In the process of developing MyFanMachine I’ve realized how much people value good design.
It’s a big part of success not just for web sites but also for physical products. This is made abundantly clear with the launch of both the iPad and the iPad2.
I’m really not an Apple fanboy, but my wife is really into the brand so we have an iPad in the house and soon we’ll have the iPad2. I didn’t truly appreciate the design until I had the chance to hold a Motorola Xoom.
Coming nearly a year after the first iPad you would think Motorola’s best effort would have significant improvements.
And it does. On paper.
But in your hand it feels heavier and clunkier than an iPad. This is really too bad because I wanted to like the Xoom and have some real competition for the iPad. People are not exactly standing in line to get the Xoom while there’s a one month wait to get an iPad2 at launch.
It’s true that Apple have become genius at marketing, but there’s solid aesthetics and design behind their products too.
And this is the lesson to learn.
Even if you have a great product, you’ll see a lot more success if it looks great too!
Don’t overlook design even if your products features blow the competition out of the water. Taking care of the human experience is just as important as getting the engineering right.