The Productologist

I’m a big fan of addressing human factors in product design. Since I primarily deal with software products, my focus is on usability and simplicity (two similar, but not identical concepts).

In a recent edition of Business 2.0, I came across an article entitled, “Design that Captures the Buzz,” which highlights how cellphone headset makers are hiring product designers to improve the “fashion factor” of bluetooth headsets. While I don’t think that fashion, per se, is that important to software design, I applaud the use of designers to improve both the appeal and functionality of a product.

For consumer products, there is definitely a tipping point where a transition from practical to fashionable occurs. Look at the design progression of such items as kitchen appliances, cell phones, and even personal computers. Initially, the design of each of these was governed by function. As they became more ubiquitous, the design started to incorporate both functional and aesthetic appeal.

When I was growing up, most kitchen appliances were one color: white. The dishwasher, refrigerator, stove-top, oven, and even counter appliances like mixers and coffee makers were all white (or possibly almond). But as more and more homes were built with these items (or remodeled), the visual aspects of these products became more important to consumers (the metamorphosis of the kitchen as an area to socialize also had some impact on this, but I digress).

This change drove manufacturers to create additional color options such as black, stainless steel, bisque (the new almond) and ultimately to make appliances blend invisibly into the rest of the kitchen décor so that they were not showcased, but hidden from view.

The personalization of the cell phone followed a similar path with the introduction of interchangeable face plates, keypads, decorative jewels and even different colors available directly from the phone manufacturers. All to suit the design and fashion needs of their customers.

Back in the world of bluetooth headsets, a similar metamorphosis is occurring. Three years ago, Plantronics hired Darrin Caddes, a designer from BMW to head up their corporate design strategy. He characterizes the need for design of headsets beyond just function this way:

“Much like eyewear or a sweater or shoes, it has a tremendous impact on how others perceive you as an individual.“

But Caddes isn’t just interested in the visual appeal of the headsets. The form must also have function.

The same is true for software products. When a new product emerges, the key features that define it are functional. As the product and/or market matures, the balance between function and form shifts. In software, this change typically happens at the user interface (UI) level. The UI is the part of the application that is equivalent to the design of consumer products. It’s the part that users say, “That looks cool/sexy/easy to use.“

What makes it cool/sexy/easy to use is considering human factors as part of your product design. Considering what will make your product appeal to users is one of the core tenets of Product Management. Spend time with your users to find out what they need. Employ the services of UI designers (or better yet, hire some) to make the product not only functional, but also something that the user will see as beautiful, not because it is pretty, but because it does what it is supposed to do effortlessly. If you do that, your product will become their favorite fashion accessory.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 27th, 2007 at 3:36 pm PT and is filed under Best Practices, Customers, Interface, Publications, Usability.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.