ARTICLE SUMMARY: Stakeholders often have specific desires based on business goals, market pressures, or personal preferences. The trouble is it’s the designer who will figure out what the user actually needs and how to solve the problems that arise on the way to product creation.
Stakeholders sometimes hold onto a static vision for the product, believing that their initial ideas are correct. This can lead to resistance to change, even when user feedback suggests otherwise.
“Stakeholder Wants vs. User Needs: Why Following Orders Creates Bad Products” by Michael H. Goitein does a deep dive into this problem and looks at possible solutions based on personal experience. A few of the key points talked about is
- Admitting we don’t know
- Not all users are equally important to your product
- A different strategy
We need to make stakeholders realize that short term gains in revenue from quick wins or features that drive short-term revenue can backfire if the product fails to build a strong, satisfied user base. Designers need to help stakeholders to think long term for lasting success.
Following orders from stakeholders without questioning or validating them against user needs can create products that miss the mark. Michael H. Goitein tells us to “remember we always have the choice to either stay heads-down and just “execute” what we’re told to do, or take a step back and work towards a higher level of achievement by better understanding the problem.”
This is an insightful article well worth reading, let us know what you think in the comments.
