Ingredients:
- A group of customers with complaints.
Players (5..8 recommended):
- Product Manager / Product Owner
- Customers
Directions:
The goal of this game is to identify factors that are preventing your product or service from moving forward. The speed boat represents your company while the issues holding it back are symbolized by anchors.
Clicking on this image, will start an “instant play” game at innovationgames.com. You’ll see this image as the “game board” and an icon of anchors in the top left corner of the window. To add an issue onto the game board, customers simply drag it from the top left. On each anchor, the customers then describe what they do not like about your product, and estimate how much faster your boat can cruise after each anchor is cut away. This will allow you to analyze what is holding your company back.
This metaphorical game can be altered to suit your needs. For example, Jonathan Clark’s Speed Plane uses an airplane instead of a boat and replaces anchors with luggage. Customizing the game will make it more relatable to your business and can result in more valuable feedback.
All moves can be seen in real time by each participant, so everyone can collaborate to edit the descriptions and positions of the ideas. Communicate using the integrated chat facility to gain a better understanding your customers’ ideas.
This collaborative game provides a friendly environment where your customers provide constructive criticism. From trivial comments to big picture issues, customers identify features preventing your business from speeding ahead and provide insight from a new perspective.
Key Points:
- Speed Boat is a serious learning game that benefits you and your customers. When you are done with it, you will have a better sense of what can be improved about your product or service to let your company set sail.
References
- Tobias Mayer describes this game with more detail here.