product desirability

High-Level Responsibilities of UX Designers

• Focus on Desirability in product design.

  • Understanding Desirability: One of the three key ingredients for product success, along with viability and feasibility.

Key Ingredients for Product Success

• Viability:

  • Concerned with money.

  • A product must generate revenue or save costs to be sustainable.

  • While there may be non-monetary reasons for creating a product, financial viability is crucial.

• Feasibility:

  • Pertains to technology and buildability.

  • A product must be something that can be constructed, whether in-house or outsourced.

  • Must also be built within a reasonable budget and timeframe.

• Desirability:

  • Essential that there is a need or desire for the product.

  • The product should solve a problem for users; otherwise, its existence is unwarranted.

  • It must evoke positive feelings to encourage repeat usage.

Common Industry Oversights

• Many companies traditionally focus primarily on viability and feasibility,

  • This often results in products that meet financial and technical criteria but lack user appeal.

• Example Case: Portable MP3 Players

  • Arcos Jukebox 6,000

    • Launched in December 2000.

    • Successfully produced at a lower cost than sales price, aligning perfectly with market demand.

    • However, it failed in desirability as it was bulky and had a complicated user experience.

  • iPod

    • Launched by Apple shortly after.

    • Smaller, minimalist design, and ease of use (e.g. scroll wheel) made it more appealing.

    • Became a cultural icon and a market leader despite the Jukebox's initial market edge.

Lessons from Product Design History

• Apple's iPod illustrates that feasibility and viability alone do not guarantee product success; desirability is equally important.

• Skype vs Zoom:

  • Skype dominated the market for years but declined in desirability following Microsoft's acquisition, leading to poor user experiences.

  • Zoom rose to popularity due to its straightforward interface and reliability during the COVID pandemic.

• Apple's AirPods:

  • Dominated the headphone market as they are easy to use, have great sound quality, and are aesthetically pleasing—demonstrating higher desirability compared to competitors like Sony, Bose, and JBL.

Designer's Role in Ensuring Desirability

• Three Concentric Circles Approach:

  1. Identify whether there is an actual problem the product addresses.

  2. Determine if the product solves that problem effectively.

  3. Ensure the solution is delivered in a way that creates a positive user experience.