Including the voice of the client in the creative process: a case study of the integration of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) to the Value Proposition Design (VPD) in the service sector

Abstract

By integrating quality-management tools to product design, this paper aims at proposing a model to assist in idea prioritization in value proposition design (VPD) processes in the service sector, tested in an experimental case study of a startup of the wholesale segment. To make for the subjective perspective in idea prioritization, this work conceives and adopts a hybrid approach, so to integrate the VPD canvas with the quality function deployment (QFD) methodology, the latter designed to listen to the “voice of the client.” Comparing the results obtained from the standard and the hybrid VPD models, we noticed an average prioritization shift of around 30%, when comparing the relative position of a given idea in the priority ranking in both models. We also found, particularly in this case, that the design team tended to attribute a higher importance to “gain creators,” while customers gave more importance to “pain killers.” These findings evidence the divergence between the designers’ feelings and the customers’ perception of needs. We close with conclusions and recommendations derived from this case-study experience.