I am also, by no means, a technical person. I couldn’t code if my life depended on it. However, having worked many talented architects and developers, I have a pretty good idea of what is or isn’t possible. Feasibility in the context of my experiences isn’t just about whether something is possible or not. Ideation can generate great ideas that are doable but do we have the resources? Do we have the budget? The time? And when the fruition of these ideas come to be, will the timing be right? These are all constraints and considerations that need to be considered.

The viability of a project, idea or product might seem like an obvious area to explore but many companies and businesses don’t explore it enough detail. Deep diving into viability is, in my opinion, the most complex to do but yield the best and most insightful information. This is the area I’m most familiar and experienced with, and through a combination of academics, research and personal experiences, I’ve categorized viability into three main areas: baseline understanding, user research and experience design.

In the well known three circle venn diagram that shows feasibility, viability and desirability, in my world, this is replacing the “desirability” section. Previously, desirability was an afterthought, design, research, human factors were not on the top of priority lists. However, as businesses evolve, desirability has gone from an afterthought to a necessity for successful businesses. Now, sustainability is becoming an issue, not only in a monetary sense but also thoughts on how ideas, projects and products can be a win-win for both businesses and our lives.