Developing Products for User Satisfaction

In today’s world of products and services, the bar to satisfy the customer has never been higher. Fierce competition across product spaces has not only increased the demand for quality, but for the level of satisfaction expected from customers. As product developers in profession and customers in our day-to-day lives, we recognize the standards to which we hold companies and their products as well as what it takes to meet them on the development end. To thrive in today’s saturated product world, it is important to identify the common characteristics shared by satisfying products, understand the difference between satisfaction and loyalty, and discover the tools and practices for creating more satisfying products.

“What are the characteristics of satisfying products?”

The parameters for customer satisfaction will vary for different product categories. It may not be feasible, for instance, for all products to improve a user’s sense of community, self-esteem, or sense of self-actualization, but these higher aspiration characteristics should be applied, when possible, in addition to the requisite requirements of functionality, reliability, and usability.

Functionality

Functionality almost goes without saying when assessing a product. It’s as simple as asking, “does the product do the job it’s supposed to do?” We can consider functionality the primary requirement for a product.

Reliability

Reliability, in the context of functionality, asks, “does the product do what it’s supposed to do, and does it do it consistently?” To add more layers to this, it is important to test reliability in the context of the limits of the product’s input or stresses, test the performance over the product lifetime, test the stresses of the product’s natural environment on the product, and lastly, test the regulatory compliance and safety of the product.

Usability

Usability pertains to the ease or difficulty in which people will interact with the product. A helpful way to evaluate this is to design the product to be used intuitively, complementing the natural instincts and inclinations of the populous. For example, when designing a user interface for users in a western country, apply cultural standards like left-to-right navigation.

Community, Creativity, Esteem, Empowerment

In addition to the requisite characteristics of successful products, there are other more aspirational features that, though not applicable to every product space, can add tremendous value for users. Products that cultivate creativity, create a sense of esteem or community, or help a user self-empower or self-actualize, are some of the most satisfying and successful products on the market. If there is any opportunity for a product to reach this potential, it should not be overlooked.

“Satisfaction does not necessarily equate to loyalty. Seemingly satisfied customers defect all the time.”

While customer satisfaction is an achievement on its own, it does not always guarantee loyalty. The Harvard Business Review studied the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty and found that a completely satisfied customer was significantly more likely to continue buying products from the same company than a somewhat or mostly satisfied customer. This was especially true in more saturated markets, where numerous companies are competing in the same product space. In those situations, it is overwhelmingly the customers who are completely satisfied by the product that will remain loyal while others will defect to products that more closely align with their distinctive needs. The distinctive needs of individual customers are what keep product spaces diverse and competitive. Therein lies two truths about satisfaction: 1: You can’t please everybody. 2:) If you try to, your product is unlikely to completely satisfy anyone. Instead, the primary focus should be to identify the target user and, within the scope of the product, try to wholly satisfy their needs.

Best practices to ensure satisfaction

Knowing now what constitutes a satisfying product, here are a few methodologies that can be practiced regularly to help ensure a satisfied, loyal customer:

Execution

For all the work that goes into the design and engineering of a product, the product that ends up in the hands of the customer will be the primary representation of the company’s efforts, for better or for worse. In this sense, it is imperative that design for manufacturability is considered throughout the process, and further, that the manufacturer is producing to a caliber that preserves the integrity of the idea. This is critical to ensure that the integrity of the design and the engineering is preserved.

Embed Human-Centered Design

Another tool that can unlock the potential of a product is to embed Human-Centered Design into the product from its conception. As mentioned previously, total satisfaction of the target user is the best way to ensure not only satisfaction but loyalty. Human-centered user experience design can help identify the champion user and understand their needs, values, abilities, and limitations to define a framework to build a highly satisfying product. Human-centered industrial design is specialized in creating appealing and marketable aesthetics as well as designing satisfying product interactions. Lastly, human-centered user interaction can be used to build intuitive graphical interfaces meant to engage users and help them navigate the product with confidence and proficiency.

Customer Experience

The last methodology is customer experience. While user experience relates more to the customer’s interaction with the product, customer experience has more to do with the customer’s perception of the company. Good products can fall flat if the customer experience is lacking. Establishing a strong customer support infrastructure with fair or even progressive policies can sometimes be the major differentiator, especially when standing out may be more difficult.

Acorn Can Help

For over 30 years, Acorn Product Development has helped its clients develop their ideas into meaningful products and experiences that satisfy their customers. Acorn can help develop your ideas into products that not only meet the needs of your customers but surpass their expectations and keep them coming back for more. Find out more by contacting us at acornpd.com/contact-us.

Four Characteristics Of A Satisfying Product