What do customers actually want?

When businesses consider new and innovative products and services, it nearly always involves conducting research — and it usually involves examining the market and competitors’ actions. Businesses sometimes involve their customers in the decision-making process to have a say in what products and services they will love. But is it at the right time and in the right way?

To truly understand what customers want and need, at Magnetic, we help organisations bring the voice of their customers during the ideation process. This process, co-creation, is an example of a human-centric approach to design. In our experience working with global businesses, government organisations and fast-growing start-ups, Magnetic brings customers into the ideation journey, developing a deep understanding of their experience and creating products and services that truly surprise and delight.

Why is it essential to co-create? Simple: it supercharges the ideation process.

Here are five game-changing reasons to bring your customers into the conversation.

1. Cultivating genuine empathy. By asking customers to tell their stories, we’re able to move beyond abstract data points to real-life narratives. At a recent ideation workshop, Tesco Whoosh (a brand new same-day home delivery service) listened to everyday customer experiences; From Rita’’s stressful morning routines to Steven’s honesty, “I’m just lazy”, to Anand’s urgency “Needs to be faster than legs”; these anecdotes brought human context to the situation and solutions that the service was meant to improve. This provided a deeper customer understanding of the behaviour and fundamental needs, that needed to be met by the service.
2. From critique to creativity. Like Bill Gates once said, “your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning”. Customer frustrations provide a window into a world that’s ripe for creation. These tensions serve as a catalyst for idea generation. In design and co-creation workshops, the most compelling concepts often emerge from addressing customers’ biggest frustrations and aspirations head-on. “Don’t show me what I can’t order”. It becomes more powerful when it’s coming from the person in front of you, as opposed to a faceless slide on a deck.
3. Context is king. Customers will bring the context and motivation that data often lacks. During a recent co-creation workshop with a High street retailer, we heard tons of valuable feedback on why a customer would place a quick-delivery order, the context in which they’d use it, usage aspirations and frustrations and moments that had surprised or delighted them. This context provides rich ground for the team to turn a finding into an actionable insight.
4. Eye up the competition. Customer viewpoints on competitor experiences are interesting, especially learning about what’s valuable and the services that set the gold standard. Doing mystery shops with customers is eye-opening. Our biggest surprise at one of our Grocery workshops was ordering mince pies and getting a piece of broccoli as a substitute. It is not an experience to be repeated, but a massive learning about where supply chains generally in quick delivery groceries are falling.
5. Inclusive ideation. Involving customers in the ideation process is not just about gathering insights; it’s about empowering customers to prioritise the most pressing problem statements and promising ideas. We ran customer dot voting, enabling different customer groups to actively participate in shaping the direction of the product.

Ready to step into your customer’s shoes and revolutionise your approach to innovation? We’d love to hear your success stories or provide some help to get you started. Get in touch with lucy.willett@wearemagnetic.com.

Authors: Lucy and Laura

Lucy is an Executive Director at Magnetic — a design and innovation company that helps design better futures. We’ve worked with global businesses, government organisations and fast growing start-ups to build capabilities, products, services and transform organisations. To find out more get in touch: lucy.willett@wearemagnetic.com.