Lean UX Canvas Introduction
Lean UX Canvas was created by UX consultant Jeff Gothelf. The Lean UX Canvas is a development method and workshop tool for teams that helps solve work as a business problem. Where a solution is normally implemented, the Lean UX Canvas breaks down a business problem into core assumptions. Subsequently, the assumptions are interwoven in hypotheses. The riskiest hypotheses are tested by designing experiments.
The canvas guides a team through the current business situation so that it can be identified in which areas more clarification is needed, and this can then be sorted out. The Lean UX Canvas thus serves as a step-by-step guide to better understand both business needs and customer needs. The canvas is based on multiple methods such as Design Thinking, Agile software development and Lean Startup.
The Lean UX Canvas is a useful tool for companies to improve products and learn more about the user experience. Even when they are not sure which direction to take. By focusing on a team on the end-user and spending less time on documentation and meetings, it is ensured that a product can be realized faster. In a multidisciplinary team, including the client, joint insight is gathered so that the team can continue to develop the product based on feedback.
The canvas consists of eight topics, which are also numbered 1-8. The eight topics are the business problem, business outcomes, users & customer, user benefits, 2x solution ideas, learning things and first steps. Each topic has a description or question, making the canvas easy to follow and to fill in.
Template
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Lean UX CanvasOnline Templates
Executing the Method
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Step 1: Assemble a Team
For the Lean UX Canvas, it is important that the right members of the team are involved. A mix of management, client and customer-oriented staff can help fulfill business needs and user needs.
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Step 2: Canvas on Paper
The basis of the canvas is needed to complete the Lean UX Canvas. Use the template for this, draw this canvas digitally or yourself on a flip chart or large sheet of paper (minimum A3).
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Step 3: Complete Lean UX Canvas
The process of the canvas is easy to follow, as all topics are numbered from step 1 to step 8. Read the descriptions per step and the corresponding topic and answer them briefly and clearly (see "topics"). Use post-its for this and write or draw all content per subject on the canvas.
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Step 4: Determine Direction
After filling in the canvas, the assumptions are explained. Solution ideas may depend on a particular product or assumption. That's why it's important to test these assumptions. If the assumption is valuable, the ideas can be further developed. If it is not interesting, this idea must be eliminated. In this way you learn from assumptions, how to explain them and a clear direction is taken. Ultimately, the goal is to work out the idea and that this solution suits the company and the users.
Necessities
Topics
- Business problem: What business have you identified that needs help?
- Business outcomes: What changes in customer behaviour will indicate you have solved a real problem in a way that adds value to your customers.
- Users & Customers: What types of users and customers should you focus on first?
- User benefits: What are the goals your users are trying to achieve? What is motivating them to seek out your solution?
- Solution ideas: List product, feature, or enhancement ideas that help your target audience achieve the benefits they’re seeking.
- Hypotheses: Combine the assumptions from 2, 3, 4 & 5 into the following template hypothesis statement: “We believe that [business outcomes] will be achieved if [user] attains [benefit] with [feature].” Each hypothesis should focus on one feature.
- Learning things: For each hypothesis, identify the riskiest assumption. This is the assumption that will cause the entire idea to fail if it’s wrong.
- First steps: Brainstorm the types of experiments you can run to learn whether your riskiest assumption is true or false.