Product Behavior

We like to talk about “the brief” as those instructions we get from a client that tell us what we’re designing: its value to the consumer, what features it needs to be successful, whatever regulatory constraints we’ll be working under, etc. But the reality is we rarely, if ever, get anything so neatly packaged, and more often than not, we don’t really get any real direction at all beyond a generic description of the product.

I’ve previously written about making products “approachable.” The ukulele is my favorite approachable product: it’s recognizable, it’s safe, and it’s direct. As a “culture product,” the uke instantly fits in with your crowd – it’s like the funny guy who shows up at the party. Even if you don’t want to hang out with him for an extended period, he’s fun to have around.

So what do we make of products that seem to be the opposite of approachable?

One issue I see with many clients is that it’s not always clear why to do consumer research. It seems like a good idea – if we’re making products for people, we ought to go out and meet some of them. They’ll tell us what they want, or we’ll see what problems they’re having. But the “magic” – the “design thinking” – how do we get that out of consumer research?

“The Story of the Product” is a simple tool I use to get a feel for how well my clients know what their product or service is supposed to be. It’s a simple fill-in-the-blank that describes key aspects. I bring something like this to project kick-off meetings, or even sales meetings, and try to fill it in as we discuss the project.

I’ve been on a quest for the simplest model that describes design and what it’s for. I mean, the model that I can scribble up on the board, and everyone gets it. Over the years, my models have gotten smaller, with fewer parts and less to explain. Here’s my current model of the world.