Doubting the default is a skill that can lead to better outcomes, says product expert.
Most mature product teams have inherited decisions from the past that may seem unchangeable, but challenging these historical decisions can open up a world of possibilities.
Product development standards that may benefit from challenging include: success metrics, feature sets, customer involvement, design patterns, and the launch process.
Challenging success metrics can help to capture the specific outcomes that your users are hoping to achieve.
Examine your product’s current feature set to assess their necessity. Could simplifying or removing features improve the overall experience?
Challenging existing feedback channels can lead to a more complete understanding of customer needs.
Challenge the existing UX design by reimagining parts of the current product, brainstorming and testing unexpected UI touches.
Experiment with different launch strategies to add variety to the standard launch process.
Challenging the defaults can be difficult, but questioning assumptions can lead to better outcomes. Build a business case to rethink a process, feature, or metric that no longer serves the needs.