Reflection Point: Product Design
In today’s society, it seems there’s a product available for every single task. With so many products flooding the market, it begs the question: “What makes a product stand out?” It isn’t enough to just be good — it needs to be great. Take a moment to think about your favorite apps. Is it Instagram? Spotify? Google Maps, even? What all these great products have in common are a few key details.
- Clearly defined and easy to use
- Delivers and exceeds users expectations and solves problems
- Delivers value in a way that’s better than any competitors
- Becomes harder to part with the more you use it
These features create a seamless and relevant user experience that elevates a product from good to great.
A product that I personally love is Pinterest. Pinterest is a “visual discovery tool” that was originally created for people to share ideas and inspiration for various interests and projects. # This app initially blew up as a means to try DIYs, look at fashion trends, and share recipes. I noticed in the past this app was typically used by an older generation, such as “mommy bloggers”. In the last year or so it’s started to gain more traction by younger generations as a way to curate a space of beautiful, inspiring images. On TikTok (another great app) young folks were creating vision boards and making edits from the images they found. It’s social media platform without the pressures of performance, unlike Instagram. A user on Twitter said this, “Pinterest is the pinnacle of the internet. Like, nobody is talking, nobody is having discourse, you just look at pretty pictures and vibe.” # Pinterest is easy to use, delivers a value better than competitors and exceeds user expectations in such an enjoyable way that it becomes a go-to app for many people.
In every great product, the design and usability were intended with the user in mind. Every great product, whether it be Twitter, Spotify, Pinterest, etc. has evolved with its audience and continues to stand out against its competitors. This kind of consideration and attention to detail is what keeps a great product from falling behind and keeps it at the top of its audience's radar.
Product design is everywhere — what are some of your favorites? Share them in the comments below!