Design Compass® setting

Team behind 2, customer ahead 2

The team is two steps behind the stage: it is working on guesses. Stop and learn. The work is two steps ahead of customers: it chases new wants before fixing what they avoid today.

The five questions for this setting

  1. 1. Plan

    When planning, what have we agreed about what customers accept?

    Distance from home: Team +3, Customer +2

  2. 2. Research

    With research, what have we tracked about what customers value?

    Distance from home: Team +3, Customer +2

  3. 3. Design

    When designing, what have we assumed about what customers desire?

    Distance from home: Team -2, Customer +2

  4. 4. Test

    When testing, what have we learned about what customers overlook?

    Distance from home: Team -2, Customer -3

  5. 5. Embed

    When embedding, what have we decided about what customers avoid?

    Distance from home: Team -2, Customer -3

    Read "decided" as "decided to act on": the team's call about what to do, not a choice made for anyone else.

See where you really stand

Answer a question for each stage and we'll suggest methods that turn guesses into evidence.

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All 25 Design Compass® settings