Last updated on September 13th, 2023
It is anticipated that there will be 27.7 million software developers worldwide in 2023 and 28.7 million in 2024. These figures are indicative of the continuing growth of the software industry. But, at the same time, product managers have to grapple with ever-changing technologies, shifting business priorities, and rapidly evolving customer needs. In that light, how do they approach design and development problems today? What impact does a product manager have on the end product? What are their design secrets that help make product development successful?
What Are the Design Secrets of the Best Software Product Managers?
Creating a User Persona
The best product managers make sure they are considering their users’ viewpoints. To understand what would encourage users to return to the app, they put themselves in their users’ shoes. This helps to develop a good understanding of what the product should do and for whom it is meant, as well as what aspects are critical for users.
Product managers examine the data gathered from user research to find patterns, resemblances, and trends among the target users in order to successfully address their concerns. They develop fictitious user personas that represent various archetypes among your target demographic based on the trends discovered.
At large, they help businesses understand and empathize with the target audience, which influences the entire software development cycle.
Identifying App Usage Patterns
One of the most important aspects that product managers need to consider is the target group and how they will use your app. As they proceed, they are often in a race against time to launch an app before the competition.
From a product management perspective, it is crucial to be aware of the most common usage patterns. This helps them to prioritize user tasks that are critical, create a simple design guide, and gauge the amount of time users should spend using the app. They can also identify which tasks could be automated to save users time.
In addition, they look at the lifetime of the app from a usage pattern perspective. What is the right balance? Is there a way to increase usage? Successful product managers aim for a session length that is ideal for your app’s function. Longer sessions may be preferred for productivity apps, whilst shorter periods may be preferable for informal or entertainment apps. This way, businesses can modify their app if they observe that users frequently launch it on certain days or at particular times of the day.
Building Clear Module Interfaces
For the program to replicate the best results, module interfaces are necessary since they promote modularity, encapsulation, and overall system maintainability — precisely what the best software product managers aim for.
The module interfaces clearly specify the boundaries between different software components or modules. By explicitly stating each module’s function and connection to other modules, modularity and the separation of concerns are achieved.
Additionally, they support collaboration and compatibility between different software system components. When their interfaces are clear and standardized, modules can interact and share data more quickly. It is simpler for different software system parts to collaborate and communicate with one another when module interfaces are well specified.
Using Prototypes Extensively
Creating prototypes is one of the crucial steps in successfully releasing a software product. These prototypes can be beta tested, and the team can expand upon them. The effectiveness of the product, according to product managers, is entirely dependent on the ability to make it intuitive, engaging, and valuable.
Using prototypes, product managers can quickly test the value of an idea. Prototypes don’t need to be perfect; they just need to demonstrate the value and key features. Prototypes are by no means a replacement for the real product; instead, they are a way to help businesses validate their ideas early on.
Product managers employ them to identify product bottlenecks, add features that appeal to the target market, and keep iterating (and testing them) as per the original vision. This helps businesses launch the best iteration of the concept possible. Thus, using prototypes helps in gathering input, making necessary corrections, and iterating on the design.
The SaaS landscape particularly advocates prototyping for the applications and is a great opportunity for product managers to transform their software.
Employing Robust Quality Assurance
The top product managers make sure they have a rigorous quality assurance plan in place. They are familiar with the most common software errors. To ensure that end users do not encounter any problems, they’ll run tests to double-check.
For meticulous quality control, tools for test management are required. These make it easier to organize, carry out, and track software testing activities. They further aid in test case organization, monitoring the status of test execution, and producing thorough reports. Using these, product managers guide their teams to effectively identify, prioritize, and manage software defects or bugs.
Taking Advantage of Mobile-Specific Features
According to a recent study, 63% of smartphone users are more likely to purchase things from companies whose mobile websites or apps provide them with pertinent ideas on items they would find interesting. This is made possible by enabling mobile specifications in your product design.
Product managers frequently think about mobile-specific characteristics so they can incorporate unique aspects into their design to suit those features. Utilizing mobile-specific features when designing software products can improve the user experience by ensuring that the applications are as intuitive and easy to use as possible.
Wrapping Up
The best product managers understand the intricacies of their work and know how to communicate those ideas. Their strategies help them achieve success in designing the best software product for their targeted audience. Of course, there are many other factors that contribute to software success, but having a good understanding of what makes a product succeed is the first step to designing something great.
At Forgeahead, we help businesses create the right product for the right market. From basic research to an entirely responsive product design, we help businesses take their ideas to the next level. Connect with us today!
