Behind the Scenes: VoC Research for Anna
Introducing Anna — A FemTech Wearable + SaaS Mobile Application
Role & Challenges
As Product Marketing Manager, I spearheaded cross-functional efforts to prepare Anna, a TENS-powered wearable paired with an AI-enabled menstrual wellness app, for launch. Anna was designed to discreetly and safely deliver non-invasive relief from menstrual pain, a pioneering step in FemTech.
Our challenge: while the product vision was strong, we lacked a structured understanding of our target customers’ real needs and expectations. Without clear consumer insights, we risked misaligned features, diluted messaging, and a weaker launch. Ahead of CES, a globally acclaimed trade show where the product would debut, I led a Voice of Customer (VoC) research initiative to uncover the lived experiences, pain points, and aspirations that would guide Anna’s design and positioning.
Objective
The goal of my VoC research initiative was to ensure Anna’s CES launch was grounded in real customer insights and cross-functional alignment. Specifically, I set out to:
Unify teams → Align Product, UX/UI, Engineering, Sales, Marketing, and Founders around one clear audience and validated problems/solutions.
Strengthen messaging → Produce research-backed positioning and messaging that resonated with both investors and end users.
Enable execution → Deliver sales and product assets fully aligned with launch goals before CES.
This portfolio piece highlights Step 1 of the end-to-end Voice of Customer (VoC) program I designed and executed. In collaboration with other teams, I facilitated a cross-functional brainstorming session with Founders, Product, UX/UI, Engineering, Sales, Marketing, and Content. Together, we co-created the consumer questions that later shaped our 1:1 interviews and persona development.
Cross-Functional Brainstorming — How to Read This Portfolio Piece
Before you dive into the sticky-note images below, here’s the context. The session was first run live on sticky notes with a note-taker, then recreated in Miro using Julia Cowing’s Customer Question Board framework.
The Seven Steps used for Brainstorming Questions
Prepare: Gathered representatives and shared the session's object and a prompt question ahead of time. We asked the participants to come prepared with questions to ask the consumers.
Prompt: Asked each participant to write one question per sticky note, answering, "What do you want to know about the user?"
Discuss & Cluster: Read notes aloud and grouped similar ones in real time to identify emerging themes.
Attitude vs. Behavior: Split clusters into perceptions (Attitude) versus actions (Behavior).
Qual vs. Quant: Drew a second axis to separate qualitative ("why" and "how") from quantitative ("how much" and "how often") questions.
Vote: Asked the team to prioritize the most critical question clusters.
Map to Methods: Matched priority questions to the most effective research approach, whether qualitative/quantitative and direct/indirect.
Outputs: a shared 1:1 interview guide, a digitized Miro board, and an agreed research plan.
Visuals
Below are images of the process — from paper workshop flow → digital Miro board → team decisions.
Prepare: Gathered representatives from each team and shared the session’s objective plus a prompt question ahead of time. Participants came prepared with questions they would want to ask consumers in live 1:1 interviews.
Prompt: Asked each participant to write one question per sticky note, answering: “What do you want to know about the user?” These came from Product, UX/UI, Engineering, Sales, Marketing, and our Co-founders.
Discuss & Cluster: Participants read notes aloud while I grouped similar ones in real time to identify emerging themes.
Attitude vs. Behavior: I then split clusters into perceptions (Attitude) vs. actions (Behavior) to refine focus.
Qual vs. Quant: I then drew a second axis to separate qualitative (why and how) from quantitative (how much and how often) questions.
Our brainstorming session concluded with Unstructured, Natural, Direct questions as the top priority — validating our decision to conduct 1:1 interviews post–product trial. I then led participant recruitment with Product and Sales, sourcing women in our target age group from diverse backgrounds to reflect varied lifestyles and purchasing behaviors. Each participant received a short list of pre-read prompts to ground the discussion.
Across 20 interviews (6–8 per batch), I meticulously captured insights that went beyond product experience: buying power, lifestyle choices, and openness to future models such as subscription adhesive pad refills and premium app features. These conversations helped us see not just how Anna fit into their daily lives, but also how it could evolve into a long-term solution.
Next up…
With clear personas and consumer insights in hand, the next step was to turn these findings into a positioning and messaging framework that would guide Anna’s CES launch story.
