More, Less, Easy
June 1st, 2008
No comments
Innovation makes it easier to do more with less. These three principals are present in almost every “innovative” product on the market. Every earth-shattering invention that history remembers as innovation made it easier to do more with less (time, money, effort, etc) from the user. This realization is hardly worth an “Ah-ha” moment. But as it turns out, the application of these principles can be surprisingly difficult and somewhat counter-intuitive.
Innovation is often determined by history. You can never really know if consumers will embrace a product until it’s on the market. Everyone sits at the brainstorming table thinking their idea is the next big thing, though few actually taste this victory. The problem is not necessarily the idea; more appropriately, the problem is the formation and development of that idea into a product. When innovation fails to spark on a truly great idea the results are typically due to product designers making assumptions about their users, or product designers over complicating their product to address every possible scenario. These design strategies often result in contradictions, contradictions that lead to product flaws.
Even the best marketers are unable to fight the viral power of modern-day consumers. Whether it’s a negative comment on a product review or a mockumentary of your product on Youtube; the slightest glitch can spell disaster to innovation. Even if marketers are able to cover up the one flaw in your product, consumers will eventually find it and exploit it. That is why the innovation cannot just rely on the marketing of your product, but it careful attention must be paid in its development.
