The design of products and experiences is closely connected to the processes underlying user-product interaction, which in turn are influenced by ongoing social and technological changes. In this section, we will explore the relationship between the evolution of products and changes to the nature of the user experience they engender.
The world transitioned rapidly from the industrial age to the information age. Today, many products and services are digital and data driven, as is the manufacturing of most physical products. Slow and linear human-controlled processes have been replaced by real-time, parallel, computer-controlled processes. Some of the trends that have emerged are as follows:
- Highly personalized products, which are tailored to the preferences of each individual customer and are manufactured on-demand by robots and 3D printers, are sun-setting mass-production of impersonal cookie-cutter products.
- From industrial machines to cars and home appliances, electro-mechanical products that operate as isolated islands are being phased out as the Internet of Things (IoT) ushers in an era of sensing products that are knowledgeable about the environment in which they operate, connected to the network, and actively exchange communications with other products and their owners.
- Profitability, which was tied directly to efficiencies gained through long-term planning, well-defined segmented roles, and sequenced processes, shifted toward flattened organizational hierarchies, multidisciplinary teams, and just-in-time planning and manufacturing.
- Slow and inefficient workflows that relied on heavy use of paper forms processed manually by a large clerical staff have been replaced or eliminated by web forms, which are processed by rules-driven business software. This trend has enabled organizations to streamline their processes and improve their client experience.
Another emerging trend is that experience design is becoming essential for the development and success of products because of new experience-centered demands. Technology products depend on design expertise to translate raw data and computing power into something more than slick, easy-to-use, hi-tech devices. The desire is for products with which you can have a relationship, products that are experienced as an extension of the self. Once an emotional tie is established between a user and a product, getting the user to switch to a competing product is very expensive. This is one of the reasons why some of the largest corporations in the world have realized that they must compete with start-ups that beat them in the experience game. Manufacturing giants, such as General Electric, 3M, Procter & Gamble, and Phillips are emulating software giants, such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, and others in standing up design-innovation centers where the focus is on bridging the gap between technology and people through experience design.
Product advantage has shifted from the practice of trying to win the longest features list in the market to projecting the capabilities of a product through a lens of a unified emotional experience. This last feat is what experience designers do, and consequently, designers are now usually integrated into the product’s lifecycle right from its inception, much earlier than ever before.
A case in point is the consumer-grade dishwasher. In the early years of this century, reasonable expectations from a dishwasher included energy efficiency, reliability, durability, and, most importantly, that the dishes come out clean. Interaction design focused on the unit's operational controls and its shelving system—both areas where direct interaction between user and machine occurs. It was simple to use and utilitarian:
- Load the machine with dirty dishes after rinsing them from any grime (even though this appears to contradict the premise of an automatic dishwasher).
- Add the detergent.
- Move a dial over to start or select the button that corresponds to the wash cycle you need.
At this point, the machine begins doing its job and the next interaction happens after the wash cycle is completed and it is time to unload the clean dishes. As long as the dishes came out sparkling clean, there is not much engagement between the dishwasher and its owner.
Figuring out how to operate the machine could be a frustrating experience without a manual--which buttons to push, or which program to choose? The source of perplexity has been oversimplification--manufacturers attempted to capture great many features in just a few buttons or dials, often using just icons to indicate options for cleaning cycles such as the following:
- Fully loaded or lightly loaded machine
- Length of a cleaning cycle
- Cycles that use hot or cold water
- Sanitation cycles
- Cycles that match the type of items loaded--pots or plates
- Cycles for heavy or lightly soiled dishes
These are great many options. They provide a competitive edge during the research and sales phase of the product. After all, it is only natural to desire the maximum features for the price. It is also pleasing to know that one's dishwashing machine can tackle any conceivable dishwashing situation one might face. Despite this, the tendency, in the end, is to use just one cycle option most of the time.
After the dishwasher has been installed in the kitchen, many users stick to the single operation they know or remember. It is too difficult to figure out based on the user interface additional and maybe better ways to use the dishwasher for cleaner dishes and greater energy savings. This leads to disappointment in the purchase--a negative experience--especially because the more features the appliance offers, the more expensive it tends to be.
Most people do not want to spend time reading the user manual in order to get the most out of their product--they just want clean dishes.
In contrast to the dishwashers of the past, the goal of more recent products is to ensure that customers have a great experience throughout their relationship with the product and its brand. Appliance makers such as Bosch, GE, and Whirlpool offer connected and smart dishwashers that take full advantage of experience design.
The manual tasks of loading dirty dishes into the machine and unloading clean ones after the machine completes its task have not changed (even as we fully expect household robots to do these for us in the future). Yet the experience of using the dishwasher is much more pleasing because understanding and utilizing the machine’s various features has become easy. In fact, there is no need to enter the kitchen to check on the progress of the dishwashing cycle. Instead, the machine communicates and engages the user through an attractive mobile app.
From a manufacturing and experience perspective, the benefits are considerable. If controlling the unit can be relegated to the app, it is possible to eliminate most of the controls that are currently placed on the actual dishwasher. These controls can be replaced with internal sensors that allow data transmission to and from the app and to the user.
With less physical controls there is also less concern about the corrosive effects of water, detergent, and heat. It is possible to increase the reliability of the product while also designing a slick-looking, easy to use product. Any operational confusion is resolved by the app.
The mobile app propels the experience of using a dishwasher from the completely unglamorous to the sphere of the trendy and stylish in modern hi-tech devices. The appliance app can look as stylish and sophisticated as any other app users have on their phone. Most importantly, the user is in full control and can maximize their personal satisfaction with their purchase decision because they can maximize the utility of the appliance via the app.
The example of the dishwasher demonstrates the decoupling trend that is transforming many industries and products. Physical button and dials are replaced by their digital equivalents in mobile apps and web-based applications, which offer better experience and engagement. However, to be successful in such transformations, business people, engineers, and designers must collaborate throughout the phase of product development.
Next, we will review in more detail the evolving role of design in the production process and the shift in the meaning and importance of user experience.