Discover is a preliminary phase in the UX-design process that involves researching the problem space, framing the problem(s) to be solved, and gathering enough evidence and initial direction on what to do next.

Social Listening

What are real users saying? Let’s understand their pain-points.

Conducting Competitive Research

Understanding the nuances among competitors and benchmarking their attributes; Which competitor is number one, number two, and who’s doing something impressive? (even if they’re behind in the marketplace race compared to others).

In this way, we have a sense of the diversity of business models in play, which then allows for the insight to devise a solution that creates a competitive advantage.

Market Research

Subscriptions, Donations & Paywalls, Oh My!

Selected insights from the Reader Revenue Summit, how news organizations can build a business with their audience:
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In crafting an audience revenue strategy, it’s imperative that the Miami New Times tell compelling, accurate stories about its mission, the value it provides in the world, and the member community it wants to foster. These “who we are” stories are strongest when they reflect what Users (readers) say they value and need from the news organization.
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Users (readers) become members or donors when they want to be part of the larger cause that the news organization represents or when they think it represents something unique in the world.

User Adoption

There are two key concepts to understand in order to succeed in User adoption, Product/Market Fit (PMF) and Willingness to Pay (WTP).
Let's look a little deeper shall we.

Product/Market Fit, is the degree to which a product satisfies a strong market demand. PMF has been identified as a first step to building a successful venture in which a company meets early adopters, gathers feedback and gauges interest in its product(s).

‍Willingness to Pay, sometimes abbreviated as WTP, is the maximum price a customer is willing to pay for a product or service. It’s typically represented by a dollar figure or, in some cases, a price range. While potential customers are likely willing to pay less than this threshold, it’s important to understand that, in most cases, they won’t pay a higher price.

‍Pssst! Applying these key concepts from the get-go is a critical step in minimizing product failure and increasing business model success.

Profile of a likely subscriber (user)

According to Reuters Institute for the study of Journalism, the average number of people paying for online news has edged up, donations and donation-based memberships are emerging as a significant alternative payment strategy.

Common “propensity factors” that correlate with the likelihood to subscribe, as reported by publishers that have engaged in propensity modeling studies.