What do I actually want to achieve with my idea? How should my product help the user? The Value Proposition Canvas can help here. Let’s compare the two of us and see what our users think and feel. Does our product deliver what is expected? Let’s take a closer look at the method.

The Value Proposition Canvas is the first image I can draw on a whiteboard or flipchart. Of course, it can also be used digitally. For this there are many usable templates in the net.

If we look at the picture, we can see that we can divide it into two parts. On the left side we have our idea or the product we want to examine. On the right side is the user or the target group. This is usually represented by a square for the product and a circle for the user.

Getting Ready

We start on the left side with our product. A square which is divided into three areas. On the left is a small description of the product or idea (Product). What are we actually looking at? Followed by the fields for the solution of the task (Pain Relievers) and the added value we want to deliver (Gain creators). Our target group stands opposite in the form of a three-part circle. Here are the tasks our users have in which they want to use the product (customer jobs), the profit they get from it (gain) and the problems our product could possibly have in fulfilling the tasks (pain).

The fields


Product/Service – a short description of the idea, what our product does, what it is all about

Gain Creator – What is the added value of the product. Why is it something great to use the idea. What makes it better than other ideas?

Pain Reliever – Which problem do we want to solve? What are the
problems and complaints that our product wants to solve or improve?

Customer Jobs – What does the customer want to do with our product? When and for what purpose will he want to use it?

Gains – What will the user like? What will change for him and how will it improve?

Pains – When will our product fail? Are there applications where the idea won’t work? What the user will not like.

How to do it

Now it’s time for work, after we have prepared our diagram it’s time to fill the fields. We define our target group and place it on the chart. Our product is on the left side. Now we will fill the fields bit by bit. The easiest way is to go from the outside to the inside. You start with the product and the jobs then go inside and try to determine the added value. You can do this with sticky notes or write your thoughts directly into the fields.
But in the end there should be something in each field, and you can also write several thoughts. If you have several user groups, you can create a canvas for each group and place them next to each other.
If you have the canvas on a whiteboard, it makes sense to photograph and store it at the end. It makes sense to keep the results of your work in mind.

Summary

To sum up I would like to say that the Value Proposition Canvas is a nice method to check your own focus on the customer. How well do I perform when critical questions are asked from the customer’s perspective? As a result, I take the next step in the development of my product. Maybe it takes a little practice to get immersed in the topic in the beginning, but the results are usually quite impressive.

But as always, my recommendation is to try it out and gain your own experience with the method.

 

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