How to create products users love: applying Emotional Design and UX heuristics in real projects
Jonathan Felipe de Oliveira | Mar 27, 2026
Summary
- The author created a Product Thinking canvas that consolidates key questions around users, problems, vision, strategy, and goals into a single framework.
- The canvas centers on the distinction between what a product can do versus what users can do with it, a concept inspired by a quote from Jason Fried.
- Product Thinking prioritizes solving real user problems and building human-centered products that are both business-relevant and capable of adapting to user needs.
I recently shared content about Product Thinking during an event and this mindset is changing the way I’m looking at Projects and Products.
There are great articles out there about Product Thinking, like this one, but no canvas that brings together all the main questions Product Thinking focuses on.
With that being said, I took a stab at it and created one (there is a tiny possibility others are looking for something like this but never found it).
The result you can check below:
The Product Thinking canvas tackles user first (problem + target audience) followed by job to be done (vision + what you can do with our product + strategy) and finally the goals to be achieved and which features will ensure the product meets them.
The heart of the canvas is: what you can do with our product because this sentence impacted me profoundly:
“Here’s what our product can do” and “Here’s what you can do with our product” sound similar, but they are completely different approaches.
— Jason Fried (@jasonfried) November 13, 2013
As an example to materialize this sentence, we can state that Uber is not providing an app; it’s providing the possibility of connecting riders and drivers, anywhere, anytime.
Along with the fact that Product Thinking focuses on resolving real problems, it also opens up the opportunity to build products that can help us faster, that have the ability to know us more and surprise us whenever possible.
I hope this post inspires you to research further about Product Thinking and empower you to build more human-centered, product-oriented and business-relevant products.
FAQ
What is Product Thinking?
Product Thinking is a mindset that focuses on resolving real user problems by prioritizing the user first, defining a clear vision and strategy, and building products that are human-centered, product-oriented, and business-relevant.
What does the Product Thinking canvas include?
The canvas covers user-first elements such as the problem and target audience, job-to-be-done elements like vision and strategy, and finally the goals to be achieved along with the features that ensure the product meets them.
What is the heart of the Product Thinking canvas?
The core of the canvas is the concept of 'what you can do with our product,' emphasizing that a product should empower users rather than simply listing its own capabilities.
What is the difference between 'what our product can do' and 'what you can do with our product'?
The first approach focuses on the product's features from a company perspective, while the second focuses on the value and possibilities the product unlocks for the user, representing a fundamentally different and more user-centric mindset.
Can you give a real-world example of Product Thinking in action?
Uber is a good example: instead of simply providing an app, Uber offers users the ability to connect with drivers anywhere and anytime, focusing on the outcome and value delivered to the user rather than the technology itself.
About the author.
