Feasibility is defined as the state of designing with convenience and technological capability in mind. On the other hand, desirability is rooted in consumers taking an active interest in the product or service, i.e. product-market fit.
In my previous blog, we identified different parts of a business model and discovered the metaphorical front and back of a model. We uncovered that the front side focuses on the desirability and revenue models, and the back is focused on the feasibility and cost structure of these same models. Today, let’s dive a little deeper into these two terms: feasibility and desirability.
Strengths and Weaknesses
When looking at whether to design for feasibility or desirability, you must first take a look at your internal approach. What kind of leader are you? Do you double down on your strengths, or do you uncover your weaknesses and see to improve?
While we believe in “taking what’s good and making it better,” it’s important to keep awareness and understand weaknesses, too. So often, we celebrate the strengths and what we can do as a result of them, however, we also must become aware and accept our weaknesses, especially when these weaknesses have the potential to be exploited by the competition and used against us.
The best defense? Start with a user-centered need.
Desirability
When you’re designing with desirability in mind, you’re focused on the consumer overall and how they will like or perceive the offering. This method requires us to interview and understand the needs and desires of consumers to better understand how to design systems oriented around these goals.
Instead of simply jumping into designing and engineering a solution with this approach, we must slow down and keep the user in mind. Only with a user’s desirability in mind do we move onto feasibility.
Feasibility
Feasibility requires you to take a closer look at your inputs. You must identify and analyze your resources and materials. Seek out any limitations and gaps that will inhibit the success of your business model.
Look also at the organization as a whole and understand how the organization is thinking, how leaders are shaping the organization, and to what extent people are helping. Sometimes this all is at the very core of the business — the culture.
Final Thoughts
Regardless of whether your organization aims to focus on feasibility or desirability, the goal should be establishing a sustainable business model. One of the most important aspects of any business model is finding a positive culture that is centered around communication. Communication is key to the success of any business as it ensures everyone is continuously on the same page, working towards a common goal.
