Analysis of competitive goods in simple and simple

On the analysis of the competition, before the day line (@ Aeros) There is an article "Design formula: simple and effective competition analysis" has been introduced, this article on the basis of this article to do some sharing, hope for everyone useful.

1, the analysis of competitive goods

The term "competitive analysis" originated from the field of economics. Competitive analysis in marketing and strategic management refers to the evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of existing or potential competitive products. This analysis provides the basis for formulating product strategies, integrating competing features obtained from competitive analysis into the framework of effective product strategy formulation, implementation, monitoring and adjustment. (From Wikipedia)

Through Google, Baidu search keyword "Competitive analysis", the vast majority of the pages mentioned in the competition analysis from the user experience industry, the analysis of competitive goods in the industry has been a great application, from another side also reflects its importance and the universality of the application.

In the user experience industry, competitive analysis is not limited to the analysis of competing products, but more inclined to the analysis of similar products, especially when specific to the product interaction interface, visual performance analysis.

The "Human product Factors" (IDEO) method is mentioned in the 51 innovative method cards of the IDEO (Cards) (IDEO ' competitive Survey team). The concept of competitive analysis is illustrated in the following terms.

How to do: Collect, compare and conduct product characterization evaluations.

Why: This is a very useful way to identify functional requirements, performance metrics, and other benchmarks.

For example, in order to develop a new soft drink, the Ideo design team investigated the functional and shape characteristics of competing products.

If we want to dig deep into the theoretical basis of the analysis of the competition, we can see the Bowen design of the field survey and comparative research based on anthropology-a brief discussion of the theoretical basis of the method of research and competition analysis, which refers to the theoretical basis of the analysis of the competition is the anthropological "comparative study.

The comparative study method is generally divided into three steps:

1 Find similar phenomena or things;

(2) The grouping of similar phenomena or things according to the purposes of comparison;

3) Further analysis based on comparative results.

Competition analysis is the product of the research and development of the same type of product analysis and discussion, and give the analysis results of analogy, to understand the relevant information of existing products, so as to learn from the development of products. As the day line in the article summed up, you can think that "competition analysis" should have the following steps:

1 set analysis target-competitor/similar product;

2 the same function module or interactive, appearance details grouped as a table;

3) Further analysis based on comparative results.

2, the framework of the analysis of competitive goods

From the above analysis of the competition, we can see that the competition analysis contains three parts: competition, analysis of the dimensions and analysis criteria.

(1) Selection of competing products

Selection of competition products we are not limited to a direct competitive relationship with the product, the ipad version of Instant messaging applications for example, in addition to QQ, MSN and other products, we also need to select some foreign products such as im+, AIM, IMO and other excellent and the audience of larger products.

In terms of quantity, we can choose the more excellent products for analysis, and do not need to China Select all the competing products. In the article "How_to_conduct_and_prepare_a_competitive_analysis" to answer the "whether the need to select all competing products for analysis," the article mentioned in accordance with the 80/20 principle (80/20 rule), We just need to pay close attention to 20% of the competing goods.

(2) Analysis of dimensions

Usually we conduct a competitive analysis, may be from the following several dimensions of comparative analysis: Strategic positioning, profit model, user groups, product features, product interface (interactive mode, visual performance) and so on.

Competition analysis is a basic work that every Internet practitioner needs to do, and different functions are differentiated. If the operators may be more focused on the strategic positioning of products, profit patterns, promotional methods, product planners more focused on product positioning, target users, product features. Interaction designers focus more on the product interface, the specific interactive form. These dimensions are, of course, organically linked and cannot be treated in isolation.

(3) Analysis criteria

With the interactive design of the competition analysis, we need to refer to the "Usability guidelines" for analysis, there are many different versions of usability guidelines, the current 10 usability guidelines are: 1, consistency and standard, 2, provide significant system status through effective feedback, 3, convenient and quick use, 4, prevent mistakes; 5, to help users understand, analyze and correct errors; 6, identify rather than recall; 7, conform to the user's real world; 8, user freedom of control; 9, beautiful, streamlined design; 10, help and description. (The specific source forgot, seems to be Jakob Nielsen, solution answer)

3, the content of the analysis of competitive goods

The content of the competition analysis includes two parts: The feature list and the analysis and evaluation under each dimension of the competing goods.

(1) Feature List

In terms of product functional dimensions, we need to have a specific feature of the competition, the competitive product B which features one by one of the rendering. This part is the basis of the competition analysis, or called the analysis of evaluation of the object.

(2) Analysis and evaluation

The paper analyzes the interface layout, interactive mode, animation effect and so on, according to certain usability evaluation index, taking the competition product analysis of interactive design as an example.

In Li Jue's blog "On the analysis of competitive goods" mentioned in two aspects of the analysis and evaluation of the competition: objective and subjective, this formulation of the analysis of the evaluation of the analysis of the competition has a great guiding significance, perhaps we have mixed in the analysis and evaluation. Objective evaluations can produce the data that we normally talk about, the form can be very simple "yes/no", "Yes/No", "√ or X" Evaluation method, or the scoring method, that is, according to different standards of evaluation of the competition, it can also be descriptive method, the characteristics of the description in the form of comparison. (Detailed description of each form see blog link) (no original link found)

Is the objective evaluation based on objective evaluation, or is it based on personal experience and subjective experience? These two approaches need to be presented differently. If the entire article is an interactive designer individual subjective evaluation, may be limited to their own professional quality, will inevitably appear evaluation inaccurate, not to the reader's approval. The suggested approach is to explicitly divide the analysis evaluation into two columns, a column objective description, a column subjective evaluation, so that subjective evaluation can be used as an objective description of a supplement. It is often difficult to judge in isolation from the operational experience which kind of interaction is better, because it involves some product-level considerations. So we can start with a separate column to account for the interaction designer's proposed approach and explain the reasons. This is also important for competitive analysis.

The extension says that competitive analysis is the basis of product innovation, not the shackles. It is not a competitive product we have to have, and is not a competitive product we must not have. It should be from our product positioning, in the analysis of competing products to identify what we need to do, what can be done and how to do.

4, the phase of the analysis of competitive goods

In Hu Xiao (@ Hu Xiao-interactive design) blog "How to write a competitive analysis document" mentioned: "Competition analysis is a strategic document, do the analysis before the competition, need to clear the purpose." Whether it is to have a holistic grasp of the strategy or to target a specific design problem (to provide a basis for strategy or design), it is necessary to estimate how it will integrate into the entire product development process and define their mission.

The article also mentions 4 stages of the Competition Analysis: (1) The user research stage. The analysis of competing products as a reference for the upcoming user requirements documents (such as personas). (2) Conceptual model or content model phase. Based on the model of competitive goods analysis, the competitive analysis in this stage tends to function analysis and logical framework. (3) design phase (ie, high fidelity prototype, design effect chart). The competitive analysis is a source of design for very specific design problems and is used as the basis for design. (4) Usability testing. The main is to a specific function, the problem to do in-depth comparison, as a usability test results supporting.

For the above statement, the individual does not agree with the part. We advocate in the beginning of product research and development of detailed competition analysis, and the formation of competitive analysis documents. In-depth competitive analysis documents can be used as the basis for the communication between the functional members of the product group, so that everyone in the product understanding to reach a broader consensus, more conducive to product development.

In addition, I have a vision for the analysis of competing products. As a commonly used and conventional means in the process of product development, competition analysis in the course of practice, the different functions of the product project team will input an analysis document, such as product planning will do a competition analysis, operators will do a competitive product analysis, interactive designers and visual designers will also do a competition product analysis. But in previous projects, there will be such a problem, the interactive designers do the competition analysis documents other products are not carefully read, product planning to do the analysis of the competition, the operators do not timely issue with other project team members circulated, so that everyone stragglers, each for the array, So that the function of the analysis of the competition has not been well reflected. The typical problem is that everyone sided with each other in their respective functional positions, arguing at some points and not achieving unified understanding.

Can form a three-dimensional product analysis document. That is, in the horizontal aspect, the different function personnel's competition product analysis integrates for an organic unified document to carry on the maintenance, may organize the project team member to annotate the competition product analysis document, then discusses together, the final form document will be the whole project team member's all Ponder Foundation. (Organic unified document refers to the analysis of competitive goods is not isolated based on a certain dimension, but the integration of user experience, product positioning, operational aspects of the comprehensive consideration.) At the same time, in the vertical aspect, the competition analysis document is continuously dynamic iterative. With the continuous deepening of product understanding, or the impact of product revision and other factors, and to meet the characteristics of the products phase, we need to continuously complement and improve the document.

5, the degree of competition analysis

As Hu Xiao in posting said, "In fact, competitive analysis can be done more detailed, but must be based on this analysis of the motives, needs, clear their own goals, to determine how to do a detailed analysis of the auction documents." Because in the auction product analysis can spend the time is endless, the more detailed more time-consuming, reasonable. ”

The current company advocated quantitative competitive analysis, in essence, refers to the comprehensive, in-depth and meticulous analysis of the competition, in order to urge the interactive designer in the product design process more in-depth understanding of the competition, and then very good to the conclusions of some of their own product design.

Meticulous competition analysis is a more time-consuming work, according to practical experience estimates, a detailed interactive design of the competition, it will take a week of working days. Therefore, depending on the size of the project, you can choose the appropriate degree of competition analysis. (The degree of competitive analysis depends on the number of competing items, the selected dimensions and the degree of refinement of the evaluation criteria.) )

6, PostScript

On the purpose of the analysis of the competition, in this needless to mention, it can be emphasized that the in-depth competition analysis documents can serve as the basis for the project team members to communicate, so that everyone in the product understanding to reach a greater consensus, more conducive to product development.

Only a comprehensive analysis of the competition and its own products, to do enough work to avoid a low probability of events due to the consideration (proof) to extinguish a scheme.

Above only for personal humble opinion, please everybody pat Brick!@ Qiantang Door

Article Source: NetEase User Experience Design Center reproduced please indicate the source link.