"The Power of Small Wins: Why Small Wins Matter for Product Designers"

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If you’re a product designer, chances are that you have experienced the dull feeling of hitting a major roadblock while trying to come up with the perfect design. It can feel like no matter how hard you try; you just can’t seem to break through.

I have had a thousand and one days like this,

You know, days where you just can't find your rhythm, days that the overwhelming nature of life seems to have you on choke hold.

However, I’m here to tell you that the key to lasting success in product design isn’t just about thinking big and having the grandest ideas — it’s also about focusing on small wins.

The power of small wins, or “micro-victories,” is often overlooked in product design, but it’s actually one of the most practical and effective strategies for getting the job done. It’s a way of harvesting the small successes, no matter how trivial they feel, and using them as little milestones to eventually reach the big payoff.

let me tell you a story, I was to build this product with a friend turned business partner now, the product is to ease some of the current challenges faced with payments currently in my region.

But wait a minute, Tunde (not real name) is suppose to revert on a deck I sent to him, I know you will see this, so just do the needful.

I just remembered because his feedback on that deck is what I wanted to write on before this caught my attention, however we move!

So, while ideating on this product, we noticed that our offerings might not necessarily solve our customer's problem.

Damn!

It was like there is this big wall standing just between us and the next big thing in payment, we spent hours brainstorming, scheduling and rescheduling meetings, yet something was missing.

Then, frustration kicked in for me, maybe the product is useless, maybe the whole idea is not worth it,

Maybe I am not that good, it was a lot happening at that point. It looked like a dead end till i discovered what I am sharing with you today.

The power of recognizing small wins,

I started to check the little progress we had achieved leading to this point. we have successfully completed the customer model and a few testers really loved the experience from the customer end,

Then I changed the focus from building the whole merchant model through ideating to working on small stuffs one after the other.

By breaking it down like this, I was able to focus my attention on solving smaller tasks, which in turn, led me to a bigger solution. It took me several tries, but eventually I nailed the design.

That’s why I am such a strong believer in the power of small wins. Celebrating smaller successes, no matter how small they may feel in the moment, is a great way to keep one's motivation high. It’s an incredibly effective strategy when it comes to achieving bigger goals.

Moreover, by focusing on small wins, designers are able to maintain a sense of control and direction over their creative process. It helps to prevent the feeling of being overwhelmed and disconnected from the project when tackling bigger design tasks.

When I think of small wins, I think of a precious baby sloth slowly making its way across a huge obstacle course. The little guy takes one step at a time, and it’s not easy – but by the end, he’s conquered it!

Here are just a few of the ways why small wins are important for Product Designers:

1. They keep you motivated: small wins are a great way to stay motivated when working on a big project. Even a small accomplishment like finishing a task or fixing a tiny bug can really boost your morale and keep you on track.

2. They are tangible: small wins give you a visual reminder that you are making progress. They are tangible and serve as a great source of motivation when you are feeling overwhelmed.

3. They provide quick feedback: small wins provide quick feedback and can help you determine if you’re on the right track. It’s important to be mindful of your successes, and take note of what works and what doesn’t.

4. They make the finished product better: Keeping the work contained to small chunks of manageable tasks can ensure that the finished product is of a higher quality. It’s much easier to make tweaks and improve overall design when you’ve broken it down into small tasks.

As you can see, small wins are incredibly important when it comes to product design. So the next time you’re starting a product design project, take it one step at a time and celebrate even the smallest victory – they all add up!

DMD