Designing for Success: Applying Victor Cheng’s Case Interview Framework.

Victor Cheng’s case interview framework is a popular approach used to solve complex business problems. Although originally tailored for management consulting, designers can also adapt the framework to fit their needs. In this article, I will discuss how Victor Cheng’s case interview framework can be applied to UX/UI design.

Victor Cheng is the author of several books on business strategy and case interviews, including “Case Interview Secrets,” “The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook,” and “The Case Interview: 20 Days to Ace the Case.” These books provide guidance and strategies for aspiring consultants and job seekers to excel in case interviews and develop strong business problem-solving skills.

The first step of the framework is to clarify the problem and define the objective. As designers, it is essential to understand the client’s business, industry, and target audience. A clear problem statement should be defined, and the objective of the product should be identified. This step sets the foundation for the entire design process, ensuring that everyone involved has a shared understanding of the problem.

The second step is to structure the problem. Designers should identify the key factors that influence the design problem and develop a hypothesis-driven approach. A hypothesis-driven approach helps to structure the problem around the hypothesis, providing a clear path to a solution. This approach can help designers to stay focused on the problem and avoid getting sidetracked.

The third step is to analyze the problem. Designers should gather relevant data and insights about the user, market, and industry. This data can be collected through various research methods such as surveys, user testing, and competitor analysis. By gathering insights from various sources, designers can develop a deep understanding of the problem and identify potential solutions.

The fourth step is to develop recommendations. Designers should synthesize the data and insights to develop recommendations. It is crucial to use design thinking and UX best practices to develop and evaluate potential solutions. It is essential to remain open to various solutions and ideas and to evaluate them thoroughly.

The fifth step is to communicate the recommendations. Designers should communicate the recommendations in a clear and concise manner. Visuals such as wireframes, mockups, and prototypes can be used to illustrate the recommendations. It is crucial to ensure that the recommendations are presented in a way that is easy for stakeholders to understand.

The final step is to finalize the recommendations. Designers should address any concerns or objections that the interviewer may have and refine the recommendations based on their feedback. It is essential to remain flexible and willing to modify recommendations to ensure they meet the client’s needs.

Personally, I find Victor Cheng’s Business Situation Framework to be an excellent and well-structured checklist that can be applied to various areas such as new product development, startup planning, research planning, and more. It provides a comprehensive approach to analyzing complex business problems and helps ensure that all key factors are taken into consideration.

The 4 most important areas to work on:

Customer:

• Who is the customer? (identify segments: segment size, growth rate, % of total market).
• What does each customer segment want? (identify keys needs).
• What price is each segment willing to pay? (determine price points and price elasticity/sensitivity).
• Distribution channel preference for each segment.
• Customer concentration and power (does one customer control all the demand, the “ Wal-Mart” effect).

Product:

• Nature of product.
• Commodity good or easily differentiable goods.
• Identify complimentary goods.
• Identify substitutes.
• Determine product’s lifecycle.
• Packaging (optional).

Company:

• Capabilities and expertise.
• Distribution channels.
• Cost structure.
• Intangibles.
• Financial situation.

Competition:

• Competitor Concentration & Structure (monopoly, oligopoly, competitive, market share concetration).
• Competitor behaviours (Target customer segments, products, pricing strategy, distribution strategy, brand loyalty).
• Best practices (are they doing things we’re not?).
• Barriers to entry (do we need to worry any new entrants to market)?
• Supplier concentration.
• Industry regulatory environment.
• Life-cycle of industry.

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