Whole Product Game

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Categorize current and prospective product attributes against customer expectations to identify distinct competitive differentiators.

Use it when: Use during product strategy, roadmapping, or service redesign sessions when a team needs to move beyond table-stakes features.

Skip it when: Skip when the core product does not yet exist or when the team lacks any customer feedback or market context.

Group arrangement: Subgroups of 3 to 6 people working on separate or shared concentric circle charts; a group of 4 to 6 works together on one chart, 7 splits into 3 and 4

Timing: Matches the 1-hour duration recorded in Gamestorming sources.

Materials and tools

• Whiteboard or flip chart paper with pre-drawn concentric rings per subgroup
• Sticky notes in multiple colors (1 pad per person)
• Felt-tip markers (1 per person)
• Digital whiteboard tool (for remote or hybrid sessions)
• Timer

Before participants arrive

1. Draw a large target diagram with four concentric circles on each whiteboard or flip chart poster.
2. Label the rings from the inside out: 1. Generic Product, 2. Expected Product, 3. Augmented Product, 4. Potential Product.
3. Ensure plenty of blank space exists between the rings for sticky notes.

Say this to open

Today we are mapping our offering through the eyes of our customers using the Whole Product model. The center ring is the Generic Product, which is the baseline item being sold. The second ring is the Expected Product, meaning the bare minimum customers require to buy it. The third ring is the Augmented Product, the elements that go beyond expectations and set us apart today. The outermost ring is the Potential Product, which covers future possibilities to attract and keep users. Write down your ideas on sticky notes and place them in the ring where you think they belong.

How to run it

1. Introduce the target model 5 minutes

   Explain the four rings using the pre-drawn chart. State a neutral example: for a hotel, the Generic Product is a rented room; the Expected Product is clean sheets and running water; the Augmented Product is free high-speed Wi-Fi and complimentary breakfast; the Potential Product is a personalized room preset with custom lighting and temperature before arrival. Check for questions.

2. Silent generation 10 minutes

   Participants work silently to write one product feature, service, or characteristic per sticky note. Ask each person to write at least one note for each of the four categories. Participants who prefer not to generate new items may instead review and note clarifying questions on existing product features.

3. Post and explain in subgroups 15 minutes

   In subgroups of 3 to 6, participants take turns placing their sticky notes into the corresponding ring on their group poster. Each person states what the note is and why it sits in that category. Limit each turn to roughly 2 minutes per person.

4. Cluster and clarify 10 minutes

   Subgroups review their posted notes. Move duplicate or closely related notes together into stacks or clusters. If group members disagree on whether an item is Expected or Augmented, discuss the customer perspective and move the note to reflect consensus.

5. Cross-group gallery walk 10 minutes

   If running multiple subgroups, give participants 6 minutes to walk around and silently read other groups' boards. Return to plenary for the final 4 minutes and ask up to 2 volunteers across the room to highlight one standout Augmented or Potential idea they noticed.

6. Debrief and action mapping 10 minutes

   Facilitate a plenary debrief using 2 or 3 debrief questions. Identify 1 to 2 items from the Potential or Augmented rings that the team will carry into immediate roadmap planning.

Debrief questions

• Which features that we currently treat as Augmented have actually become Expected table stakes for customers?
• What single item in the Augmented or Potential circles gives us the strongest differentiation right now?
• What would it take to test or deliver one item from our Potential ring in the next cycle?

Finished output: A four-tier concentric map of product attributes clustered by customer expectation, highlighting prioritized differentiators for future planning.

Remote

Create a digital whiteboard with four concentric rings labeled Generic, Expected, Augmented, and Potential. Participants create digital sticky notes during the silent phase and drag them into the target zones. Subgroups work in breakout rooms or assigned canvas areas, using video or chat to explain placements.

Hybrid

Seat in-person attendees together with one dedicated digital scribe who mirrors physical sticky notes onto the shared digital canvas in real time. Remote participants post directly to the digital canvas. Project the shared digital board in the physical room so both audiences look at the same master artifact during clustering and debrief.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may contribute via spoken input to a partner scribe instead of writing on sticky notes.
• Anyone may pass on speaking during readouts or choose to silently observe clustering without explanation.

If the session gets stuck

Participants put almost everything into Augmented or Potential, ignoring basic expectations.

Ask the group: What happens if this core element fails? If a customer would immediately leave or ask for a refund, move that note to Generic or Expected.

The group argues extensively about whether an item is Expected or Augmented.

Place the sticky note right on the boundary line between the two circles and note that customer expectations shift over time.

Terms used here

• Generic Product: The baseline tangible item or core transaction being marketed, stripped of extra features.
• Expected Product: The minimum set of conditions and features a customer expects when buying.
• Augmented Product: Features and benefits that exceed normal customer expectations and differentiate the product from competitors.
• Potential Product: All possible future enhancements, services, and features that could attract and retain customers over time.