This practice is part of: Product Ownership.

What is it?

A visual approach for scoping the most important features of a product/service. It is a drawing of multiple concentric circles, each of which represents an additional layer of details for the product/service. At the core are the generic product/service characteristics (features), followed by minimal conditions circle (must haves), an augmented product circle, a potential circle (differentiations and customer retention features) and additional circles if required.

Why use it?

• Opens up the product development for the whole team
• Identifies what matters and get everyone on the team to understand the design and prioritisation. Of features
• Provides transparency in prioritisation and strategy/vision alignment
• Helps move the focus on the important / differentiating features
• When used for existing products/services allows for uncovering options for pivoting

Why & How to combine it with other practices?

• This practice could be used in combination with practices as Impact Mapping, Lean Canvas, Value Proposition in order to build a vision for a product/service and translate that vision into actionable and prioritized set of features.
• The output from the practice may invoke User Research, Usability Reviews (for existing products/services)
• It can also serve as prioritisation tool for the Product Backlog

Related Practices

• Kano Model
• Impact & Effort Matrix
• How-Now-Wow Matrix
• Lean Canvas
• Value Proposition Canvas
• User Research
• User Interviews
• Brainstorming
• Product Roadmapping
• Design of Experiments

Origin

• Ted Levitt - Whole Product Strategy
• Dave Gray - Whole Product Game

Further information

Ted Levitt’s article in HBR: Marketing Success Through Differentiation—of Anything

Whole Product Game on Gamestorming.com