Development: key principles
Development and Research are closely intertwined, sharing many essential processes. However, they differ in their focus and purpose. While Research is centred on generating insights and closing knowledge gaps, Development aims to translate those insights into tangible products or services. A product or service is anything you create that can be sold to customers—this could range from physical items like chairs to digital services for organising plastic collections.
In development, having a clear goal is essential, but the path forward is often uncertain. Like research, many resources exist on product development, so this toolkit highlights a few key insights to focus on.
Starting with a customer problem is a proven way to ensure that your product is viable and meets a real market need.
- If you already have a product, process, or technology, test its demand by trying to sell it—this confirms whether customers are interested.
- If you don’t have a clear solution yet, imagine a product with potential features, then find possible customers and develop it based on their needs.
This creates an iterative process, where you continuously refine your product by:
- Gathering customer feedback.
- Improving technology and processes.
- Using research and testing to validate and adjust your approach.
