This chapter addresses the following questions:

• Why do organizations invest in experience design for their products and services?
• How do designers help organizations form an experience strategy?

First, let's consider an example of a successful product experience strategy. Back in 2006, before the iPhone launched the mobile revolution, chatter about an exciting and revolutionary camcorder swept news outlets, social media, and dinner conversations around the world. The product did not represent a breakthrough in advanced, multi-featured videography. On the contrary, the video camera, called Flip, was about the size of a deck of cards. It had a big red button to begin recording and a couple of other buttons that handled basic functions such as replay. Early models captured only low resolution video.

However, until 2011, when the company was sold and the product discontinued, Flip was the best-selling video camera on Amazon, accounting for nearly 13% of all camcorders sold.

The success of the Flip success had everything to do with its experience strategy, which, in a nutshell, was less is more. The strategy focused on a single-feature, easy-to-use, anytime-anyplace-anyone approach, which availed the Flip to the broadest audience possible.

People have an instinctive desire to capture and preserve precious fleeting moments in their lives. They want to preserve, remember and share their memories.

Prior to the Flip, camcorders were fairly complicated to use, relatively expensive, and usually purchased by men. Typical camcorders recorded videos on tape cassettes. Manufacturers competed by packing the largest amount of features into the smallest footprint possible, but even the smallest camcorders were significantly heavier and bulkier than the Flip, which recorded video to a built-in memory chip. 

The following list details the experience features, which differentiated the Flip and explain why it became a worldwide hit despite being technically inferior to most other camcorders in the market. As you read through this list, consider how each of these features could apply to a successful experience design strategy for any product:

• Size and weight: The Flip was small, sturdy, and light--a good ergonomic fit for single-handed use in most hands, and it could be easily placed in one's pocket, ready for immediate use in all circumstances.
  In comparison, even the smallest camcorders were not very practical to carry around, nor did they conveniently support single-hand recording. They were bulkier, heavier, and required a carrying case because they were fragile. Their most frustrating limitation, however, was the lost opportunities to capture unexpected meaningful moments--either these moments had passed before the device was removed from the case and turned on, or people left the camcorder in their car, hotel room, or home.
• Ease of use: The Flip's narrow case and few buttons ensured simple and easy operation for children, adults and the elderly. 
  Typical camcorders attempted to bring features of expensive professional-grade camcorders to the general consumer market. Consequently, they were much more complicated than the Flip, with multiple modes, settings, options, and buttons. Since most users of these camcorders were not professional videographers, the complexity of these devices frustrated them. While fiddling with various buttons and multi-layered menu options, they ended up missing the precious moments they wanted to videotape.
• Power: The device used ubiquitous 2 AA batteries. This is an important advantage for travel around the world and in remote areas. Typical camcorders used a proprietary battery pack, which required frequent charging. With no access to electric power to charge a drained camcorder battery, more frustration ensued as the device was rendered useless after a few of hours of use during travel or outdoor activities. This problem is familiar to any smartphone owner today.
• Durability: The Flip had a built-in flash memory, which enabled the storage of 1 to 2 hours of video, and its zoom feature was digital, not optical. Consequently, the device was energy efficient and durable because there were no moving parts. Additionally, there was no need to spend more money on tapes. A typical camcorder was compatible with a specific tape cassette size. This made research and purchase decisions confusing for many consumers. The cassette and zoom mechanisms required many moving parts, which drained the battery faster, and made camcorders delicate and prone to damage. Also, of course, there was a need for continuous purchase of new blank tapes.
• Post recording ease of use: The Flip had a built-in folding USB connector, which made it extremely easy to transfer video clips to a computer for further editing and sharing on any popular video editing software.
  Typical camcorders required proprietary cables--which were easy to misplace or lose, and occasionally, proprietary software to transfer the movies from tape to computer. Getting the computer to identify the camera was prone to failure and confusion, and when successful, the transfer time was equal to the length of the tape. For example, an hour long tape required one hour to transfer. Occasionally, the process failed due to a software glitch or other technical problems. Consequently, people often never got around to transfer their movies; the tapes were left to gather dust, and the memories were never viewed or shared.
• Design: The Flip was available in several colors, including blue, orange, pink, silver, white, and black. These were playful little boxes with rounded corners--a shape that was both practical and pleasing to adults and children alike. The device's distinctive design made it stand out in store displays and online.
  Traditional camcorders were offered in black or sliver, with very little visual differentiation between brands and models, and the assortment of buttons and input and output ports made them appear more complicated.
• Cost: The Flip was inexpensive, which made it an affordable personal purchase and an ideal gift. It was sold online and in drugstores, such as CVS, and other popular venues. It was not a complex purchase--there was no need for tedious technical feature comparisons or visits to an electronics store.
  Tape camcorders were often significantly more expensive, and sold primarily in stores that carry electronics or online. Figuring out which model to purchase was complex due to many brand and model choices.

As is obvious from the list, the Flip's success, as the success of any product, can be attributed to many practical features such as its ease of use, size, simplicity, durability, and cost. However, for customers and users, a product has to addresses both practical and emotional needs. In the case of the Flip, these were capturing moments to preserve as memories and share with others. Good product experience leads to good emotional experience, which in turn leads to a positive emotional bond between a user and the product. This company making the product benefits in the short and long terms.

Before designers determine which emotional aspects should guide the experience strategy of a product, they focus on putting together an intricate puzzle. To assemble the puzzle designers conduct a series of discovery and research activities, which are presented in this chapter and in Chapter 4, The User and Context-of-Use.

The objectives of discovery and research activities are:

• Understand the company-business context
• Understand the product-audience context
• Understand the customer-user context

After the analysis and synthesis of the data is complete, designers move on to working with the product's stakeholders to determine the appropriate experience strategy for the product and its intended users, and for meeting the company's vision and objectives (see the preceding diagram).