Family Tree
The Family Tree in product validation
The "Family Tree" is a product validation tool that identifies and evaluates manual workarounds to design effective automated solutions aligned with user needs
GOAL
To validate product necessity by highlighting existing manual solutions and guiding the design of more intuitive automation
TOPIC:
DURATION:
DIFFICULTY:
Medium
The "Family Tree" emerges as a valuable tool for validating product necessity and designing automated solutions that are effective, intuitive, and aligned with user expectations.
What is the "Family Tree"?
This validation method identifies and evaluates how people currently address the problem the product aims to solve. If widespread manual workarounds, scripts, or spreadsheets exist, it indicates a concrete demand for an automated alternative.
How to implement the "Family Tree"
Identify manual workarounds: Through user interviews, field observations, or market research, identify current methods for addressing the problem.
Analyse manual workarounds: Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each method to pinpoint areas for improvement in an automated solution.
Design the automated solution: Based on the analysis, design a solution that addresses the issues of existing manual workarounds.
Test the automated solution: User involvement in testing ensures the solution is easy to use and meets their needs.
Benefits of the "Family Tree"
The "Family Tree" offers several advantages:
Validates necessity: Manual workarounds demonstrate a real and widespread problem, increasing the product's likelihood of success.
Reduces resistance to change: By building on established mental models, the automated solution becomes more intuitive and more accessible for users to adopt.
Improves productivity: Automation can perform tasks more efficiently and accurately than manual workarounds, freeing time for more strategic activities.
Reduces cognitive load: By eliminating repetitive tasks, the automated solution allows users to focus their energy on more complex activities.
Real-world example:
A company developing expense management software can utilise the "Family Tree". By discovering that many employees manually fill out and submit expense reports, a widespread problem is identified. Automated software that simplifies and streamlines this process presents a valid solution with high adoption and success potential.
