Subproblem decomposition: An exploratory research method for effective incremental new product development

Consumers frequently face problems when using a product or service. Successful incremental product development depends on accurately identifying these problems. Exploratory methods that are commonly used to identify such problems tend to present consumers with stimuli (i.e., questions) that prompt a particular kind of psychological processing. Subproblem decomposition, a new exploratory method, uses stimuli that prompt a different kind of psychological processing. Consumers are asked to think out loud while performing product-related tasks, and their spoken thoughts are used to identify the "subproblems" faced during product use. Subproblem decomposition, therefore, generates different insights, which complement the perspective gained by more conventional exploratory methods.