Advanced Techniques

The techniques below characterize three ways to involve customers in the process of identifying unmet market needs (primarily for new product development):

Voice of the Customer (Griffin and Hauser, 1991), a process for identifying primary and secondary customer needs as input to QFD (Quality Function Deployment):

• Interview-based approach, relies on gathering opinions from consumers about their problems and needs

• Characterized by collaboration between marketing and engineering in collecting and analyzing data

•  Needs divided into three categories: Primary, secondary and tertiary

Empathic Design (Leonard and Rayport, Harvard Business Review, Nov-Dec 1997.) :

• Observation-based research, viewing the user doing activities in his or her own environment without interfering

• Trained observers can recognize needs that consumers themselves may not be aware of

• Not a substitute for traditional research, but can be superior at revealing unarticulated needs