Apr 2, 2022

The hierarchy of engagement - How to make a product last?

We are Raven

6 min read

This article is about my experience as a product UX designer using this methodology in a real project and the visibility it gave us to know the next steps at a product and user experience level. By Alejandro Cruz

How to use framework step by step
Let’s talk a bit about the context of this product framework.
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A product framework is an outline or framework that serves as a template or structure that works as a basis for a product or project with specific objectives and characteristics. This framework is proposed by the author Sarah Tavel.

The first thing we must understand is that our defined functionalities must have a specific purpose, but we must always focus on the user. Users are the fuel that keeps our product alive, without them we could not make a project grow and it would die. The latter is something that can surely worry us when we are defining a product in our minds or on a daily basis, but the million-dollar question is always, how can I retain my users? how can I make them love my product? what do I have to do to reach that business or product goal?

The clear answer will always be data, feedback, etc. But this time let’s go a little further; we will use all this information, which is undoubtedly important and try to transform it into a product strategy that will culminate in an experience for our target user.

Let’s get to know the levels proposed by the methodology.

Gamification is the preferred methodology for training, as it increases the attractiveness of learning processes, innovation, fun, productivity, and the ability to retain concepts and acquisition of skills

Once we are clear about the structure, we can start separating the Core functions from the support or complementary functionalities.

Step 1: Generating users with our core functionalities
Let’s clarify, what is the Core of a product? It is the very essence of it. It’s what we are creating our product for. Let’s use an instant messaging application as an example: The Core of the application is to be able to send and receive messages bilaterally.

‍In the first level, we will accommodate all those Core functionalities.
Its main objective must be focused on achieving that the new users that arrive at our product, manage to use it in a correct way, can fulfill the tasks or objectives that they expect to solve and, the most important thing, to cause that the users return to use our product again and this becomes recurrent.

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The recurrence in the sessions is an abyss that as product creators we want to eliminate quickly to move to another level. This does not happen immediately, we will have to perfect our Core functionalities until we reach the first goal of the level.

A simple way to get users to start using our product is to generate simple micro interactions such as sending a notification, offering them some kind of reward to use the product again, and making it present as another tool.

Let’s remember that the users that are in this level are the base — especially when it is a new product — since they will show us the way through time to get faster to the next level. What matters most to us is that users are satisfied with these first level functionalities.

2. Retaining users
At this level, we ensure that users who have already tried our product continue to consume it. We managed to pass through the abandonment strait and we move on to retention or loyalty.

Here users constantly use the heart of our product, but now we need to give them a little more, maybe we should reward them or give them benefits for using our product; on the other hand, take into account the negative scenarios. How can we prevent our user from abandoning our product? Undoubtedly, having a good experience and a good service are key, but it is not enough.

We must make the users’ perception of a possible abandonment negative, the secret is to make them feel that they are losing something. It’s like throwing away your favorite pair of shoes or losing your cell phone. Let’s use those pains to our advantage so that switching from one product to another is not simple and the user cannot leave overnight.

We must make the users’ perception of a possible abandonment negative, the secret is to make them feel that they are losing something. It’s like throwing away your favorite pair of shoes or losing your cell phone. Let’s use those pains to our advantage so that switching from one product to another is not simple and the user cannot leave overnight.

There are several techniques depending on the nature of the product, among the most common are those in which we deposit valuable and extensive information. Changing from one product to another would be complicated, in the first instance because we are used to it and we will have to go through a new learning curve, on the other hand moving all the information.
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One example is our e-mail providers.

Can you imagine what would happen if overnight you had to change it? We would have to find a way to export our previous information and not lose it, probably have to announce our change of email address and some additional tasks; it would really be painful and work to do it.

3. Voluntary permanency
We have done very well! This is something we need to think about when we have taken our users to this level. At this point, users have made our product part of their day to day life. These users make the business subsist.

Users at this level are the ones who even become ambassadors of the product, as they are so loyal to it that they recommend it and bring new users to the base of our pyramid.

At this level are smaller functionalities that facilitate or complement the functions of the previous level. They make it easier for the user to share their experience with others who have not tried it.

A simple example of this is social networks, when a product is sticky users share content to other users, in turn these users who did not use that social network begin to do so and the path to the top of the pyramid begins again.

Conclusions:
This methodology or framework is going to help us to be able to have a clear vision of our product, and above all, to be able to dimension everything that we probably need to implement within the roadmap to be able to help this click happen.

Let’s remember that this product methodology does not only apply to digital or tangible products, it can even be applied to services and be a complement to the journey that our customers have through it.