Product Discovery Ideation Session
As part of Product Discovery, cross-functional product teams should be given the autonomy and freedom to explore the solution space on their own.
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As part of Product Discovery, cross-functional product teams should be given the autonomy and freedom to explore the solution space on their own. Their complementary skills and perspectives lead to objectively better and more creative ideas than top-level management can come up with. But in order to harness this creativity, it takes structure. That's why I created this step-by-step ideation session template for teams to use during Product Discovery. I've incorporated proven ideas from my own experience and from others, while providing enough flexibility to make it your own.
For the "context" stage, I recommend frameworks like Impact Mapping, which can quickly bring participants up to speed in terms of recently gathered user insights. Throughout the ideation process, I encourage a "together alone" working mode, giving individuals the freedom to sort their thoughts without the bias and pressure of group thinking.
The session should end with a prioritization of the identified ideas. Here it's important to keep an iterative and experimental mindset for the following steps of your Product Discovery: Think how easy it would be to launch an experiment around this idea and how high your confidence is at the moment in terms of creating the changes in behavior you have prioritized.
This template was created by Tim Herbig.
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OKR Drafting Board
Works best for:
Agile
The OKR Drafting Board (New) is a visual tool for defining and tracking Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). It provides a structured framework for setting ambitious goals, defining measurable outcomes, and aligning teams around shared objectives. This template enables organizations to articulate their strategic priorities, track progress transparently, and foster accountability and alignment across teams. By promoting focus, alignment, and agility, the OKR Drafting Board empowers organizations to achieve breakthrough results and drive continuous improvement.
Sailboat Retro
Works best for:
Retrospectives, Agile Methodology, Meetings
The Sailboat Retrospective template offers a metaphorical journey through past iterations and future goals, likening the retrospective process to sailing a boat. It provides elements for identifying driving forces (winds), restraining forces (anchors), and destination (goal). This template enables teams to reflect on what propels them forward, what holds them back, and where they want to go next. By promoting visualization and metaphorical thinking, the Sailboat Retrospective empowers teams to navigate challenges, set sail towards their objectives, and steer towards success effectively.
Mad Sad Glad Retrospective
Works best for:
Brainstorming, Ideation
It's tempting to measure a sprint’s success solely by whether goals and timelines were met. But there’s another important success metric: emotions. And Mad Sad Glad is a popular, effective technique for teams to explore and share their emotions after a sprint. That allows you to highlight the positive, underline the concerns, and decide how to move forward as a team. This template makes it easy to conduct a Mad Sad Glad that helps you build trust, improve team morale, and increase engagement.
Easter Egg Retrospective
Works best for:
Agile Methodology, Retrospectives, Meetings
The Easter Egg Retrospective template offers a themed approach to retrospectives, incorporating elements of the Easter holiday. It provides elements for reflecting on past iterations, hunting for hidden insights, and brainstorming improvements. This template enables teams to have fun while addressing serious topics, fostering creativity and collaboration. By promoting a playful yet productive atmosphere, the Easter Egg Retrospective empowers teams to uncover hidden gems, drive improvement, and strengthen team cohesion effectively.
SIPOC by Dagmar Vlahos
Works best for:
Agile Methodology
The SIPOC template by Dagmar Vlahos provides a structured framework for documenting the high-level process flow of a system or project. It helps teams identify Suppliers, Inputs, Processes, Outputs, and Customers, facilitating a holistic understanding of the value stream. By visualizing key process elements and interdependencies, this template enables teams to identify areas for improvement and optimize workflow efficiency, empowering organizations to deliver value more effectively and satisfy customer needs.
Start, Stop, Continue Template
Works best for:
Retrospectives, Meetings, Workshops
Giving and receiving feedback can be challenging and intimidating. It’s hard to look back over a quarter or even a week and parse a set of decisions into “positive” and “negative.” The Start Stop Continue framework was created to make it easier to reflect on your team’s recent experiences. The Start Stop Continue template encourages teams to look at specific actions they should start doing, stop doing, and continue doing. Together, collaborators agree on the most important steps to be more productive and successful.