Voice of the Customer (VoC) in Product Design

By LINDSEY CHRISTENSEN | Published: JAN 19, 2012

Building a new product can be a great creative process – or a flop. It’s easy to “geek out” on cool functions, details, or designs, losing sight of the customer’s needs. By doing the initial research to understand the Voice of the Customer (VoC)  for any potential product, companies can save headaches, money, and time. VoC is a widely used yet somewhat ambiguous term. Bruce Temkin is a VoC specialist who defines the voice of the customer as

A systematic approach for incorporating the needs of customers into the design of [products].

Even when VoC is understood, sometimes incorporating customer needs into the company culture to keep products fresh and updated can be daunting. Here are some methods to consider when incorporating VoC into the design process:

-          Relationship tracking, such as on-site surveys, provides a scorecard that can be easily understood and disseminated throughout the company.

-          Interaction monitoring so ALL interaction with the customer is recorded and assessed.

-          Continuous listening, such as listening in at call centers, speaking with customers, reading inbound emails, and visiting customer sites, provides valuable real-world insight.

-          Project infusion keeps the customer included in the actual design process. While this may seem like a no-brainer, consider opportunities to engage the customer earlier.

-          Periodic immersion, where all employees interact directly with the customer, provides the opportunity to question the status quo of the product.

In this episode of The Product Design Show, Vince and Allison share additional tips and techniques to obtain and incorporate VoC into your product designs. Employing these tips and using design solutions like Creo, which empowers you to collaborate directly with marketing and customers, greatly improves your ability to successfully incorporate VoC into your product development.