Designing value into your innovative business ideas

Matching the target group and the offering in a relevant value proposition

Created byTanguy Prevot

Last updated 7/2026

English

What you'll learn

How to estimate the value of a solution by understanding the cost of the problem it solves
How to thoroughly understand the goals and needs of your target group and what they value
How to define a value proposition for any new offering
How to verify that your ideas indeed meet the expectations of the target group, with the Kano model
How to look at your competitor landscape and learn from them to strengthen your business strategy

Course content

3 sections • 17 lectures • 1h 0m total length

Introduction0:47

The definition of value1:45
Understanding what it really means when we say that an offering has value in the eyes of a customer.
The value driver4:44
A simple yet effective way to assess and even quantify the value of an offering, in particular in a Business-to-Business environment: the cost of the problem we solve.
Concrete examples from B2B and B2C4:26
Clear examples that illustrate the points of the lecture 3
Target group2:36
Identifying a target group, recognizing and segregating market segments.
The Value Proposition canvas2:45
Processing step-by-step along the value proposition canvas to identify and record the key triggers of needs and desires, then come up with creative ideas to feed your value proposition
Observation and empathy1:30
Observation and practical experience help gather knowledge about a user's workflow; plotting that on a timeline helps spotting the opportunities for innovation and enhancements
Exercise part 1 - understand the target group's job to be done2:03
Drafting a Value Proposition canvas, first by discovering the pains and gains related to a job to be done by the target group. Ask a relative or trustworthy friend to play along as your "target group" and explore with you the pains and gains of their job (or a part of their job). Such team work can be fun and let you uncover plenty of opportunities that are perhaps hidden behind assumptions or prejudices. You will also probably find out that no design challenge is trivial.
Zooming out1:11
Quick reminder that creative work comes with some level of abstraction, to expand the playground to explore.
Exercise part 2 - The Value Proposition format1:47
Try selecting some of your ideas of solutions and compiling them into an offering that you describe following this template: the Value Proposition (a.k.a Elevator Pitch).
High Five2:22
5 key questions to help you keep track of your objectives all along the development process
Competitors5:49
Having a pragmatic critical point of view on the competitors and what to learn from them
Designers foster4:08
Designing a desirable offering is a chain of influence rather than a mechanical actuation. We explore here the relation between features, benefits and value.
Value drivers
The Kano model9:36
Mr. Kano defined 5 categories of features based on their impact on customer satisfaction
The Kano survey4:55
How to identify in which category a given feature belongs before deciding to implement that feature or not
Context matters6:23
Food for thought on important concepts like intuitiveness, user friendliness, affordance, adequacy, familiarity and their impact on the attractiveness (value) of an offering

Requirements

Be a creative innovative entrepreneur, or aspiring to become one.

Description

If you are a designer, a product manager, an entrepreneur or innovator with big plans and future business ideas, this class will come in handy in the definition of your offering, or in other words its value proposition.

We will start with the basic definition of commercial value, revue examples of value drivers and work our way to a proper value proposition. That of course implies identifying a target group, understanding the market segments you want to reach. We will talk about Voice Of Customer (VOC) and Observational Voice Of Customer (OVOC).

We will discuss how designers can generate value. We will review what leverage they have on the success of a product idea, and how to match a specific purpose to an ideal context for the customer. You will learn how to figure out whether your offering is suitable for a chosen market segment - among other things through the Kano model. You will learn how to look at your competitive landscape, how to build a case for your offering and justify the effort from a business point of view, and how to prioritize ideas.

I will also share some food for thought on ways to tackle the development of your ideas in terms of design strategy and project objectives, always focusing on the expectations of the target group.

After this class, you will be more intentional in your innovations and ventures, keeping your mind focused on the right goals and the process under control. Good luck!

Who this course is for:

Designers, solopreneurs and start-up founders who intend to bring a new offering to the market
Product owners who want to learn how to build a value proposition and move forward with confidence.
Product managers who want rock solid arguments when pitching their new business idea

Designing value into your innovative business ideas

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction1 lecture • 1min

Designing Value into the offering15 lectures • 56min

Summary1 lecture • 3min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: