Frequently asked questions
Imagining product evolution using the 9-screen matrix

Can we make more than nine squares?

Yes, of course, as long as it makes sense. If you have a description of more than two successive products, you can use four columns (past, past, present, future), or even five. Similarly, if your product is part of a complex systemic breakdown, you can use more than three lines. But be careful not to spread yourself too thin.

How do you choose the time period?

A tricky question. Choosing a very distant past should normally bring out fundamental trends, in order to... predict a very distant future. On the other hand, choosing to compare two variants of a product that are too close to each other could lead you to miss out on real developments. It's up to you to test... and when in doubt, do a "12 screen". Another more pragmatic criterion is simply access to information. Sometimes, there's no corresponding "past" product. Sometimes, it's not even...