Embracing failure early in the design journey helps teams minimize risk, drive user-centered innovation, and accelerate time to market.
In the world of design thinking, the concept of “Fail Fast, Learn Fast” is not only accepted—it’s embraced. It’s all about viewing failure not as a setback but as a valuable part of the creative process. The mantra “Fail Fast, Learn Fast” highlights the value of rapid experimentation, iteration, and continuous learning. It shifts the focus from avoiding mistakes to learning from them, fostering a culture of innovation and resilience.
70% of projects fail due to a lack of user acceptance. But what causes unsatisfied users?
Unhappy users might find that the new solution slows them down, decreases their job satisfaction, fails to address the underlying problems, or even introduces more issues. Somewhere along the line, the project team failed to fully understand the users’ context and their needs concerning the solution. A failed project not only wastes resources but can also damage relationships and reputations.
If satisfied users are key to a successful project, how can you avoid these pitfalls and gain acceptance?
It’s simple: user involvement drives adoption. A little investment in user research and usability testing upfront pays dividends later.
“Failing early is not the end—it’s the beginning of building something better.” — [Krushna Sahoo, Director, Information Technology – Wealth & RW(IFD), JM Financial Services Ltd. and Author of Fail Fast, Learn Fast and Move On.]
Design Thinking vs. the Traditional Approach
A traditional software development approach goes something like this:
- Have an idea
- Build it over many months
- Release it
- Find out whether users like it or not
It’s a slow learning process, with a long lag time in between having the idea and getting feedback from users who can make or break it. And it’s risky – a lot of resources are spent on an untested idea that might not be successful.
For enterprise initiatives, there are often high stakes; you need to be confident in the direction before you devote significant time and money to it.
Design thinking allows us to shorten that feedback loop and validate or invalidate ideas in a short amount of time. Here’s how it works:
- Have an idea (ideate)
- Build a prototype in a matter of days (prototype)
- Test it with end users and get feedback right away (validate)
Because the design thinking approach is so lightweight, prototypes can be put together by a team of one or two in just a few days – it’s easy to iterate. A failure early on isn’t a disaster, it’s a natural part of the process – a low-risk opportunity to learn and improve.
Failing Fast with Prototypes
Prototypes are interactive and high-fidelity but only surface-level. We start by figuring out the surface – the user interface where users experience the product – then build the rest later.
we determine exactly what functionality is and isn’t needed in the prototype. This process provides maximum impact with minimal effort. With a little explanation upfront, users can understand and overlook any rough edges while still giving useful feedback on the overall flow and design of the app. Unlike a completed software product, if the prototype fails the usability test, it’s no big deal to make major changes or even start over.
Iteration is the Key to Innovation
Design thinking thrives on iteration—the process of refining and improving ideas through cycles of prototyping and testing. Each failure becomes a stepping stone toward a more effective solution.
How We Run Usability Testing
- The facilitator creates a test plan that covers the big questions and high-level user stories.
- The client recruits five end users for one 30-45 minute session each.
- The facilitator prompts the user through a series of realistic tasks on the prototype.
- The designer and developer make changes to the prototype as the feedback received.
This method generates more thoughtful responses than the traditional approach of demoing a prototype and asking for open-ended feedback. Our usability testing is designed to get high-quality feedback.
Feedback: The Bridge Between Failure and Success
Feedback is a critical component of the design thinking process. It transforms failures into learning opportunities by providing insights into what can be improved.
Usability testing helps us gauge end users’ initial reactions to a proposed solution and, therefore, is an early indicator of project success.
After a couple of rounds of positive usability tests, you can be confident in committing to your direction and starting development. We haven’t cracked time travel (yet), but we can glimpse into the future!
Major Takeaways
Design thinking provides a user-focused approach to identifying and refining effective ideas. Ideating, prototyping, and validating allow you to get accurate user feedback even before committing to execution, which minimizes risk and opportunity cost.
Digging moe…
Why We Should Use “Fail Fast, Learn First” in Design Thinking?
- Early Detection of Issues:
By testing concepts, designs, and solutions early, problems and flaws are identified sooner. This minimizes the risk of investing significant time and resources into something that may not work. - Cost Savings:
Failing early helps avoid expensive mistakes later in the project lifecycle. Correcting issues during the planning or prototyping phase is much cheaper than during development or after release. - Informed Decision Making:
Early failures provide valuable data and insights. Teams can make data-driven decisions based on these findings, refining their approach and iterating on the product or project direction. - Encourages Innovation:
It creates a culture of experimentation. Teams are encouraged to explore bold ideas without the fear of significant repercussions. This can lead to creative solutions and breakthrough innovations. - Short Feedback Loops:
It promotes shorter iterations or sprints, where feedback is continuously incorporated into the project. This increases agility and responsiveness to change.
What Should We Consider while Implementing Fail Fast in Design Thinking?
- Clear Objectives and Metrics:
Ensure that each test or prototype has clearly defined success criteria. Without specific goals or metrics, you won’t know if you’re failing (or succeeding) and why. - Controlled Failures:
Create a safe environment for failure, ensuring that failures occur in controlled, low-risk parts of the project. You don’t want failures to lead to project-wide issues or discourage team morale. - Iterative Process:
Failure should always be followed by iteration. After identifying a problem, take corrective action quickly and adjust the project plan accordingly. - Stakeholder Buy-In:
Make sure stakeholders understand the purpose of “fail fast, fail first.” They should see these small failures as part of a larger strategy to minimize risk and improve the outcome. - Resource Allocation:
Ensure that the team has the time and resources to learn from failures and take action accordingly. Failing fast is only valuable if you can quickly pivot. This ensures that the team doesn’t make the same mistakes again.
When Is the Right Time to Use Fail Fast in Design Thinking?
- During the Early Stages of the Project:
Use this methodology during the planning, prototyping, or development phase when the cost of failure is still low, and it’s easier to pivot. It’s ideal for testing ideas, exploring options, or verifying assumptions. - In Uncertain or High-Risk Projects:
When a project is complex or based on new, untested technology or ideas, using “fail fast” helps manage uncertainty by validating or invalidating assumptions early. - When Flexibility is Critical:
In projects that require adaptability and where requirements or the market are rapidly changing, failing fast ensures you can adjust course without committing to a flawed approach. - For Incremental Product Development:
Use it when developing features or products in increments. Each iteration builds on feedback from the previous, allowing for continuous improvement without long-term commitments to a single path.
The Key Takeaway
In design thinking, embracing failure is crucial for growth and innovation. So, the next time you encounter a challenge or setback, remember: it’s just a stepping stone on the path to success. What’s a time when a failure taught you something valuable? I’d love to hear your stories!
For more details, concepts, principles, and Implementations, you can read my Book “Fail Fast, Learn Fast and Move On” available on Amazon.
About the Author:
Krushna Sahoo, Director, Information Technology – Wealth & RW(IFD), JM Financial Services Ltd.
Mr. Sahoo is an IT Professional having journey spans 20+ years of experience across large-scale enterprises, mid-sized firms and start-ups, including leadership assignments Technology Solutions. He is currently working as Director Information Technology – Wealth & Retail Distribution with multiple skills to help organizations to build cutting-edge products, improve engagement with their stakeholders, and deliver RoI on business objectives.