[IxDA Discuss] Usability as Feature

[Jared M. Spool]

On Jan 31, 2007, at 4:18 PM, Dante Murphy wrote:

> While I think that Jared's market maturity model is sometimes  
> accurate,
> I think that the entrenched marketing machines continue to look for  
> ways
> to promote "features" long after the product has entered the third
> stage, thus the drive to create "features" that are really just
> experiential improvements.
>
> My nominations to the list:
>
> 1. One-touch recording on the DVR/VCR
> 2. Controls for radio mounted on car steering wheel
> 3. Heads-up display of speedometer on car
>
> There must be thousands.
>
> Your thoughts?

Hi Dante,

I think you have the sequence of events reversed, as it pertains to  
the model.

Incremental improvements, such as adding a simplification are still  
in the feature/checklist stage. So, the items you discuss above are  
likely to be still stage 2. And as you say, there are thousands of  
"usability features" one can sell.

What distinguishes stage 2 from stage 3 is not how the development  
organization dictates it's own agenda. The distinguishing difference  
is when customers start rejecting features-laden products for  
simpler, more productive products. Then you've made the transition.

Jared


Jared M. Spool
User Interface Engineering
510 Turnpike St., Suite 102, North Andover, MA 01845
e: jspool at uie.com p: +1 978 327 5561
http://uie.com  Blog: http://uie.com/brainsparks