If a company is growing, their products are evolving. That evolution can look different for every company whether it be a product update, rolling out new features, or new product development. In any case, there are a lot of moving parts to get the new release out the door and in the hands of the right consumer.
The new product development process typically consists of several stages that guide the progress of a new product or feature. From ideation to launch teams are brainstorming, conceptualizing, and testing ideas to bring a new product to life. Staying organized and on track with the development process can be the difference between a successful product and one that flops.
To help teams put their best foot forward, we compiled a comprehensive guide to the stages of the new product development process and the Beautiful.ai presentation templates that can help you along the way.
The stages of the product development process
Below are the seven stages of the new product development process, and presentation templates to help keep teams organized in their efforts.
Idea generation
Everything starts with an idea. The brainstorming and planning stages are where some of the best products are born. Things like market research, customer feedback, or internal innovation processes can all influence new product ideas.
Keeping the ideas in one place can help teams track what’s already been suggested, explored, and scrapped. A presentation template, like our feature planning template, is a good place to start when mapping out ideas. The customizable template can help teams reference ideas, communicate timelines and deliverables with key stakeholders, and get feedback from internal teams or product users before an idea is moved into next steps.
Idea screening
You’ve heard the saying, “no idea is a bad idea.” And while that’s true, only some ideas will come to fruition. In this stage, the ideas from a brainstorm are evaluated and screened based on various criteria such as market potential, feasibility, and alignment with the overarching business goals. What ideas make the most sense for the brand? That’s decided here.
Beautiful.ai’s product roadmap presentation template is a great deck to help bring your vision to life. Tailor the deck to pitch your top ideas to key stakeholders, or showcase the timeline of ideas that made it past the initial screening.
Concept development
Your idea made it through to the next round, now what? After an idea is accepted, it’s further refined into a rounded out concept. The conceptualization involves developing a clear description of the product, its features, and the key benefits. This helps to ensure product teams are on the same page before they devote time and resources to the design.
Product design
Now you get to see your idea come to life. In the product design stage, you’re creating the blueprint of your new product or feature by way of technical specifications, materials, and aesthetics. Some teams might opt for a design sprint to help get things moving in production.
The design sprint process answers critical questions through design, prototyping, and experimenting with new ideas with clients or customers all within a five day period. Teams can reduce the risk of bringing a new product, service, feature or design to the market with Beautiful.ai’s design sprint presentation template.
Prototype development
After you’ve nailed the specifications of your product or feature, you can develop a prototype. A prototype is a working model or sample of the new product. Having a tangible product allows teams to test and validate the design, functionality, and user experience. Feedback from the initial prototype will shape what the final product will look like after revisions are made.
Testing
Every product and feature needs ample testing before it hits the market. The next stage in a new product development process is testing the product prototype in real-world scenarios. This includes conducting user testing, gathering feedback, and making necessary improvements to ensure the best quality and usability.
Product development teams can use Beautiful.ai’s customizable usability testing or QA testing presentation templates to observe, analyze, and troubleshoot a new product. A successful testing presentation can help internal teams understand which aspects of their product or service are resonating with users, what has room for improvement, and what issues need to be addressed prior to the launch date.
Launch and commercialization
Once you’ve sailed through the first six stages of the new product development process, the product is deemed ready for the market and it’s time to ship it. When the business is ready for launch, they’ll need a strategy to loop in marketing, distribution, and sales. The ultimate goal once a new product or feature is live is to generate awareness and drive adoption.
A product launch presentation can be used to help get your new product off the ground and into the hands of the consumers as seamlessly as possible. Teams can strategize how and when to launch their new product, and communicate that through Beautiful.ai’s deck.
