that are now far into the laggard range of stability and established behavior,
and they change the product significantly. ... The new product is effectively
repositioned ‘back to the front’ of the curve, creating a high-tech product that
can only be used or appreciated by the forgiving and accomplished early-
adopter group of consumers. This is where much of the consumer backlash
appears, as safely mature and benign products such as TVs, radios,
thermostats, home phones and even cars are turned back into early adopter
products, and then sold to an unsuspecting laggard audience.”^9
TV is a great example. TV used to be an instant-on experience. We may have
had less choice of channels and no on-demand services, but you could be
watching something within a second or two of turning it on. It can now take
minutes. You may be faced with software updates for your set-top box and/or
connected TV (perhaps for apps you don’t even want but can’t delete), then
minutes of navigating around a program guide or on-demand service using a
cheap remote control poorly equipped for the job.
If your product is replacing an existing consumer product or way of getting
something done, pay attention to what was good about the old way of doing
things. Try to preserve that and enhance the experience, rather than adding
new complexity.
The product is pleasing to use
The hard-headed cost/benefit analysis is important for any product, but the
best products speak to us on an emotional level too. This is partly about
aesthetics, but it’s not just about bolting pretty design on top of functionality.
We form an integrated impression of the functionality and design of the
product, and how well that fulfills our practical and emotional needs and fits
(and perhaps communicates) our sense of who we are^10. Figuring out the right
(^9) Scott Jenson, 2002, ‘The Simplicity Shift’ (Cambridge University Press). Available
from http://www.jensondesign.com/The-Simplicity-Shift.pdf
(^10) Lionel Tiger’s ‘The Pursuit of Pleasure’ is an interesting viewpoint on the
anthropology of what makes products appeal. (Lionel Tiger, 1992, ‘The Pursuit of
Pleasure’. Boston: Little, Brown 1992).