Solving and Satisfying—The Dual Perspectives on Products

October 24, 2024inproduct

A comic strip with three panels. The first panel shows a plain teapot. The second panel shows a packaging box for a teapot. The third image shows a happy user of a teapot

A classic example of an everyday product designed with form, function, and user experience in mind.

Given that one of this blog’s main goals is to encourage engineers to become more product-minded, we should start off with a clear definition of what a product even is. Here is one possible definition for product:

A product is a packaged set of features that enable users to achieve specific goals while delivering meaningful experiences.

The packaging—your brand, marketing, and sales strategy—elevates it from just a tool into something that people want and are willing to pay money for. The customer journey starts way before interacting directly with the product and continues long after: Awareness, acquisition, support, etc., all should be considered when making products. Tony Fadell emphasizes the importance of this in his 2022 book Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making, which has greatly influenced my approach to product engineering.

But for now, let’s focus on the product’s core: its features designed to address your target users’ specific needs and tasks.

Great products have two major aspects: they provide a solution, and they provide an experience.

Solution—Products to Solve Problems

Meaningful products typically achieve one of three outcomes about solving a problem, or maybe more generally “improving a thing” (a problem, workflow, process, task, etc.). Think about which category the product you are building fits into to better define its purpose and strategy.

  1. Make It Possible for More People to Do the Thing

    Example: Before word processors, only trained typists could produce professional documents. Now everyone from children to grandparents can easily write and format.

  2. Increase the Power of Work

    Example: A crane allows a construction worker to lift heavy materials that would be impossible to move manually. Similarly, software like Photoshop enables artists to create complex digital art that would be challenging with traditional mediums.

  3. Get Rid of the Entire Need for the Thing

    Example: Central heating systems have eliminated the need for wood-burning stoves in each room. Similarly, smartphones have replaced many devices like cameras, GPS units, and even flashlights, consolidating them into one handy gadget.

Experience—Products to Delight

Beyond just solving problems, great products are built to provide an experience. This encompasses how users interact with the product, the emotional response it evokes, and the overall satisfaction it delivers.

  1. Turning Tasks into Joy: Delightful Interactions

    A product that is enjoyable to use can turn mundane tasks into pleasant experiences. Think of how a sleek smartphone not only makes calls but also provides a satisfying tactile and visual experience.

  2. Empowering Users: Feeling Capable and In Control

    Good products make users feel capable and in control. For example, a well-designed photo editing app can make anyone feel like a professional photographer.

  3. Forming Bonds: Emotional Connections with Products

    Some products create strong emotional bonds with users. Whether it’s a favorite pair of headphones that deliver crisp sound during your morning jog or a journal app that keeps your thoughts organized, these products become integral parts of daily life. They don’t just perform functions; they resonate on a personal level.

  4. Aspirations and Identity: The Brand Experience

    Products often carry the essence of a brand’s identity, contributing to the overall experience. Unboxing a new pair of Nike sneakers can make you feel like an athlete even before you hit the track. Branded products serve aspirations, tapping into users’ dreams and ambitions. The anticipation, the packaging, and the first interaction all add layers to the user’s experience, making them feel connected to something bigger than just the product itself.

I’m an Engineer, Not a Designer. Why Should I Care?

You might be thinking, “Why should I care about all this? Engineers just need to solve problems. If the solution works, users will come.”

But users have choices. They can choose from a variety of products that solve the same problem. They can also choose to not care about the problem at all. Users care about the experience at least as much as the solution.

If you focus on only solving problems, you might end up with a product that works technically but doesn’t resonate with users. “Just hire a skilled head of marketing later?” That won’t be enough. Experience is a foundational aspect of your product that your team as a whole needs to get right.

Let's strive to build products that do both from the start.

  • Fadell, Tony. (2022). Chapter 3: Build Your Product in Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making. Harper Business.
  • Norman, Don. (2013). The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition. Basic Books.