“I’ll have what that product’s having.”
You can’t be all things to all people but some will try.
When I was first introduced to Snapchat, I couldn’t quite see the value in it. This might be due to me being born in the 80s or the fact that I’m not bothered about posting pictures of myself modelling an arguably sexy dog tongue. However, with the introduction of Instagram stories, I can now see the value in a 24hr eradication of certain media that I post (basically the stuff I post after too many gins or in hindsight is actually pretty boring…).
Having said that, with the launch of WhatsApp Status last month, I found myself questioning the value all over again. Why do I need this feature on this platform? Instagram and WhatsApp might both be owned by Facebook but their value propositions are very different.
The same could be said for Facebook itself. This week saw the wake of Facebook Messenger Day; which sees Facebook officially integrating the 24hr feature across all of its products. The difference here in comparison to the launch of WhatsApp Status, is the communicated value of Messenger Day to its users. Explained perfectly and in a simple way, this feature becomes instantly engaging, with no question of why people would use it.
This isn’t the first time products have encompassed the beloved features of popular apps or competitors. We can live stream on pretty much anything these days — Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Periscope, Snapchat Live Stories, YouTube… you name it. Even editing a profile picture directly in LinkedIn is possible if we really want to #moodyheadshot.
With this seemingly huge merge of features across platforms, is this now an inevitable shift in our expectations as users and the value propositions themselves?
A few decades ago, came the well known Kano Model (if you’re unfamiliar with this, get reading, it’s useful). It classifies customer needs (or features) into 5 categories:
- Basic Attributes: The ‘must haves’ (without these you don’t really have a product — or one that will survive).
- Performance Attributes: The execution of the basic functionalities (execute well and you’ll increase satisfaction).
- Excite & Delight Attributes: These are the cherries on top that people aren’t expecting (think Facebook weather updates).
- Indifferent Attributes: The elements that users are neutral about and have no feelings towards whether they’re there or not.
- Reverse Attributes: These are dependent on the quality and performance attributes, which might not result in the desired user satisfaction. (Think parallax scrolling; one user might think this is an incredible visual delight, whereas another might be annoyed that they can’t scroll through the content quick enough.)
The updates that we see in our favourite apps, all originate from this framework; even if the makers don’t realise it themselves.
As a designer, I often get asked by friends how it’s possible to be working on the same app for 18 months+ but the Kano Model answers just that.
You may have made it into the ‘delighter’ zone with your users before but that doesn’t mean you’ll stay there. That feature you added 6 months ago that users went crazy for, is now likely perceived as a basic functionality. Worst case still, the feature put out by your competitor 6 months ago is now seen as a basic feature by their users and is now expected as a basic feature in your product; if you don’t have it, you’re setting yourself up for some instantly unsatisfied users.
By constantly evaluating your competitors, the chance of maintaining the level of delight and the features that become an expectancy is much greater. The only danger that arises with this motivation, is the convolution of the original goals based on the activity of competitors or other products – Bringing me back to my original question, “why do I need WhatsApp Status?”
If you play a role in the product process, don’t just implement a feature because your favourite app has it (or your client’s favourite app for that matter). Be sure it fits the proposition, the user needs and actually adds value. This will help determine which features will lead to happy users, whilst also helping to prioritise item importance internally. Ultimately, don’t lose sight of the original goals.
Final food for thought…
“Systrom resisted being all things to all people and in the end sold his 15 month old company for $1 billion. Think about that for a second.”
- Businessinsider.com on Kevin Systrom, Co-Founder of Instagram.
I’m a Product Designer, with a background in delivering solutions across multiple platforms from ideation to launch. Currently based in Amsterdam and forming part of the team at MOBGEN — Part of Accenture Interactive.
Hopefully you found this post interesting! You can say Hello on Twitter, or feel free to troll me for being another designer stating the obvious…
