Editor's Note: What kind of product is a good product? Recently, product consultant Jeff Davidson published an article on Medium summarizing his experience in detail. In his view, a good product needs to have the following ten characteristics: making an unpopular task easier; having a focused value; being durable; being aesthetically appealing; intuitive; effective; touching the heart; satisfying the exploration system; being an expression of the user; and helping people.
We live in a world where there are too many things. As someone who designs products, I've been going through an existential crisis about what we create – whether it's a digital product or an industrial product. Can this stuff really help people? Are we solving a viable problem? Will this product or service really make the world a better place?
Regardless of the consequences, humanity will continue to innovate. We need to find, explore, and ultimately improve what we use in our daily lives. With enough resources, iterative improvements are not only inevitable.
This article explores why we buy what we buy and how a product can be profitable by "spreading." Why do some products seem to reach critical mass so quickly, while others never gain traction? How were these products invented and who invented them? These are all questions that every creator should ask, because understanding the history of products and why they work is about understanding how to contribute to the future. Understanding the reasons behind your invention will help you create profitable products that transcend time.
Here are the ten rules for building a good product:
The easiest and most obvious way to invent a valuable product or provide a valuable service is to make something that allows people to deal with things they don't like to do more easily, faster, and more efficiently, or to make those things fundamentally non-existent.
For anyone who wants to invent or improve a product or service, choosing an external, practical approach to innovation is a good place to start. By observing behavior or systems and identifying problems, you can use technology and design to make them better and/or more intuitive. Think about the steps involved in completing a particular task, and how to eliminate some of them to maximize efficiency. Amazon, Uber and Netflix — all of these companies have banned middlemen, providing a better user experience and, in turn, higher profit margins.
Sound information (graphic) design is also an example of this utility appeal. If a book or a web page is properly designed (sound typography, size, title, blank space, etc.), it will make it easier for people to read and understand, so its functional value increases. If you (an entrepreneur or creator) are struggling to figure out what to do, or wondering why you're not getting attractive, you're going to find other successful products, discover their strengths, and discover their weaknesses. That's why product reviews are such a rewarding part of the design process. This shift in perspective is crucial for entrepreneurs. Sometimes, the first glance is the purest perspective you can get.
Great products are not a panacea. They are small and usually only solve a few things, which is very good. I remember in the early days (to this day) of the native app boom, many startups wanted to develop a "lifestyle" app that could do anything. Recently, I had a project with a client who I had to guide them not to make this serious, recurring mistake. Your product can't be a real estate engine, a business discovery tool, or a social engine. People don't use it. Why? There are many reasons, but one of the biggest is that you can't do everything well. People don't look for restaurants with the biggest menus. They like to Google "the best pizza in X City".
In addition, users must understand the value and functionality of the product even before purchasing it. They need to know what it can do and how it will improve their lives in specific areas. Before they can experience value, they must imagine value. Even Google made this mistake when trying to be social. Does anyone really use Google Plus? No. Google has cemented its position as a discovery and exploration tool, not a social tool. Also keep in mind that in order to penetrate products of different "categories", enough users must be migrated from other platforms in order to achieve critical mass adoption. It's an incredible challenge.
Great products are designed well enough to last quite a long time. You don't need to constantly redesign them to continue to be successful. The iPhone is a good example. Despite the increase in feature specifications, the quality of the phone's features has remained the same since its inception. I can easily text, browse pictures, take photos, and call friends and colleagues. That's it. In addition to the increase in screen size, the size and shape are also relatively unchanged.
The Vespa scooter is another example of a great design that really transcends time. Vespa has been relatively unchanged for decades. Its simplicity and style still make it a favorite commodity today. Other products that have stood the test of time include: standard chef knives, BIC lighters, computer mice, and Playstation controllers. All of these products are well done, more or less in their final form.
Great products don't crash because of limited use. It is unethical to manufacture products with planned obsolescence. Planned obsolescence refers to a strategy that deliberately makes a product shelf life short so that it becomes obsolete or ineffective after a period of time. After the automotive market reached saturation in the mid-1920s, General Motors first began implementing this strategy. By this time, everyone had already bought their cars and sales were slowing. So, to spur sales, GM President Albert P. Sloan Jr. Suggest they come up with annual design changes to convince owners they need an upgrade.
To this day there are plans to scrap. Companies typically have the technology for products that will be released in two years' time, but they choose to make incremental changes so that customers can buy each subsequent product, increasing the total profits of these companies. Is it ethical to do so? Absolutely not. Great products should last quite a long time – they shouldn't hide the technology, they shouldn't be broken. Great products should aim for eternal use.
Great products not only function well, but they also look good. The harmony of balance and vision actually helps to make the product more intuitive, as each set of features has a clear temporal and spatial constraint in the experience. For industrial products, these are limited components for specific tasks. For example, in the standard record/CD/music interface, the volume control is usually larger than other features because this is a more important feature. Think about the number of times you adjust the volume when you listen to a song. A lot. Therefore, great product designers know how to group functions/features and differentiate them based on position, size, color, texture.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when someone sees a car? They talk about what it looks like. The same is true of humans. There's a lot of research showing that better looking people generally get less critical feedback, make more money, and are treated better than people who don't look very good. Good products look good.
Good products are simple and easy to use. They have a layered foundation that allows users to operate its multiple functions very easily. Good products use localization and cultural norms to convey functionality. This makes them work well the first time they are used. This is especially important because when we try, we buy. Almost every product now has a free trial period, and even physical products allow you to return it after at least two weeks.
Unfamiliar products can be difficult to use at first. Thinking about learning a new complex interface, video editing software, or even a video game may take some time. Remember, some products — very important high-risk products — are almost never used by the average person. Take, for example, an emergency train exit. Ninety-nine percent of the population will never have to use one of these — but when one person does — it could affect the lives of hundreds of people. Intuitive design can be the difference between life and death.
Good products always insist on high value: the resource ratio. Not only the use of the materials themselves, but also those who combine them. If not alone, a good product is produced by a typical small team. They are compact and do not spend too much time and resources on decoration. Decoration should always be preserved in art and craftsmanship.
Good products don't take up more space than they need. They blend gracefully into the space to which they belong, as do the elements in the product. They can be easily packed and moved. Good products are not embarrassing.
When there are extra additional ingredients in a product, you can tell it's bad. Heavy duty is an example. A good product uses the least amount of resources or stimulation to get the desired effect, value, or function. The same is true for interfaces. If you see an interface with a lot of line use, exaggerated headlines, and a lot of animations — that's often a sign of their lack of confidence in the core concept. At the end of the day, in the product world, "concept is king".
Good products touch the soul. When you hold the weight of a Rolex, step on an accelerator on a Ferrari, or cut an onion with a hand-forged Japanese chef's knife, this product comes into play on multiple senses, adding feedback and ultimate value. A good product feels good, just like when you first picked up your iPod, computer mouse, or even gun. They just fit together very well.
In psychology and design, there is a term to describe this fit — this is called stimulus-response compatibility. Stimulus-response compatibility refers to the degree to which a person's perception of the world is compatible with the response to the demand. For example, door handles provide rotation/rotation, while door handles provide push/pull. Similarly, ergonomic design can also be considered "touching the heart".
Video games and their controllers are visceral products — their goal is to strike humans at multiple senses — and they are based on touch, sight, and hearing. Going to a great restaurant with a great light and smell of fresh bread and a steaming kitchen is an experience that touches the heart. Digital products also touch the heart. Not only does the product need to be visually organized, but audio and haptic feedback are equally important for the best experience. Imagine how bad it would be if a mouse didn't feel like a "click." Good product design goes beyond the eye.
The "search system" is the intrinsic motivation of human beings to explore, try new things, challenge themselves, and learn. All social media products meet the requirements of the exploration system, as do the internet, tv, travel, and every video game. People want to play just to play, and there are too many products and services that directly or indirectly cater to this urgent emotional need. Take Rubik's Cube, for example, it is the best-selling product in the world (more than 350,000,000 sold).
When the famous American scientist Harry Harlow discovered that after his rhesus monkey experiment was over, his subjects would continue to play mechanical puzzles, the exploration system was discovered for the first time. This is a huge discovery, because before that, mainstream science believed that humans were driven only by things that served physiological purposes. For example, if there is an external reward (food) after each success, then a person will get better at completing games or puzzles. Harlow's findings prove that there is a more powerful dynamic behind universal behavior, and that motivation comes from within. Harlow calls this an "intrinsic" motivation, one who wants to feel free, challenging, and ultimately manifested in this world. They need to control the situation and want to explore.
Products can be both practical and exploratory. For example, a bicycle can make you work faster, but it can also be a tool to explore the world around you. Chef knife makes cooking easier, but it also allows you to express your skill and artistic essence. Instagram allows you to express yourself, only faster than ever. Even product dashboards that seem purely utilitarian meet the requirements of the exploration system. Humans like to analyze, infer, and make judgments, even if those judgments don't lead to an increase in performance, output, or resources. People study for the sake of research – it's about the self. Humans need to feel autonomous, even if they don't.
People don't necessarily buy things because it makes their lives better. In fact, one can argue that more "stuff" actually reduces a person's quality of life. People buy products that are a manifestation of their inner spirit, and they often do this to communicate to others who they are. That's why media and marketing have such a huge impact on our collective values.
When you design a product and sell it in a way that caters to the users you're dealing with, its chances are far greater than the intrinsic value it doesn't offer beyond the functionality of that product or service. Developers in their 20s who value innovation and technology will have an Apple Watch, while bankers in their 50s who value money will have a Rolex watch. In any case, these items were not purchased for their functional products, but to enable users to show others what kind of people they are. Product purchase is an expression that is not necessarily an act based on rational utility.
It is also important to note that if a product is given away to the owner or is created in part by the owner, then its added value increases. In psychology, there is a practical phenomenon known as the "IKEA effect," in which customers develop a favorable feeling for furniture they assemble themselves, even though they may not do it well. People became attached to their creations and products and began to use them to define themselves. Marketing experts are aware of this phenomenon and reinforce it through "branding" strategies. They know that people buy for status and value – these can be shaped by messaging, media exposure, and cultural norms. Either way, humans will soon connect products to people, values, and stories. There's always a story behind great products, whether the company chooses to write about them or not.
Is the AK-47 a good product? Good products should always aim to help people and improve the environment in which they live. Create novelty items with a short shelf life of toys, furniture, and shelves — products that are inefficient but attractive end up working against the people who use them. Products that help people live longer, healthier, and more spiritually and socially connected lives are great products. Only gimmicky products are not.
The problem of having a valuable product is strictly novel – this creation is ultimately unnecessary. Children's toys are the best examples. We (adults) watched in awe how well they worked, thinking that children would have the same wonderful wonders. Have you ever noticed that little babies aren't interested in these toys, especially when you're encouraging them to play? Games are intrinsic, and so is imagination. Have you ever noticed that encouraging kids to play with toys makes them want to play with boxes? These toys not only hinder children's creative development, but also add unnecessary pollution to the world we live and depend on.
The best products are user-created ones. Have you ever carved your own spoon, made your own jewelry, or tasted tea with pottery you made yourself? Have you ever been in a struggle when you really need innovation to survive or at least survive better? It is likely that this process of innovation will be very beneficial. You value this product more because of its intrinsic experience.
With that in mind, we live in a world where it's too easy in many ways. We are completely disconnected from our food, friends, family and nature. If it's cold, we don't swim in the lake, we don't build our own shelters, and we don't cook our own meals. We don't cut bread with a knife ourselves, nor do we express ourselves with a paintbrush. That's where the products let us down. By cutting off the connection between extraction, production, and action, we have a not-so-good understanding of the nature of life.
Products also distort our perception of the value of the world around us. We want more money, more stuff and higher status. Over time, we define ourselves by collecting things. Our house, cars and Rolex. What is the purpose of us staying in our unfinished jobs and making more money to get more things?
Translator: Tianming, produced by the 36Kr Compilation Group. Editor: Hao Pengcheng
Translated address: https://36kr.com/p/5151713.html
This article is published by @Hao Pengcheng with the permission of everyone is a product manager, and reproduction without the permission of the author is prohibited.
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