Gains
Gains are complementary to pains: while pains describe what the user wants to avoid or overcome, gains describe what they want to achieve or experience.
Types of gains
- Required gains: the minimum outcome without which the solution doesn't work. The user simply expects the product to do what it says.
- Expected gains: benefits the user takes for granted even if they don't mention them. A mobile app should be fast and not drain much battery.
- Desired gains: benefits the user would like to get even if they don't necessarily expect them. Features that "would be nice to have."
- Unexpected gains: benefits the user doesn't know they want until they experience them. This is where delight and loyalty are built.
Gains vs. Solutions
As with pains, the usual trap is confusing gains with features. "I want cloud sync" is a feature. The underlying gain might be "I want to be able to pick up where I left off from any device without worrying about losing my work." Identifying the real gain opens up room for multiple possible solutions.
Common mistake
Prioritizing gains over pains in the backlog. Pains are generally more powerful than gains as drivers of adoption and retention. Users tend to abandon a product because of unresolved pains before they go looking for additional gains. A backlog that piles up gain features while ignoring fundamental pains can produce a feature-rich product whose user base fails to grow or drifts away.
Resources
🏦 Skill Design ThinkingState of the art and development guide · Skill Arena
See also
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