Product Behavior

I’ve been on the road this week, consulting with a client and conducting some research with consumers for a new product. The client has one product on the market and is adding another, which will perform a different, but related, function.
It’s interesting because right now, the company is defined by their one product. But now [...]

I end up drawing a diagram of the “Touchpoints” on a whiteboard several times a week. It describes the consumer’s complete experience with a product…

A Hero product or service stands for something. Raja M. Daswani qualifies. Here’s his ad from the New York Times: Raja Fashions
Mr. Daswani leads with his mission, and everything else he does supports that mission. It’s not even clear what he does until you’re halfway through the ad, but you know what he wants: to [...]

“Approachable” is a term designers often use to describe a product, as in…
“It should be approachable.”
“Which one is more approachable?”
“Not approachable enough.”
No one really takes the time to define it, except for the obvious “not repulsive.” Of course, there are products that say, “Pick me up and fondle me,” and there are products that say, [...]

Joe Nocera writes a column for the New York Times business section in which he comments on various aspects of the world. He recently railed against the iPhone, focusing on its non-replaceable battery. His take on the situation was a great example of how business doesn’t really understand what design is for.
In the piece (which [...]