Today’s bit of Marketing, Customer Experience, Design & Product Development advice comes from the archives of Kathy Sierra‘s blog:
“Your job is to anticipate… To give them what they want and/or what they need just before they have to “ask” for it – to be surprising yet self-evident at the same time. If you are too far behind, or too far ahead of them, you create problems, but if you are right with them, leading them ever so slightly, the flow of events feels natural and exciting at the same time.”
iPhone wasn’t designed by users. It was designed for users. No… wait… it was designed to be loved by users.
If your job deals with customer experience design, (product, web, retail, customer service, touchpoint ideation, advertising, etc.) print either the sentence that came just before this paragraph or Walter Murch’s bit of wisdom, and pin it to your office wall. Either one can (and probably should) become your new mantra.
I think that the anticipation can be quantified to a certain degree (ie. statistical data, aggregate human behavior as regards the incorporation/adoption of Product X), but I also believe firmly in the gut.
It’s the same instinct that drives an actor/performer’s action of resuming his/her speech right as the applause reaches it’s apex and begins to descend.
Riding momentum, harnessing energy and enthusiasm is an intangible. I think that everyone has the capacity; I don’t think that everyone has developed it.
When I worked in product development, getting feedback from “the market” was pretty important in building the framework for our projects. We knew what people wanted, what they needed, what they liked and didn’t like, and so on. But “design” picked up where the data left off. We had to deliver what the market wanted, sure, but we also had to give it soul, make it cool and desirable, buzzworthy, clever, easy to use, beautiful. It had to simplify people’s lives and delight at the same time. It had to cost no more to produce than the products it replaced or competed against. And finally, it had to embody the spirit of the brand stamped upon it. Form, function, purpose and soul: That’s the journey we had to take once the data was in and it was up to us to create something our customers would love… err… buy.
This is simple, yet profound. More businesses need to realize that their products/services should always be designed for the love of their customer… anything less isn’t going to cut it.
Yep.
While I agree, this new twist from Apple about users of the new iPhone not wanting to share their location being blocked out of the iTunes app store seems to be taking things a bit too far. http://bit.ly/d1OIzM
I can’t see how this new twist is in the spirit of loving the customer. In fact, it’s more like selling out the customer.
@KimBrater
Well, that’s always been the thing with Apple: Spectacular products bound by draconian rules established by Apple. Ironic that in a very real way, Apple has kind of taken on some of the attributes of the forbidden fruit: “Look but don’t taste” has become “Use, but only how we want you to use it.” It’s unfortunate that such a powerful design is constantly being hamstrung by Apple’s bizarre business decisions. (at&t? Still? Really?)
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Great insight Olivier. I believe the line is very thin here. Businesses have tended to invest in R&D, develop a new product (that they believe their customers need), and then invest in a massive marketing campaign to shovel that new product in the costumers’ throats.
Today, products are increasingly developed with the help of the consumers. It’s has become a balancing act: being slightly ahead and, at the same time, aligned with the consumer.
It’s a thin line indeed. The hard part is realizing that while consumers can help with the design of a product, they can’t lead the direction of that design. Companies can’t abdicate their leadership or vision, no matter how much crowdsourcing they do. We realized this early on. Feedback is vital, but only insofar as it can be interpreted through design. The idea isn’t necessarily to be ahead of competitors, but rather to find the sweet spot that users will respond to. Do that, and the “ahead” think happens all on its own.
Great article Oliver. I try to incorporate most of what you said with my clients. It is a struggle somtimes though. I dont get it, they pay me to consult them and dont followup with any of my suggestions.
That happens a lot. I’ve been on both sides of that, and it always frustrates me as well.
This is what I call the “tips of gold”, excellent information sharing, Thanks a billion!
It is massive post. I like your article. Thanks