At Railwaymen, we believe that successful applications start with a well-planned process. Whether you are a startup looking to quickly enter the market or a company digitizing its processes, the first step to success is a well-thought-out strategy.
That's why we created the Product Design Workshop - an intensive process that combines the best elements of the Discovery Phase in Agile with practical, ready-to-implement results. In just a few days, we work together to create an MVP plan, analyze risks, prioritize features, and prepare documentation that seamlessly transitions into the development phase.
Table of Contents:
1. Why planning matters in software development
2. What is a Product Design Workshop and how does it differ from the classic Discovery Phase?
3. What does the workshop process look like?
4. Key benefits of the Product Design Workshop
5. How to prepare for the workshop?
6. Product Design Workshop and Discovery Phase
7. Product Design Workshop, ROI, and application maintenance
8. What happens after the workshop?
Why planning matters in software development
Our experience in business analysis in software development clearly shows that a lack of proper preparation at the outset results in delays, additional costs, and the need for corrections later on.
We have seen projects that required fundamental changes after several months of work because the target group or scope of the MVP had not been properly defined.
The Product Design Workshop allows you to avoid this - from day one, we work based on facts, data, and the actual needs of users.
The software development process generates a lot of questions. This article will help you successfully start the project:
Checklist - How To Start The App Development Project?
What is a Product Design Workshop and how does it differ from the classic Discovery Phase?
The Discovery Phase is a stage in the Agile methodology whose purpose is to analyze an idea and prepare a preliminary action plan. At Railwaymen, we go a step further.
A Product Design Workshop is:
- a condensed, 2–3-day process,
- based on Design Thinking methods and business analysis,
- tailored to the stage your project is at – from a single feature to an entire product.
As a result, you get ready-made, measurable results: a feature backlog, a schedule, a valuation, a prototype, and a clearly defined MVP scope.
Although we specialize in Ruby on Rails application development and Ruby development services, the workshops are technology-neutral. We create solutions in a wide stack - from mobile applications to systems with AI elements.
What does the workshop process look like?
The Product Design Workshop at Railwaymen usually lasts 2–3 days and is tailored to the stage your project is at.
Day 1 – Discovery and definition
- Getting to know the business context and project goals.
- Market, competition, and target audience analysis.
- Creating user personas.
- Creative sessions (Design Thinking) to generate possible solutions.
Day 2 - Strategy and planning
- Defining the scope of the MVP.
- Prioritizing features according to ROI and feasibility.
- Planning the schedule and dividing tasks.
- Developing a preliminary backlog.
Day 3 - Prototyping and validation
- Creating a quick prototype.
- User testing and feedback collection.
- Refining the concept.
- Finalizing documentation that goes directly to the development team.
The result is a coherent action plan: backlog, functionality maps, persona descriptions, pricing, and work schedule.
Key benefits of the Product Design Workshop
Full understanding of the project – the Railwaymen team and your stakeholders work based on a shared vision from the very beginning.
- Faster time to market - one of our clients reduced their time to MVP by 40% thanks to the workshop.
- Risk reduction - early detection of technical and business barriers.
- Accurate cost estimation - you know right away how much it costs to maintain an app and develop it after launch.
- Resource optimization - we focus only on what really brings business value.
- Better product fit for users - a design based on data, not just internal vision.
- Cost savings - a clear plan allows you to reduce unnecessary features and development costs.
- Competitive advantage - focus on what really drives growth.
How to prepare for the workshop?
- Gather existing project documentation.
- Prepare information about the business, processes, and users.
- Consider your main business goals and problems to be solved.
- Select key decision-makers from your team.
Don't have any documentation? No problem – we will create it together during the workshop.
Product Design Workshop and Discovery Phase
In many companies, the Discovery Phase in Agile is a separate stage aimed at analyzing and verifying an idea. We go a step further - the Product Design Workshop is dynamic, involves the entire team, and generates ready-to-implement results that seamlessly transition into application development.
This minimizes the gap between strategy and coding. Our team - from the best Ruby on Rails developers to UX designers - works in a way that shortens the distance from idea to working MVP.
Product Design Workshop, ROI, and application maintenance
A well-planned project means lower costs during the maintenance phase. During the workshop stage, we can predict how much it costs to maintain an app and plan application maintenance and support so that application development is scalable and effective.
This means that the investment in the workshop quickly pays for itself - you avoid costly changes at a later stage of development.
What happens after the workshop?
After completing the workshop, you can:
- Start development in Railwaymen (e.g., in the Ruby on Rails application development model).
- Use application maintenance and support to ensure product development and stability.
- Maintain and develop the application in accordance with the roadmap and user feedback.
Regardless of the path you choose, you receive documentation and support that allows you to get started right away - without additional analysis or discussions.
Summary
A Product Design Workshop is the best way to move from an idea to a real product that meets user needs, fulfills business goals, and is ready for scaling.
At Railwaymen, we have been proving for years that a well-planned project:
- reaches the market faster,
- costs less to maintain,
- and has a better chance of success.
