DesignLab Reflection Point: Product Design

Claire Leyton
Aug 22, 2017 · 2 min read

A product is good if it fills a need or solves a problem. I think a sign of a good product can be the absence of thought towards it’s design by the user. For example, if a user sits in a chair and is comfortable and supported, they probably aren’t thinking about how the chair was designed. Alternatively, a product is great when we start forming habits around it or actively enjoy the experience of using it. A sign of a great product could be using a running app to track your progress as you train for a race, and sharing it with your friends and family when you break your own personal record that the app helped you achieve.

On the other hand, there’s a fine line when it comes to changing a behavior to include technology and taking it too far. Product design should solve a problem or make the lives of the user better. When we change our behavior too much or it starts to affect our quality of life, that’s when it we should rethink priorities and the use of the product.

As I write this, I’m currently on the end of a four week break from social media. As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t like my behaviors towards Instagram. I notice how much attention I direct towards it when I’m waiting for something and without thinking, I pick up my phone and open right to the app.

Social media creates a comparative culture. One where we are constantly looking at the posed, happy photos of others and asking ourselves if they have it better or easier than we do. I know that I am not immune to this trap. Through Instagram, we see what others are doing and subconsciously wonder why we can’t afford that vacation or why we haven’t received that promotion.

This is an unintended consequence of this product’s design. The designers created the app so that users around the world could share and edit photos…I doubt they could imagine how it would evolve over time to the extent that it has.

Good product design is imperative as it affects everything we do and the way in which we interact with the world. As the world moves forward into the relatively unexplored space of AI, I think it’s important that we acknowledge that humans should consciously interact with the technology in our lives. This means using it when it improves things…and learning to shut it down when it detracts from our experiences.

)
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade