Point of View Statements
In short, problem statements analyze issues users may have and synthesis this analysis into an actionable plan. With problem statements, they can manifest in many different ways. One of these ways is utilizing something called a Point of view (POV). For a clearer understanding of what a POV is, view this exert from Interaction-Design.org
A Point Of view (POV) is a meaningful and actionable problem statement, which will allow you to ideate in a goal-oriented manner. Your POV captures your design vision by defining the RIGHT challenge to address in the ideation sessions. A POV involves reframing a design challenge into an actionable problem statement. You articulate a POV by combining your knowledge about the user you are designing for, his or her needs and the insights which you’ve come to know in your research or Empathise mode. Your POV should be an actionable problem statement that will drive the rest of your design work. You articulate a POV by combining these three elements – user, need, and insight.
As the name implies, the strength of the POV is that it forces you to be in your users shoes. You have to understand the user, understand what they need, and then take that information and create meaningful insights about the problem. When done correctly, you’ll be left with simple, actionable statements that will help guide your project through the rest of the design thinking process.
Changing my Perspective
To better illustrate the strength of a POV, I choose to create problem statements for three different phone applications. The apps I choose are the three most popular food delivery service apps right now, Doordash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. For each app, I went to the Apple’s App Store, documented the rating, and then looked at the reviews. I then documented nine reviews for each app, some being positive, some being negative, and some being constructive. Below are the results
Uber Eats
An quick overview of the Uber Eats app
The reviews for Uber Eats had a heavy focus on the support service’s of the app. Nearly every review I saw had some comment on the service. For some, it was lovely, with a very friendly and efficient driver, but for others you see horror stories of hour long wait times and refund denial. With that in mind, I crafted both my POV from this perspective
POV Statement #1 - Users who like to order out for their meals need good and efficient communication from their driver because otherwise their food will come cold and to the wrong location.
POV Statement #2 - Users who frequently order out need a good refunding system because having your money taken but no food delivered is extremely frustrating.
DoorDash
An quick overview of the Doordash app
Compared to Uber Eats, there was a wider variety of comments in most of these reviews. There’s less complaints about the quality of service and more focus on app specific features and increasing price. While features like gifting meals were appreciated, the high delivery fees and hiked up menu item price frustrated many. Doordash definitely had more brand loyalty than most though, with frequent comments about how long they’ve been using the app and how they consider it a companion of sorts in difficult spots.
POV Statement #1 - Users who enjoy helping friends and family need a good gifting feature because they aren’t always nearby the person they want to send their order too
POV Statement #2 - Users who frequently work extraneous hours need efficient service because otherwise they’ll starve while on the clock
Grubhub
An quick overview of the Grubhub app
The main aspect I noticed about Grubhub reviews is there’s a much higher frequency of comparing delivery apps. While the other reviews focused on the app they specifically talked about, Grubhub reviews frequently mention what they do better or worse than their competitors. This causes customer service to again be a main desire for many users, as well as a sense that the drivers care about getting you your food. With so many options available now, people don’t want to put up with flawed service
POV Statement #1 - Users who have recently moved and/or struggling with income need fair prices and good deals because they won’t be able to order frequently if the price is too much
POV Statement #2 - Users whose orders have been messed up need high quality customer service because otherwise they’ll feel brushed off and be forced to spend on food that’s either crushed or not delivered
