The eagerness in putting into practice all methodologies and frameworks considered the most current ones in the product community, may end up deviating us from the actual goal of our work: to create value. In this sense, how Cynefin can help us with this challenge? 

What Is Cynefin? 

Cynefin is a conceptual framework created at IBM (1999) to solve an issue of how decisions were made at the company. It is not a tool per se, but a model to organize our minds, offering clearer and more objective ways of thinking about each problem we face. 

Applying the framework on a daily basis to Product Owners, Cynefin helps with the challenge of handling the flood of ideas, issues, and processes. This way, it is possible to maximize the value of each delivery without feeling lost among so many techniques that come up every year. 

The foundation of the model is the division of issues into four main quadrants: obvious things; complicated things; complex things; and chaotic things. There are other nuances as well but, in this article, we will focus on the four main quadrants that can help solve the most latent issues when it comes to the development of digital products. 

Source: https://cdn.cognitive-edge.com/

1. Obvious Things 

When we talk about the quadrant of obvious things, we refer to those that are easy to understand and stable, that is, those that don’t change constantly. The cause-and-effect relationships are simple to understand in this type of issue: when making the right decision, we know what will happen, because the answer is always the same. For this reason, it is easy to establish a best practice to solve this type of issue, which has a single solution. 

Evidently, we face situations where the person responsible for this issue still does not know the ideal way to resolve it, but there is such a way and it is obvious for those who master the topic addressed. This is the case of industrial processes, such as in a soda manufacturer, for example. Each part of the process is known and can be repeated easily. 

2. Complicated Things 

If we don’t master our issue but know what we need to search to solve it, we are talking about the quadrant of complicated things. In this area, we put issues with cause-and-effect relationship that we don’t master and, for this reason, need to be analyzed by an expert on the topic. 

Differently from obvious things, there is no single way for us to achieve the desired result; therefore, issues from the complicated quadrant don’t have a single path to follow, but good practices that can serve as inspiration to achieve the goal. It is like in medical procedures, where each case is assessed according to the patient and an acquired knowledge will be applied. 

3. Complex Things 

Complex things are those where the cause-and-effect relationships can only be studied in hindsight. At some point after the event, it may seem obvious, but still wouldn’t be a result that could be predicted beforehand. For this reason, there are no good practices to resolve complex causes; it is necessary to learn patterns along the way to solve this type of issue. 

We can have some knowledge on isolate aspects, but the interaction between parts of the problem will only be understood when we fit each one of these independent variables. When we don’t know exactly what to look for, it is nearly impossible to find references in the topic. This is what happens in studies about climate change or when we face a new disease. The previous results do not guarantee the future results. 

4. Chaotic Things 

On the fourth quadrant, we have the chaotic things, related to events that are so sudden they don’t allow us to understand the scenario before making the decision. It is any completely unforeseen and urgent situation, when we are more concerned with saving lives, for example. 

This is what happens in natural catastrophes or terrorist attacks where, even with specialists on the topic and recommended practices, those who own this knowledge are not available at the exact time the event occurs. For this reason, the people involved need to make the first emergency decisions, trying to contain the situation immediately.

The Adequate Responses 

We are already used to the idea that different issues require different solutions. Proof of it is that we usually suspect when someone presents a simple or obvious solution to an issue we consider complex. Cynefin facilitates organizing, indicating how we should behave when we face the situations from each quadrant: 

• For simple things: first we notice, second we categorize the issue, and then we respond according to the best practice established; 
• For complicated things: after noticing, it is necessary to analyze the issue to select the most applicable good practice; 
• In complex cases, the act of noticing is no longer the first action to be taken, giving way to exploring. In general, complex problems need Product Experimentation, because we need first collect information and then look at pre-existing patterns, before noticing exactly what we will need to analyze; 
• In chaotic events, action takes the lead position. First we take an action to make sure we are not at risk, and then we notice what happened and organize a better response. 

Applying Cynefin in Developing Digital Products 

In the Development of digital products, it is very rare work with obvious or chaotic scenarios. For this reason, we will focus on the Complicated and Complex quadrants. 

Cynefin and Ideation 

In the beginning of the creation of a digital product, we are in a more complex scenario. We don’t know if our idea makes sense, if this is truly what we should be creating to solve the users’ point pains. At the ends, between the complex and chaotic quadrants, we want to have less uncertainty, we aren’t concerned yet with delivering the product. 

At this moment, it doesn’t make sense to discuss productivity and efficiency, we need to talk about learning. Bringing to the reality of a startup, for example, this is the phase when we want to validate the issue and its options of solution. This is why it is so relevant to apply Design Thinking tools, favoring learning, and lean on innovation and disruption theories. Methods related to innovation, creativity and learning are very useful in this phase.

Cynefin and Validation 

As we move towards a less complex and more complicated scenario, we achieve the moment of validating the product-market fit. In other words: evolving aspects of the product that make it fit the market we want to reach. Here, it makes sense to use methods that are no longer as open, but still absorb changes and adaptations, supporting learning about the experiments we are conducting. 

It is the case for us to use Scrum or other Agile Methods. It is important to remember that we probably wouldn’t be able to use these methods in previous phases, because when we don’t know where to go, our efforts to structure work will probably not bring the result expected. 

Cynefin and Fine-Tuning 

Once the complicated field is achieved, it is time to use more analytical methods, which will allow refining the solution. Only then we will get truly concerned with scale and support of the app, system or platform. We go from a Product Experimentation mindset to focus on a System Analysis or Software Architecture mindset, where we look for best practices to handle defined issues. 

However, we know that currently products never achieve stability. Even after achieving scale, and having the feeling that some parts are stable (complicated domain), new ideas, challenges and business opportunities will continue to arise to enhance it, taking us back to the complex universe. 

Cynefin and Context 

Using Cynefin to organize the issues we need to solve does not mean trying to fit our entire product into a single quadrant. Some parts of our solution may be complex and others may even be obvious. 

Also, when we talk about the Development of Digital Products, we have different perspectives about the same issue – some parts may be simple from the business standpoint, but complex from the technical or usability standpoint, and vice-versa. 

Cynefin is also contextual. That is, a situation that is obvious to one person may be complicated to another person. When we work with a field of knowledge that is completely different from what we are used to, an issue may have a simple solution, but we don’t know it yet – it is not in our repertoire. In this case, we need to resort to a specialist who helps us create an analysis for making decisions. 

How To Apply Cynefin On The Product Routine 

The discovery work starts with an input: an issue, a difficulty, an idea, etc. From then on, the product team must try to frame the situation in Cynefin, to be able to select the most adequate tools. This is roughly divided into: 

• High uncertainty of value, business, usability or feasibility – methods that focus on learning; 
• Medium uncertainty of value, business, usability or feasibility – methods that focus on Product Experimentation; 
• Low uncertainty of value, business, usability or feasibility – methods that focus on analysis, supported by best practices; 

The techniques to be used greatly depend on your context and on what you already have on your toolbox (background). On the table below, we classify some tools to help materialize this proposal: 

For example, if we are in a scenario where we want to solve a user’s issue, but do not have in-depth knowledge about it and don’t know what the best solution is to resolve it, our value risk fits the Complex quadrant from Cynefin. For these cases, therefore, Product Owner (PO) and Designer will need to choose techniques that favor, first and foremost, learning, such as qualitative in-depth surveys (interviews, observation). 

The Best Method For Each Phase 

The main goal for using Cynefin in decision making is enabling the product person to understand not only the best methodology for each phase but also have peace of mind about why applying or not applying each tool. It is important for us to be aware of the context and perspective we are working at; otherwise, we may make completely unproductive efforts. 

Without this thinking structure, we risk applying theories and frameworks only because they are trendy: something that makes us, product people, suffer greatly is the glamorization of some tools, believing that there is a separation between innovative methods and outdated practices that no one else should do. The idea of Cynefin is precisely to bring this rationale that there are no glamorous tools but different techniques for every type of situation. 

Are you unsure about which techniques to use in the creation of your Digital Product? Contact us, and our team of specialists will help you!

O post Using Cynefin to Create Digital Products apareceu primeiro em SoftDesign.

Its main healthcare software is an electromyography sensor that quantifies information from muscle data. The sensor captures the electrical activity of the muscles, both contraction and relaxation, and presents such data to the health professional.  

To boost innovation to its product, in 2019, Miotec joined forces with SoftDesign to create Mioflux, a piece of equipment connected to the electromyography sensor capable of measuring urinary volume and flow. The goal is to support pelvic physiotherapists in the treatment of children with urinary difficulties, people in the postoperative period, and adults with voiding disorders.  

We spoke with Fabiano Ergoni, CEO & Founder of Miotec, to learn more about the challenges and achievements of this project. Watch the video below and learn about the history of Mioflux. Don’t forget to turn on the subtitles.

Why work with SoftDesign? 

Miotec had an achilles heel: talent retention. The company set up internal hardware and healthcare software teams to develop its equipment. However, after a few months, the professionals ended up leaving the company and taking their knowledge about the products away. 

Fabiano Ergoni, CEO and Founder of Miotec, understood that this problem should not be his and that, as an entrepreneur, he needed to dedicate himself to business objectives and to the launch of new products. When talking to SoftDesign, he felt safe with the company’s transparency:  

“Osmar (A. M. Pedrozo – SoftDesign’s CEO) was able to listen to me and understand my vision of the future for Miotec. He didn’t want to sell me a ready-made product, he offered me a solution that could be expanded in the future, and warned me about the importance of making a conscious investment”.  

A Creative Planning Process 

With the partnership established, the first step was to start Product Inception a creative process that SoftDesign has been carrying out since 2016. Its purpose is to define the objectives of the project, plan the software development, and define the necessary investment.  

Initially, the idea of Mioflux was quite broad: a healthcare software that could receive several applications and serve the most different types of hardware. But, through market research carried out with health professionals, it was possible to understand the actual pains and needs of the personas.   

In this way, technical and design requirements were prioritized for the first MVP (Minimum Viable Product). SoftDesign’s team of Designers created the product prototypes, focusing on an easy and intuitive interface. The Product Manager, in partnership with the development team, focused on backlog estimates and release strategy. 

Focus on Healthcare Software Development 

While the Miotec team worked on the hardware, the SoftDesign team developed the healthcare software. A communication protocol was created in partnership, so the information transaction had the best performance.  

The SoftDesign team opted for development with Electron, a multiplatform web technology; and used  React to create the interfaces. The visualization of the graphs was done in  D3.js, and its creation in real-time uses HTML5 associated with Canvas. The database chosen was NeDB, as it is lightweight and allows working with documents (exams).  

Following the Agile Method, fortnightly meetings were held, in the sprint deliveries, for alignments and route corrections. Through the Jira tool, everyone was able to monitor the evolution and speed of work daily. According to Fabiano:  

“All of this provided transparency, both for Soft’s managers and for us, the project’s investors. So it was possible to fix problems quickly, and we achieved our goal. The product is already on the market and we have received many compliments”.  

The Future of Mioflux 

The Mioflux is a kind of scale, with a measuring cup, connected to the electromyography sensor (hardware). When the patient urinates in this equipment, it measures the time for the first drop to fall, the volume, and the urinary flow; and transmits this data to the system (software).   

With this information, the physiotherapist prescribes the appropriate treatment, which can often be performed with the aid of Mioflux. This is because the equipment also has a visual biofeedback: a screen with colored circles that the patient can follow to learn to relax or contract the pelvic muscle.  

Hundreds of physiotherapists already have the equipment in their offices. In a constant dialogue with users, Miotec receives feedback and works on the evolution of the product.  

The next step is to extend home care, as many people are not comfortable urinating in clinics. With that in mind, an application will be developed soon, which will enable the sending of information between the patient and the healthcare professional.  

We will continue working together with Miotec to support the implementation of its manifesto: taking care of subjectivity through technology.   

Let’s develop your digital product? Fill out the form below.

O post Mioflux: a healthcare software for Miotec apareceu primeiro em SoftDesign.

But what kind of leadership is there at SoftDesign? How does the company foster a culture of innovation for employees and customers? And how do these characteristics impact the projects undertaken and the creation of new digital businesses?

We spoke with our CEO and founder, Osmar A. M. Pedrozo, to ponder these questions. After all, no one is better suited than him to explore topics that are so relevant to the world of startups and enterprises.

Where it All Started

SoftDesign – This November (2022), SoftDesign turned 25 years. Along this journey, a lot has happened, but how did it all start?

Osmar A. M. Pedrozo – It all started with a personal need. 25 years ago, I didn’t imagine myself as an entrepreneur, nor did I imagine where SoftDesign could reach. I worked as a contractor for a large technology company, which was developing a project for the Government at the Center for Information and Communication Technology of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (PROCERGS).

That contract ended, and so I was challenged to provide services to the Company, but I would need to compete with other companies through bidding processes. But at that time, I still didn’t have a company. Therefore, this was a period of learning, which resulted in the foundation of SoftDesign, in 1997. The first contracts arrived in 1999 when we won our first bid.

At that stage, we worked mainly for the government. Over the years, I decided to invite others to join the company. The first guest was Eduardo Farah, who is still our investing partner. In 2001, we were still working individually for several technology companies, acting in consulting – projects that we kept in parallel for some time.

In the fourth year, I realized that I had people skills. At that time, I was working as a programmer and I didn’t know I had this soft skill. That’s when they started looking for me to ask for professional referrals for specific jobs and projects. With this happening more and more frequently, I had the idea of offering this service through SoftDesign, which was also hired to supply a demand for IT professionals.

Expanding the Business

SD – How was this initial process of growth and expansion for SoftDesign?

OP – In 2002, with the evolution of the company, we started hiring employees. I concluded that our business had a lot of potential and that I could manage it along with other consulting activities. In 2003, SoftDesign grew even more, and I invited Rafael Paludo to join the team of partners.

This expansion led us to better structure the services provided. However, I make a point of remembering that when it all started, our first headquarters was my apartment. Farah and I lived in the same building, in Porto Alegre. This was the initial address of SoftDesign, which was born in the same way as many startups.

In 2004, we had more employees and many of these people became partners over time. Over these years, we have created many projects and delivered software to important clients such as Fundação Carlos Chagas, from Sao Paulo. At that time, web systems were rare and I remember that we developed an online test for the Foundation, our first “software factory” client.

Shortly thereafter, we bought SoftDesign’s first headquarters in 2005. The office was located at Rua Siqueira Campos, on the 11th floor. I can say that the beginning of our Brazilian software company was marked by problem-solving, entrepreneurship, team building, and a lot of collaborative work. We were a group of good professionals, all very technical, who got together on Saturdays to manage a software company.

The Beginning of the Climb

SD – How were the first 15 years of SoftDesign? What happened in this story that contributed to the evolution of the company?

OP – The history of SoftDesign is a history of learning. We were a group of excellent technicians, mostly programmers, but with little knowledge of management. We had to learn everything: how to run a Brazilian software company, hiring and firing people, and how to pay taxes. I can say that we made a lot of mistakes in this process, but we learned from our mistakes and evolved.

It is precisely for this reason that I talk a lot about transformation, because I believe that we were transformed at the same time that we were creating the company. Chronologically speaking, six years after the foundation we bought our first headquarters and I believe this is a great milestone in our history.

In 2009, we carried out the first evaluation of the MPS.BR Program (Improvement of the Brazilian Software Process) – a kind of ISO in the technology area – and we reached the G level. This was our first quality seal. In 2013, we reached level E, and we became the first technology company in Rio Grande do Sul to achieve this classification.

At that time, we also bought SoftDesign’s new headquarters, located in the same building, but now in a much larger space, which was completely renovated in 2014. In other words, the first 15 years were marked by great achievements: purchase of the new headquarters, formation of the new corporate structure, increase in share capital, and technical evolution of our employees.

Lifelong Learning

SD – After more than a decade of learning and evolution, SoftDesign went through many transformations that shaped the company. What were they?

OP – There are many important and decisive facts in the history of SoftDesign. As time went by, we learned. I, for example, in addition to acting as a technician, also had to become a good manager. Therefore, in 2011 I graduated in Accounting from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).

This was an important step and, soon after, in 2011, I started taking a Postgraduate Studies Program in Controllership, at UFRGS. The search for knowledge is something that has always been in SoftDesign’s DNA. We didn’t stop in time simply because we opened a company and we were doing well. We continue to invest in training and this continues to this day. 

With that in mind, in 2016 I started a Master’s in Business Administration (UFRGS). At the same time, I also lived for a month in the United States, in California. My goal was to study and learn a little more about how things worked or should work in the world of a technology company. This exchange and the Master’s innovation courses changed my way of thinking and helped shape the new SoftDesign.

The year of 2016 was also remarkable, as it was when I took over the company’s strategic management in a more incisive way. I asked SoftDesign’s partners for a vote of confidence to start a major transformation. After all, we had been with the company for almost twenty years and things could be bigger and better, as there was room for growth.

It’s Time to Innovate

SD – After changing the company’s management model, what were the main changes that occurred?

OP – From the master’s degree, also attended by the Head of Product and Innovation at SoftDesign, Karina Hartmann, we began to debate a lot about how the company was and how it could be. I remember a time when we did a project on SoftDesign, and one of our professors said that because it was a Brazilian software company, we needed to have a bigger and better result. I confess that I was bothered by this, but I realized that he was right.

So, in the last five years, we started to innovate and improve processes. We had an agile revolution and left the traditional world of Project Management. Anyone who has experienced this knows that this movement represents a huge change in the organization and, in our specific case, it affected the way we think, sell, attract customers and deliver software.

In addition, with the arrival of Digital Marketing, we began to develop new short and long-term strategies. The fruits of these actions were harvested in 2019. At this stage, several areas of the company changed. Also, I really became a CEO, making decisions that were not so collegiate and more individual.

Another important change was training in innovation. We went through a process with PUCRS, which helped us to understand that SoftDesign was indeed an innovative technology company.

Welcome to the Startup World

SD – Another significant change was the beginning of partnerships with startups, right?

OP – Yes! In 2016, we started working with startups, and we experienced a strong wave of innovation in our projects. With that, we had to remodel ourselves to serve companies that didn’t even exist yet. This resulted in a more open working model. Our head office has become an even more collaborative space, bringing employees and clients together.

I felt that SoftDesign and I became more innovative as a result of these changes and transformations. These last five years represent that. We changed everything: processes, development, tools, and platforms. We also made room for a Culture of Experimentation.

With this new SoftDesign, new Marketing, Pre-Sales and Sales structures also arrived. In the areas of HR and ADM, we have adopted platforms to assist in the process of selecting people and managing them. One consequence of these improvements was the growth of the team. Anyway, I believe that nothing is by chance. Everything was thought and built to get us where we are today.

This period was more than a turning point. In a way, it prepared us for future challenges. When the Covid-19 pandemic began, we had already undergone many transformations in processes, that is, we were prepared to grow. And we grew a lot in 2020, 2021 and 2022 – which will be our best year in terms of revenue, new clients and internationalization. This was only possible due to investment in training decision-makers. Through knowledge, we change the reality of technology companies.

Technology and Humanity

SD – Those were years of many changes that took us away from the former SoftDesign. Therefore, in 2021 we started a rebranding process: we felt that our old brand no longer represented us. What was it like to participate in this project?

OP – For me, there were many different feelings involved. Looking back, I can say that it was a moment that helped to end this cycle of the last five years. The old brand, created in 2009, brought us here. However, we had already achieved our strategic vision, which was to be a Brazilian software company recognized for its technical capacity and commitment.

We discovered this during the research process carried out on the rebranding. Even so, it is difficult to go through the step of removing a brand from the wall and replacing it with a new one. At first, I was quite worried, but with the result we achieved in the repositioning, I realized that we managed to revisit the feeling we always had.

We were able to reproduce the purpose that permeates the entire history of the organization over these 25 years: transforming people and businesses. That’s what we’ve done all this time, and that’s what we like to do. We are very happy with the new brand, but it is clear that the process was conflicted due to everything that the old brand delivered.

Far Beyond the Code

SD – In August 2022, we launched our new brand, along with new positioning. What has changed? What are the new values and essence of SoftDesign?

OP – The new brand has a lot of what we’ve always been. We remain committed and in search of a position of recognition. In the past, our vision was more developmental, but we have matured. This maturing process made us realize that we want to participate in the entire innovation journey of our clients’ digital solutions.

We don’t want to be just a Brazilian software company that takes an order and delivers a product. We want to question and help our partners to see what we see during our innovation processes. This means that we want to help other companies be as trailblazing and authentic as we are.

These are values that we consider essential. After all, if we want to work with innovation, we need to be transformative, innovative and strategic. Technology plays a fundamental role in companies and should not be used only as a support for the operation, as it has the potential to leverage business.

That’s why we want to do it together, and this is a statement that was missing from our previous positioning. We want to be co-creators in light and human processes, as this is a fundamental condition for the new worlds that came after the pandemic. With that in mind, we promote adaptation to transform the client’s reality, while remaining responsible, experienced and specialist.

In addition, the relationship of trust and transparency remains the same and we want to further strengthen it to deliver transformative digital solutions. SoftDesign is a reference in the innovation journey, from idea to result. We understand that by putting these values into practice we will be able to achieve goals and create digital solutions that people love to use.

Follow The Leader of a Brazilian Software Company

SD – The innovation journey is a collective construction, but it is only possible with leadership. How do you deal with the challenge of playing the role of leader in a software company with more than 160 people spread across the world?

OP – I don’t do this alone. I have a very close relationship with several people who manage SoftDesign and that makes all the difference. What I seek is to have an alignment between how I would do things and how I would like them to be done. First, we need to believe in people and have good replicators, that is, managers who help make the company work.

When we work with transparency, without command and control, people tend to deliver their best. I see how these 25 years have transformed me into a leader of a Brazilian software company who doesn’t panic, who thinks calmly and reflects before making a decision. Also, I was able to reduce my impulsiveness by gaining more experience.

I believe there are excellent people working with me. I trust them and I hope they trust me. Through this relationship, I understand that I can help transform lives, finding a path for the professional development of each SoftDesign employee.

I think all the time about how to develop people, and that’s what positions me as a leader. I always liked professors who instigated me with challenges and, therefore, I try to replicate this behavior in the company. This is not a difficult task for me.

Inheritance, Authenticity, and Transformation

SD – Our culture of collaboration is only possible because of this trust. What leadership style do you exercise? What leadership style does SoftDesign, as a Brazilian software company have? How does it affect the development of the clients’ projects?

OP – I follow the democratic and situational style, which values an empathetic and questioning leadership, and which often causes a certain astonishment among clients and new employees. In Brazil, we have a very strong culture of direction. We came from a dictatorship that said what we could or couldn’t do, and for a long time we were trained to follow orders.

I don’t know how to give orders and my way of thinking can lead to conflicts with people who belong to a culture of hierarchy, and professionals who need someone to say what should be done. At SoftDesign we don’t do that, because we are horizontal. We believe that this way we boost high performance, as we share a more open, transparent perspective, of trust and courage, so that everyone can ask and express opinions.

In a conversation with one of our international clients, I was told that our differentiator in relation to other partners, from other countries, is precisely the questioning. This critical sense is very important in the process of creating digital solutions. After all, we believe that it is necessary to participate in the innovation process and not just execute it.

This behavior is a consequence of democratic leadership. I don’t feel better than anyone and I’m not. At SoftDesign, we give everyone a voice. I also use situational leadership a lot, that is, I am several people depending on each person and situation since I need to understand and connect with each one, respecting their moment and their career goals.

Knowledge Is The Secret To Innovate

SD – In addition to leadership and culture, innovation has also become a matter of survival in the business world. How do you see innovation at SoftDesign?

OP – I go back to that fateful year of 2016, when a master’s professor told me that “innovation is at the limit of knowledge”. I’ve searched my whole life for the discovery of new things to share my learnings. At SoftDesign, we have always contributed by paying for certifications, courses, undergraduate, graduate, master’s, programs etc. We always had in mind that we needed to know a lot to evolve. To survive, not only a Brazilian software company but all companies need to innovate, study and learn. I’ve seen this happening at SoftDesign since the beginning.

A culture of knowledge supports a culture of innovation. One does not occur without the other. Therefore, we continue to learn, experiment, create services and reflect on innovation. We work in search of continuous improvement; the Product Conception service, for example, is our creation. When we started offering it in Brazil, nobody did that, nobody called it this, and as a result, our method was copied several times.

We recently launched other services: Product Experimentation and Product Marketing Consulting. We understand that to achieve results we need to launch the product, not just find the market fit and develop it. I want SoftDesign to be even more innovative. We are working and developing an exclusive area of innovation, which will allow us to continue studying, learning, experimenting and adding new services.

Today, I still consider this process slow. Cycles are long, so I want to reduce the time to launch new services and process improvements. The main objective is to help our customers in their innovation journey. While we are learning, we will be innovating. That’s how a Brazilian software company stays alive.

Demystifying Innovation

SD – We often have the idea that in order to innovate we need to create something disruptive, capable of changing an industry, service or behavior in society. But innovation can be more subtle. How does SoftDesign propose to innovate in digital products for clients?

OP – I understand that in order to innovate in customer products we cannot only think about development, and here I am referring specifically to programming, for example. I believe that we need to unite a series of other types of knowledge to achieve the objective of innovating in digital solutions.

It is necessary to go through an exceptional product conception, composed of research with users, benchmarking analysis of existing products and creation of a business model. That is, to innovate we have to go deeper, and this requires knowledge about the business, customer, product or service we are creating.

It is important to understand that to innovate, we also need to test. That’s why we launched the Product Experimentation service, which proposes testing and simulations of low-investment strategies, such as low-code and no-code, before Software Development. In this way, we try to validate hypotheses that arise in the creation of the product to reduce the investment risk.

However, risk is part of innovation, as I mentioned in the lecture I gave at the Gramado Summit 2022. At SoftDesign, when we talk about innovation in digital products for clients, we are looking at the entire journey of creating a product or service and not just development. We participate from idea to result, sharing the know-how we have in the areas of design, technology, marketing, research, among others.

Many companies, depending on their size, do not have all this knowledge. Therefore, through our methods and specialties, we drive the innovation process in startups, scale-ups and corporates, creating solutions that generate impact.

The Future is Now

SD – And what can we expect in the coming years? How do you think technology and IT will impact future businesses?

OP – All technologies play a fundamental role in businesses. Especially IT, since today technology is the core business of many companies. I understand that more and more businesses will be impacted by this, and those who do not understand this relation, who do not learn to deal with current and future technologies – whether to support their daily operation or to build new services or products – will be obsolete soon.

It’s a matter of time: if you haven’t developed the ability to adapt, you won’t digitally transform. Digital transformation is about knowing how to deal with technology and knowledge. This is a complex path and we will increasingly have this strong dependence on Information Technology, which will represent much of the current operations of companies, whether in terms of what they sell or what they will sell.

There is no escaping this reality. Either we learn to deal with the concept of software development, or companies will find it difficult to evolve their own businesses, especially a Brazilian software company like SoftDesign. We saw a simulation of this in the pandemic, when many businesses ceased to exist, as they were unable to sell online and transform themselves digitally. This is not a fast process. It takes time, a culture of innovation and maturity.

In addition, there are many trends emerging in the technology market: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Data Science are good examples. Most companies are using this in a very incipient way, but those who put these ideas into practice will have a competitive advantage. In Brazil, we are still working a lot in the process of computerization and creation of systems. There are many opportunities to grow and innovate.  

Start your Innovation Journey!

Investing in innovation is not an exclusive need for a software company. To keep business relevant and competitive in a changing society, having an IT partner is crucial.

With experience in the national and international markets, we are a company specializing in the innovation journey in digital solutions, from idea to result. Our Product Conception, Product Experimentation, Software Development, Consulting, and Outsourcing services drive the creation of digital products and services that transform businesses and simplify users’ lives.

If you are looking for an experienced, responsible, and innovative Brazilian software company, fill out the form below and talk to one of our specialists. Together, let’s start your innovation journey!

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Startups, scale-ups, and corporates have this goal in common. Therefore, through technology, they seek ways to improve, increase and innovate processes, products, and services. This is an exercise that requires expertise and a lot of discipline and, of course, extra doses of courage, authenticity, and entrepreneurship.

However, the innovation journey does not have to be undertaken alone. At SoftDesign, we combine experience, strategic vision, and a Collaboration Culture to deliver the best products. In this sense, in the following article, we explain how we can help your business become more innovative, from idea to result.

Startups: Developing Your New Digital Business

According to Ries, “a startup is a human institution designed to create a new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty”. In other words, if the journey of creating startups is full of doubts and risks, it is essential to seek support throughout the entire process, from investigation and analysis, whether on market or target audience; up to software development. After all, the main objective is to drive new products and services to market-fit.

Finding a market and developing a product capable of satisfying it may seem like something simple, but it is not. Currently, about 90% of startups end up not surviving their first years. To minimize this risk, we offer services that support the entire journey of creating new digital businesses:

• In our Product Conception service, we develop the business model and the product idea, exploring the problem it solves, identifying users and defining the value proposition. To achieve this, we use Design Thinking, Lean Startup, User Research, and UX Design approaches.
• In Product Experimentation we create prototypes or No-Code/Low-Code MVPs to validate business models, considering the feedback from the first users, which allow us to test the product’s acceptance in the market.
• In addition, we also support startups in the Development of their digital solutions, using the best technologies, always with squads that work with the Agile Method.

To evolve through all these phases, it is important to have skills and expertise in different areas. Therefore, teams formed by multidisciplinary and diverse professionals are much more than a must-have to develop innovative businesses.

In real life, a startup is a world of possibilities, where everything happens simultaneously: the creation of new features, operational adjustments, attracting new customers, and marketing strategies. With the ideal partner, these challenges can be overcome.

Scale-ups: Accelerating Your Product

In the case study The Scale-Up Report, Sherry Coutu (2014) defines scale-ups as “companies that sustain long periods of rapid expansion”, as they have an average growth in job creation (or turnover) of more than 20% per year over a period of three years. For the author, this type of business drives economic advancement by allowing a greater number of companies to reach the stage of global scale. 

Unlike the startup, a company in the scale-up stage already has a validated and more sustainable business model. At the same time, scaling a digital product is a decision that implies changes and challenges. After all, once you reach this stage, growing pains quickly begin to surface. To overcome the limits of scale and boost the product, it is necessary to work on solving Design, Architecture, Product Marketing, and Cloud bottlenecks, for example.

At SoftDesign, in addition to the Software Development service, we also work with several Consulting services in these key areas:

• Design: we create or improve the experience of your users, through User Research, User Experience, and User Interface;
• Architecture: based on technical objectives to be achieved or impediments related to stability, continuity, or scalability, we propose possible solutions;
• Marketing: we evaluate strategies, personas, attraction, and conversion channels and suggest a specific go-to-market plan;
• Cloud: we promote collaboration between development and maintenance functions, working with the largest providers: AWS, GCP, and Azure.

To accelerate innovative businesses and create a competitive advantage over the competition, it is essential to scale safely and with quality. After all, growing digital products are under pressure, as they need constant deliveries. In this sense, it is necessary to develop methods and tools that help work organizations in such a way that it is possible to increase the rates of productivity and predictability.

Corporates: Digital Transformation In Practice

The search for innovation affects all types of companies, including well-established ones. Corporates also need to develop processes, while improving and expanding their offer of products and services. This is one of the main strategies to stay alive and competitive in a market full of players that were already born and fully adapted to the digital world.

According to Franco (1991), “a company is any entity established under any legal form for the exploitation of an economic activity, whether commercial, industrial, agricultural or the provision of services”. For these businesses, the challenge is to maintain the essence by sustaining operations that are already well-established and in operation, while creating a more disruptive future, capable of keeping the organization profitable and attractive among the next generations of customers. To achieve the best of both worlds, collaborative innovation is an important ally.

In this sense, we can support your organization with Agile Consulting, which accelerates the adoption of agile methods, through mentoring, to transmit our knowledge in frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, and DevOps to your team.

In addition, we work with Outsourcing, completing development squads with high-performance professionals, who work in the areas of Software Architecture, Programming, Quality Assurance, UX/UI Design, Products, and Projects. This is an essential resource for companies with an in-house IT team, which suffer from demand fluctuations, often requiring a professional with specific hard skills.

We know that the challenges of innovating in well-established businesses are diverse, but being part of an innovative business team has its advantages. One of them is constant learning. With that in mind, don’t leave your corporate heritage and leadership lost in the past. 

Let’s innovate together.

We know that innovative businesses generate complex challenges that require a lot of understanding of the product or service in question. Moreover, in contemporary society, consumer habits and behaviors change as fast as the technologies in use. Therefore, understanding it in its essence is a key strategic factor that allows us to launch products that will actually be used by users.

Count on us to create transformative digital solutions with design, strategy, and technology.  At SoftDesign, we have the best option to meet your needs, as we work with startups, scale-ups, and corporates in a personalized way. Fill out the form below and chat with one of our experts. 

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The 5 Stages of Product Marketing

Stage 1: Discover

Stage 2: Strategize

Stage 3: Define

Stage 4: Get Set

Stage 5: Grow

Need help putting this plan into action?

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The first article in this series explored the profiles, roles, and expertise needed in a product team. The second article delved into the Product Owner (PO) universe to understand his role in the development journey. To end the series, in the next article we will address the role of Developers and Testers.

Why do we need Designers?

A decade ago, it was rare to see designers working with technology teams to build software. So, what happened since then that made the role of the Designer become so fundamental?

The truth is that the reality in the IT universe has changed a lot in the last decade. Some of these changes are:

• Popularization of technologies;
• The exponential increase in the supply of digital products on the market, and in competition between them;
• Users easily switch from one product to another and reduced overall brand loyalty;
  The growth of social networks and communities of influence leads people to adopt and “cancel” products quickly.

These changes have made users more demanding: today they expect a better experience. People want quick responses, easy access to information, uncomplicated processes, consistency across a brand’s various channels, and a clear and inspirational value proposition.

In the past, in a market with few solutions, Design focused on UX (User Experience) emerged as a differentiator on which very innovative brands relied to seek growth. Today, in a market full of products and demanding customers, design has become essential for a successful product.

Is design’s purpose to make products more beautiful?

Actually, Design is much more than that. Since the discipline began to develop in the so-called Modern Design, from the Bauhaus period, there is a definition that design should be concerned with two inseparable issues: form and function.

Within the concept of form, there is indeed the aesthetic component, where beauty is part of the concerns. However, design is also concerned with function:

• How will the product be used?
• What is it for?
• Does it meet a real need?
• Is it convenient to use?
• Is it satisfying to use?

In other words, Design is not about beautifying a product, but about planning it so that it is both aesthetically and functionally pleasing. For Mira Hennemann, UX/UI Designer at SoftDesign, “design is understood as a project tool that enhances individual and social development, based on the identification and solution of problems; in the same way that it emancipates users from the use of these digital products on a daily basis”.

UI Designer or UX Designer: What do I need?

This very important question leads us to clarify the different areas of Design. The discipline is very broad and includes everything from designing industrial products to creating posts for Instagram, for example. Therefore, it is common not to know exactly what we need.

In a digital product, the subareas of Design that matter most are:

UI Design – is the part that is concerned with creating the interface. In the most common software, the interfaces are screens, but nowadays there are other types, such as voice interfaces. Within this area, we have:

• Colors, Typography and Composition – everything in the interface needs to be thought out in order to convey the message we want because the elements have meaning and impact! A well-known example is an increase in clicks on an e-commerce purchase button, depending on the color of that button.
• Information Architecture – how to organize the elements and the contents in the interface, with hierarchy, structure, etc., so that the user understands what he sees and finds what he needs.
• Interaction Design – focused on user interaction, including issues such as success and error feedback, the possibility to undo actions, etc.
• UI Guidelines – are guides to be followed so that the user can use the product in a specific environment. For example, iPhone and Android users have very different guidelines!

UX Design – is the part concerned about the user’s experience with the product, including:

• Value Proposition – does the product we are going to build solve a real problem for the customer? Does the customer see enough value in this product to use it?
• User – who is our user and how does the product fit into their routine?
• Journey – what is the customer’s path when using the product, from the moment he discovers the product? What touchpoints does he have with the product on this journey and how do those touchpoints affect his satisfaction?
• Onboarding – how are we going to help customers in their first experience with the product?
• Retention – what mechanisms do we need for the customer to continue using our product?
• UX Writing – is concerned with writing explanatory texts and messages displayed to the user.

User Research – is the area dealing with research and data collection, including but not limited to:

• Interviews – a technique for collecting data through a structured conversation with users.
• Observation – a technique for collecting data by observing users in their real environment.
• Usability Testing – a technique for testing and collecting feedback on the product.

It is worth noting that these areas are not completely independent; they interact and influence each other. For example, UI is a part of UX, and UX is not defined without Research. The separation is more for instructive purposes, to help organize all topics of interest.

In addition to these areas, there are still other areas of Design that can be important for a digital product, but that is not part of the product team. For example:

Brand Design – if you are creating a product, you may also need a branding effort, which includes designing the brand’s symbols or logo.

Design of material for product marketing – if you are going to promote your product in the market, you will also need a designer to create advertising material, campaigns, and sales or product presentation materials.

How does a designer affect the product?

The expected result of the Design work is to improve the following product factors:

• Usefulness: Is the product useful and connected to the real needs of users?
• Value: Does the product offer something of value to the customer?
• Findability: Can the user understand the product proposal and find its usefulness?
• Usability: Can the user use the product to achieve his/her purposes?
• Accessibility: Can users with permanent or temporary limitations also access the product’s utilities?
• Reliability: Do people believe in the product, and trust that it will deliver what it promises?
• Desirability: what emotions does the product evoke in those who use it? Do users have positive emotions that make them want the product?

Can the designer work only on the definition of the product?

This is a question we’ve been asked a few times. Why does the Design person need to be part of the team? Why can’t the Design person act just at the beginning, “create the UX”, with the product team then following the definitions throughout the development?

Well, actually, the design doesn’t “create” the UX. What the Design person initially does is propose a solution that he or she believes is adequate. Experience, however, is what the user actually experiences when using the product.

This is where the iterative nature of product development comes into play: a first version is put to use or tested with a small group of users; feedback is collected, and the product is tweaked to improve the experience.

Therefore, the Design person has a continuous role, iterating and continuously evolving the user experience proposition, in addition to creating the UI of new functionalities. According to Pricila Sales, UX Designer at SoftDesign, among the principles and practices of a designer we have strategic performance, which goes far beyond the initial stage of definition. “We continually seek to identify opportunities, as well as to promote the construction of products that allow a good consumer experience and that provide prominence, generating value for the business”, she emphasizes.

How is the daily life of the Design person in the product team?

The Design person works very closely with the Product Management person. This duo works together all the time in activities such as:

• User research and testing;
• Analysis and proposition of solutions;
• Meetings with the team to refine and debate the proposed solutions;
• Testing of solutions, creating prototypes, improving them through validation, and testing with stakeholders and users.

Each planned solution then needs to be detailed, which requires some solitary work in which the Design person will structure:

• Flows, to analyze and propose the interaction;
• High-fidelity prototypes, which represent the UI, with all the details, such as sizes, spacing, colors, messages, etc.

In addition, Designers work closely with the team during the development sprint, actively participating in day-to-day activities to clear up doubts and, mainly, to reconcile the proposed Design with the restrictions and possibilities of technology.

One designer or multiple designers?

To conclude, the last question that we will answer is about the number and specialty of Designers that should compose your product team. In an early-stage product, when only one team is working and you have up to five engineers involved, one design person is likely able to meet the demand. This number is a proportion that is accepted in the market, according to the NN Group’s survey. Also, at this stage the Design person will probably be a generalist, accumulating UI, UX, and Research tasks.

However, as the product evolves, the team will grow and complexity will increase. Therefore, it is normal not only to increase the number of designers but also to start working with people specialized in each area.

Designers at SoftDesign

In our work process, designers participate in the Conception of new products and throughout the life cycle of Development, performing activities focused on UX, UI, and Research. At SoftDesign, our main mission is to deliver products that will be used, loved and that generate value and in order to achieve this, design work is essential.

If you need help creating useful and desirable products, proposing user experiences, and developing successful products, please contact us using the form below. Together, we will connect technology, design, and strategy!

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In this process, questions arise such as: “Was there something missing? What is wrong with my product?”, and most likely, the answer is “nothing”. Nothing about the product itself, but how it is being brought to market. How its positioning, tone and differentiator are defined. 

Product Marketing

Among the many segments of marketing, there is one that has been gaining ground in the community and in technology companies for some time: Product Marketing. Arriving timidly a few years ago and taking up space in the scope of work of Product Managers (or Product Owners), now Product Marketing claims its place in the sun. 

More and more companies that work with Product Conception and Development are realizing the need and the difference that having a PMM on their team makes. Starting from the certainty that Product Managers guarantee that the developed product meets the user’s needs, Product Marketing Managers ensure that users receive the right message, at the right time, through the most appropriate communication channel. 

Product Marketing and Conventional Marketing

Product Marketing is a component of Conventional Marketing. If you know the famous “Ps” of marketing, you already know that product is one of them. If we go directly to the definition of what Product Marketing is, in a summarized and simple way, we could say that it is the process of taking a product to the market (promoting and selling it to the consumer, in a way) — considering the sum of the efforts to make this happen. Therefore, Product Marketing involves a high understanding of the audience/consumer of the product and focuses on its strategic positioning to increase demand. 

Where is the PMM located?

Launching a new product on the market is often challenging and when it comes to technology products, the launch can be even more complex, which is why the PMM is part of the product team. To be clearer, think about all the features that exist in an application, be it delivery, financial or even distance learning classes. 

From offering discount coupons to advertising forms, filters, cart abandonment push notifications, all of them are developed and launched with the participation of a PMM working together with Product Managers, Developers, Designers and Project Managers. So that the roles of PMMs and PMs do not get confused, since these professionals work together, there are some differences that must be observed: 

• The PM has a greater focus on the technical development of the product and has closer contact with the team of Developers and UX/UI Designers. In addition, he is responsible for setting up a delivery schedule, launch stages and product vision.
• The PMM represents the voice of the user, raises pertinent questions and anticipates needs that often can only be seen at the launch of the product on the market (Go-To-Market).
• It is worth noting that together, the PM and the PMM must identify user pains to align with the product’s value proposition, which directly influences its development.

Understanding the User to Offer the Best Possible Solution

The PMM, in its duties within the product team, has the role of representing the voice of the end user/customer in product discussions, raising questions for the launch, anticipating needs and developing product marketing strategies (such as positioning and Go-To-Market). On a daily basis, the PMM must participate in strategic discussions both with the technical team and with the marketing team (or advertising agency that will act in the communication and publicity of the product). 

For the PMM to work satisfactorily within the product team, it is very important that he can move between the different areas that the product involves — user, brand and the business itself. The PMM creates a kind of bridge between business units and marketing, including connecting content, social networks and CRM teams, for example. Working with Product Marketing is participating in the stages of the product life cycle, which starts with discovery, goes to development and does not end with launch. 

Product Marketing work is ongoing and the PMM’s workflow is adjusted based on changes and new releases that the product presents, considering business objectives and user needs. 

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What is No-Code?

No-Code X Low-Code

Advantages of No-Code

• Productivity for the team: Professionals who know the rules of the business can support the creation of the product. The intervention of a professional in the area of software development is not necessary to make adjustments to the application. Thus, any professional can collaborate with the product conception process.
• Adaptable projects: Adapting changes and testing new versions of the application is simpler. With clear rules and ready-made components, it is possible to switch between different options quickly and in a testable manner.
• Cost reduction: With the use of No-Code, the need for the involvement of many professionals is reduced. As a result, the costs to create a functional product are lower and the response time for validation is reduced.
• Autonomy for the company: Due to the platform’s ease of use, it is possible for any professional to carry out validations of ideas and tests, putting improvements and changes into practice without having to implement a lengthy process.

Disadvantages of No-Code

The future is just around the corner

Does No-Code work for my business?

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Organized Schedule

Product Conception is a creative process. Therefore, sometimes we need more time to mature ideas and prototypes. We carry out all the steps in a very calm and safe way so that the client understands that there is a certain logic, even if we are open to adjustments during the process when necessary.

Collaboration Culture

Multidisciplinary Method

The six main steps of SoftDesign’s Digital Product Conception.

Learning for Other Projects

Project Risk Reduction

When we present data, we can help entrepreneurs choose the path that makes the most sense. We do not work on Product Conception as a way to sell software; our focus is on the design of the product or service. We are completely honest about the project’s risks and feasibility.

Expected Results of Product Conception

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What is Low-Code?

How Low-Code is this solution?

Advantages of Low-Code

• Fast learning curve: the model requires less coding knowledge and is considered simpler than traditional programming languages;
• Speed: development time can be reduced due to the dispensability of creating manual codes;
• Adding custom code: it is possible to add extra features to meet specific needs if necessary;
• Mobile accessibility: the model has a feature pattern that works for different devices, making it unnecessary to program different software.

Disadvantages of Low-Code

• Security and compliance: Low-Code solutions are not security-conscious and may be seriously vulnerable to attacks. Never use such a solution to handle sensitive user data!
• Scalability: this type of platform is not suitable for a large scale, that is, if the number of users increases, for example, it may be necessary to rebuild the product in a more robust technology;
• Customization capabilities: in order to be easy to use, these platforms are generally quite limited; they feature a specific set of pre-programmed options where you choose which one to use. On some platforms, there is no possibility of customization which makes it impossible to evolve the product or create a differentiated user experience. Other tools allow for customization but require as much coding as writing custom software.
• Variety of digital products: the use of this model for the development of platforms for corporate use is questioned, as it may require a greater number of digital products in the same company since each one would meet a specific objective.

Does Low-Code work for my business?

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