Sherlock Holmes’ brilliance has fascinated people for more than 150 years. Most recently, Sherlock (BBC, 2010~) has created an international fandom. There is something special about his character and thinking process. What I felt after binge-watching the show is that his approaches are applicable to solve the common problems in product design as well. In this article, I am going to make an attempt to connect his methods with the product design process.
“You see, but you do not observe.” — A Scandal in Bohemia
Sherlock Holmes creates profiles as soon as he encounters a case. He dedicates himself to observing the scenes, objects, and people. He interviews people and sometimes tests them to see if their words match their behaviors. He does not stop until he figures out their agenda, intention, and hidden motives. In his stories, understanding people is usually the key to solving perplexing cases.
What if we think like Sherlock when we create a new product? Product design best practices suggest user research must be part of the design process. User research should be one of the first tasks for a design team, and it should never stop.
- What: Define user groups and personas. Figure out their pain points and goals. Create and test hypotheses.
- How: Try qualitative methods including customer interviews, ethnographic studies. Apply quantitative methods such as data analysis, surveys, and user testing. Since different methods tell a different side of the story, mix a variety of research methods.
- When: Apply different user research methods depending on the stage of product development. For example, a focus group interview is especially useful for the discovery stage. Data analytics is feasible when the product is launched and real data are being captured.
However, it is very convenient to believe that we know everything. Busy teams often delay user research. Most of them realize later that it was a mistake.
“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.” — A Scandal in Bohemia
Data!data!data!” he cried impatiently. “I can’t make bricks without clay.” –― The Adventure of the Copper Beeches
Sherlock despises distorting facts to fit theories. Instead, he gathers raw data then connects the dots to come up with theories. Sherlock spends a lot of time analyzing chemical traces and examining news. He gathers information from the underground network. He even breaks in or disguises himself as someone else to get the information he needs.
What does it speak to product design? Product designers can set more data-backed strategies to improve user experience. For example, it would be counterproductive to design a feature, then make up a use case to justify it. Instead, design can start from data, for example, interview results. Based on the data, it’s possible to create an intended user flow (hypothesis). Then, designers should find a way to prove if the hypothesis is correct, or wrong with the real-life use cases.
Being data-backed also means that the team is open to changing the design based on data instead of someone’s ego. Let’s say the first hypothesis didn’t go well. Then, making the best rationalization to create another, and keep testing. The point is to bring lessons learned to the team. Of course, designers should have access to necessary data in the first place.
Sherlock: I’ve been summoned. Are you coming?
Watson: If you want me to.
Sherlock: Of course. I’d be lost without my blogger.
― The Great Game, 2010, Sherlock (BBC)
Lastly, Sherlock builds strong partnerships with people around them. His closest partner, Dr. Watson supports Sherlock in many ways. Most importantly, he documents the cases (Again, Watson becoming a blogger in the 21st century was just brilliant.). Dr. Watson’s documentation is more than a list of facts. He tells a story and rationalized Sherlock’s process to audiences.
Documentation is the key to sharing knowledge and reflecting on the lessons learned. Product designers must take part in the documentation to create a bigger impact on a cross-functional team. (Otherwise, some team members might think designers deliver pretty pictures). A lot of designers provide product discovery documents or design documents. When those documents tell a clear story with visuals, designers can have a voice for the team.
To summarize, here are three things we can learn from Sherlock Holmes.
- Bring user research insights to design
- Prove your design hypothesis with data
- Document thinking process and lessons learned
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