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Six customer-centered design pitfalls to avoid

List of six customer-centered design pitfalls, from skipping research and ignoring contrary feedback to never closing the loop.
Each one comes with its fix

Six common ways product teams undermine customer-centered design, each paired with a fix: rushing research, dismissing feedback that challenges the plan, designing for edge cases first, piling on features, researching once and stopping, and letting findings go unused. Use it as a review checklist before a product decision.

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What's in this guide

  1. Skipping or rushing research: Frame research as risk reduction, not delay, and make it a requirement.
  2. Ignoring feedback that contradicts you: Ask what would prove you wrong, then look for it honestly.
  3. Designing for edge cases first: Know your primary user and use case. Design for those first.
  4. Overcomplicating solutions: Would core users miss this feature if it didn't exist? If not, question it.
  5. Treating research as one-and-done: Customer needs change. Make listening continuous.
  6. Failing to close the loop: Connect research to decisions and show how insights changed outcomes.

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<p>Source: <a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/customer-centered-design-pitfalls-to-avoid">Six customer-centered design pitfalls to avoid</a>, Koji</p>