?
Thinks: (The cognitive part. Often: the tension between how they’d ideally like things to be and how they are now.)
Sees: (The interactions that shape their Thinking- media, peers, education, training, casual observation.)
Feel: (The emotional driver. What are the predominant emotions around the relevant activity? What is the emotional outcome of
the actions they take around the activity?)
Does

50. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development is
something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole thing
started.
Sees: Helen is at the tail end of every bad hire and sees the damage it does to the employee and company, alike. Helen sees that
online learning has rocketed forward in the last few years. If someone wants to learn a specific skill, there’s a number of high
quality options online, many of them free. They just need a way to help employees organize select into these courses.
Feels: Helen feels like crap whenever they have to let someone go. She hates it. The employee hates it. The manager hates it. It’s
incredibly destructive and de-motivating for everyone involved. Helen would love to be more involved, more included in
functional skills evaluation and improvement. She’s love to have a success story to talk about. Most HR departments don’t do a
whole lot in this area.
Does
Example: Helen the HR Manager

51. © 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE- DISCOVERING WHAT THEY FEEL
Question Form Examples Questions (‘Enable Quiz’)
Tell me about [yourself in the role of the persona]? - Tell me about being an HR manager?
- What do you most, least like about the job?
- What are the hardest, easiest parts of the job?
- I’ve heard [x]- does that apply to you?
Tell me about [your area of interest]? - Do you do screen new candidates? If not, who?
- Can you tell me about the last time? What was the trigger?
- Who else was involved? What was it like?
Tell me your thoughts about [area]? - How should it ideally be done?
- How is it actually done? Why?
What do you see in [area]?
Where do you learn what’s new? What others do?
Who do you think is doing it right?
How did you make your last decision?
How do you feel about [area]?
Tell me about the last time?
What motivates you? What parts of it are most rewarding? Why?
What would it be like in your perfect world?
Draft discovery questions
for the ‘feel’ area
(If complete, converge
with your group)
(4 min)

52. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development is
something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole thing
started.
Sees: Helen is at the tail end of every bad hire and sees the damage it does to the employee and company, alike. Helen sees that
online learning has rocketed forward in the last few years. If someone wants to learn a specific skill, there’s a number of high
quality options online, many of them free. They just need a way to help employees organize select into these courses.
Feels: Helen feels like crap whenever they have to let someone go. She hates it. The employee hates it. The manager hates it. It’s
incredibly destructive and de-motivating for everyone involved. Helen would love to be more involved, more included in
functional skills evaluation and improvement. She’s love to have a success story to talk about. Most HR departments don’t do a
whole lot in this area.
Does
Draft the ‘Feel’ portion for your top persona. (If done, converge with your group.)
Example: Helen the HR Manager

53. © 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE: CREATE AN ADWORD AD: FEEL ANGLE
1. Select keywords (put in Notes section)
2. Draft ad copy
How does the draft follow from your personas?
Are you speaking in the language your customers use?
Are you connecting with the FEEL in your Think-See-Feel-Do?
(NO RULE AGAINST UPDATING YOUR PERSONA WHILE YOU DO THIS!)
Create at least one Google AdWords ad on the paper template- specifically
using the ‘feel’ angle on your persona

54. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- ‘FEELS’?
Thinks: (The cognitive part. Often: the tension between how they’d ideally like things to be and how they are now.)
Sees: (The interactions that shape their Thinking- media, peers, education, training, casual observation.)
Feel: (The emotional driver. What are the predominant emotions around the relevant activity? What is the emotional outcome of the
actions they take around the activity?)
Do: The ‘actuals’. As applicable: What triggers? How often? For how long? How much money?

55. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development is
something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole thing
started.
Sees: Helen is at the tail end of every bad hire and sees the damage it does to the employee and company, alike. Helen sees that
online learning has rocketed forward in the last few years. If someone wants to learn a specific skill, there’s a number of high
quality options online, many of them free. They just need a way to help employees organize select into these courses.
Feels: Helen feels like crap whenever they have to let someone go. She hates it. The employee hates it. The manager hates it. It’s
incredibly destructive and de-motivating for everyone involved. Helen would love to be more involved, more included in functional
skills evaluation and improvement. She’s love to have a success story to talk about. Most HR departments don’t do a whole lot in
this area.
Does: Helen’s relatively responsive to new ideas, particularly if someone knowledgeable is willing to come in and talk about it. If
she likes it, she’ll bring it to the functional managers, who are usually the ultimate decision makers since without their support
she can’t get the system online and working. Post-sale, Helen will help keep the program organized, moving, and otherwise on
the functional managers radar. All this is predicated on Helen being equipped with the right messages, facts, and best practices
to make the purchase and use of Enable Quiz effective.
Example: Helen the HR Manager

56. © 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE- DISCOVERING WHAT THEY DO
Question Form Examples Questions (‘Enable Quiz’)
Tell me about [yourself in the role of the persona]? - Tell me about being an HR manager?
- What do you most, least like about the job?
- What are the hardest, easiest parts of the job?
- I’ve heard [x]- does that apply to you?
Tell me about [your area of interest]? - Do you do screen new candidates? If not, who?
- Can you tell me about the last time? What was the trigger?
- Who else was involved? What was it like?
Tell me your thoughts about [area]? - How should it ideally be done?
- How is it actually done? Why?
What do you see in [area]?
Where do you learn what’s new? What others do?
Who do you think is doing it right?
How did you make your last decision?
How do you feel about [area]?
Tell me about the last time?
What motivates you? What parts of it are most rewarding? Why?
What would it be like in your perfect world?
What do you do in [area]?
How many new openings/quarter?
How many interviews/position?
Draft discovery questions
for the ‘do’ area
(If complete, converge
with your group)
(4 min)

57. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development is
something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole thing
started.
Sees: Helen is at the tail end of every bad hire and sees the damage it does to the employee and company, alike. Helen sees that
online learning has rocketed forward in the last few years. If someone wants to learn a specific skill, there’s a number of high
quality options online, many of them free. They just need a way to help employees organize select into these courses.
Feels: Helen feels like crap whenever they have to let someone go. She hates it. The employee hates it. The manager hates it. It’s
incredibly destructive and de-motivating for everyone involved. Helen would love to be more involved, more included in functional
skills evaluation and improvement. She’s love to have a success story to talk about. Most HR departments don’t do a whole lot in
this area.
Does: Helen’s relatively responsive to new ideas, particularly if someone knowledgeable is willing to come in and talk about it. If
she likes it, she’ll bring it to the functional managers, who are usually the ultimate decision makers since without their support
she can’t get the system online and working. Post-sale, Helen will help keep the program organized, moving, and otherwise on
the functional managers radar. All this is predicated on Helen being equipped with the right messages, facts, and best practices
to make the purchase and use of Enable Quiz effective.
Draft the ‘Do’ portion for your top persona. (If done, converge with your group.)
Example: Helen the HR Manager

58. © 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE: CREATE AN ADWORD AD: DO ANGLE
1. Select keywords (put in Notes section)
2. Draft ad copy
How does the draft follow from your personas?
Are you speaking in the language your customers use?
Are you connecting with the DO in your Think-See-Feel-Do?
(NO RULE AGAINST UPDATING YOUR PERSONA WHILE YOU DO THIS!)
Create at least one Google AdWords ad on the paper template- specifically
using the ‘do’ angle on your persona

59. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
Do we understand
this person? What
makes them tick?
WHO?PERSONAS
WHAT?
PROBLEM
SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES

60. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS

61. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
X
PROBLEM SCENARIO

62. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
XWhat job(s) are you doing for the
customer?
What existing need or behavior
are you fulfilling?
PROBLEM SCENARIO

63. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
X
?
PROBLEM SCENARIO
ALTERNATIVE(S)

64. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
X
?If they currently use
spreadsheets, watch them use it
and get a copy of it.
If they currently put notes on the family
fridge, ask about it, photograph it.
PROBLEM SCENARIO
ALTERNATIVE(S)

65. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
X
It’s hard for the HR manager to send good notes on
candidates to the functional manager.
(Too Detailed, A Feature vs. a Product/Venture)
‘Hiring technical talent is difficult.’
(Too Broad, Abstract)
‘Screening technical talent is difficult.’
(Probably About Right)

66. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
X
?
PROBLEM SCENARIO
ALTERNATIVE(S)

67. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
ALTERNATIVE(S)
?
PROBLEM SCENARIO
X
Problem: Helen doesn't have a software
engineering background, so it's hard for her to
screen engineering candidates. She ends up
sending the functional manager too many
unqualified candidates. .
Alternative: She calls references and mostly ends
up taking their word for it.
Brainstorm Problem Scenario
+Alternative Pairs.
(4 min)

68. © 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE: CREATE AN ADWORD AD: PROBLEM SCENARIOS
1. Select keywords (put in Notes section)
2. Draft ad copy
How does the draft follow from your problem scenarios?
Are you speaking in the language your customers use?
(NO RULE AGAINST UPDATING YOUR PROBLEM SCENARIOS WHILE YOU DO THIS!)
Create at least one Google AdWords ad on the paper template- specifically
using the your top problem scenarios (and alternatives as you see fit)

69. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
XPROBLEM SCENARIO
?ALTERNATIVE(S)
YOUR VALUE PROPOSITIONS
!

70. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
XPROBLEM SCENARIO
?ALTERNATIVE(S)
YOUR VALUE PROPOSITIONS
!Are they better enough than the
alternative(s)?

71. © 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
ALTERNATIVE(S)
?
PROBLEM SCENARIO
X Problem: Helen doesn't have a software
engineering background, so it's hard for her to
screen engineering candidates. She ends up
sending the functional manager too many
unqualified candidates. .
Alternative: She calls references and mostly ends
up taking their word for it.
Value Proposition: New ability for meaningful
screening of technical candidates, increasing % of
successful hires and lowering Frank the Functional
Manager's workload on recruiting.
Brainstorm Problem Scenario
+Alternative Pairs.
(If done, converge with your
group.)
(4 min)
YOUR VALUE
PROPOSITIONS!

72. © 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE: CREATE AN ADWORD AD: VALUE PROPOSITIONS
1. Select keywords (put in Notes section)
2. Draft ad copy
How does the draft follow from your value propositions?
Are you speaking in the language your customers use?
(NO RULE AGAINST UPDATING YOUR PROBLEM SCENARIOS WHILE YOU DO THIS!)
Create at least one Google AdWords ad on the paper template- specifically
using the your top value propositions

73. © 2015 COWAN+
AND NOW THE ‘PRODUCT HYPOTHESIS’
X
?
!
… and they have a certain
PROBLEMS(S) …
… where they’re currently using certain
ALTERNATIVE(S) …
… and I have a VALUE PROPOSITION
that’s better enough than the alternatives
to cause the persona to act (purchase,
use, etc.).
A certain PERSONA exists…

74. © 2015 COWAN+
AND NOW THE ‘PRODUCT HYPOTHESIS’
… and they have a certain
PROBLEMS(S) …
… where they’re currently using certain
ALTERNATIVE(S) …
… and I have a VALUE PROPOSITION
that’s better enough than the alternatives
to cause the persona to act (purchase,
use, etc.).
A certain PERSONA exists…
‘HR and functional managers are in charge of
technical hires
and they struggle to effectively screen for
technical skill sets, making the hiring process
slower and more labor intensive and producing
worse outcomes than they should reasonably
expect.
Currently they implement a patchwork of calling
references and asking a few probing questions.
By offering an easy, affordable, lightweight
technical quizzing solution, Enable Quiz can
acquire and retain these customer personas,
delivering material value.’
Enable Quiz example:
Draft your product
hypothesis
(4 min)

75. © 2015 COWAN+
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Do/Individual: Draft Project Personas, Problem Scenarios, and Alternatives
(30-60 min).
2. Do/Individual: Draft Customer/User Discovery Questions (20-40 min.)
Session 2
1. Do/Individual: Complete Peer Review of Draft Personas (20-30 minutes)
2. Do/Individual: Complete at least Two (2) Subject Interviews (60-120 minutes)
Session 3

76. © 2015 COWAN+
bit.ly/vdesignCheck out
Venture Design
ExperimentLearn
Hypothesize
@cowanSFTwitter
acowan@alexandercowan.comGet in touch!
Use Customer Discovery
Handbook
bit.ly/cdhandbook
bit.ly/sw-classView this deck
FINI