International Product Company

The Problem

An international product company was a startup with no existing website. They wanted to use design thinking principles to develop a mortgage product for Mexico and the US that was designed for users, rather than a product focused on the needs of banks and the government.

Customer insights about mortgage markets in Mexico or the US were derived exclusively from a variety of “big data” sources, which lacked true insight into customer experiences. Generative research was necessary to develop a rich, in-depth understanding of customers' experiences and needs: their social contexts, fears, frustrations, motivations, and experiences of the home buying journey.

“You saved us from go-to-market failure in the US.”

– Project Owner

The Method

User Interviews

In-depth 2-hour user interviews in Spanish in Mexico City to understand the Mexican market

User interviews in San Bernardino, California to understand the Mexican American market

Data Analysis

Utilized the interview data from the generative user research to test "big data" assumptions derived from government surveys.

Revised findings from big data and to design a new, purpose-built survey to ensure qualitative data integrity.

The Solution

User Insights

Generative research revealed new insights that changed the market strategy based on differences between users in Mexico and the US (primarily the mental models of US buyers and millennials’ priorities for home buying) which prevented failure for the company in the US.

For the Mexico case, we used qualitative interviews to completely revise assumptions about the users’ home buying journeys that the client constructed using “big data" - specifically, potential clients' likelihood of purchasing a home in Mexico in retirement.