Writing the Myth
The key to a successful product is its story: the reason it exists, where it comes from, why anyone should care about it. If we want to foster a real relationship between consumer and product, we must think of products as partners. Not “What is the product?” but “Who is the product?”
The three archetypes in previous articles — the Star, the Hero, and the Genius — are good starting points. Figure out which one your product is. Are you better than the competition because of performance? You’re a Star. Does your edge come from your stronger message? You’re a Hero. Do you have a new approach that changes the game? Genius.
Once you know what the product is, everything about the product must support this character. Everything. Consumers go through a number of steps during their lives with a product: learning about it, buying it, using it for the first time, using it for the 100th time, getting it repaired, even disposing of it. Sometimes, we designers call those “touchpoints,” and they are the opportunities you have to communicate what the product is (and also what your company is). If your product is a Genius, the ads, the packaging, the product, and service phone number, must all reflect Genius-ness. That’s why the iPod is advertised and packaged the way it is: those things demonstrate the product’s unique soul.
Of course, you can’t just be better, or different, or have a stronger message — you must be all three, at least to some degree. But you can’t lead with all three; no one will believe you if you claim to be all things to all people. Pick one, and make the other two support the main concept. For example, if you lead with performance (you Star!), make sure the product’s attitude and approach fully support that performance edge. In the same way a pitcher has to think and approach his training in particular ways in order to maintain his performance edge, Star products have Hero and Genius aspects, too. They’re part of the reason the performance is so good.
The “Mythology” framework is simple but extremely effective at focusing the purpose of a product, deciding which features to include and which to leave out, constructing a marketing story, and pretty much every strategic aspect of product development. I’ve used it successfully in the design of consumer products and medical devices, and to help companies analyze their competition. In the end, it’s a tool for making decisions: What should the product do? How should we talk about it to consumers? What’s really important about what we’re doing? Those questions are what design is all about.
