Something for the Weekend - Emotional Connections (iPod)

As promised, I wanted to follow up on the last SFTW with some validation as to why creating an 'emotional connection' in what we deliver is equally as important as creating a functional one… an argument that the iPod can make without too much justification from me!

The iPod is often held aloft as a great design example… It's practical, intuitive, functional but also has the ability to engage with people in a way that's very hard to put your finger on… good physical design, creativity, brand, tactility, universal / consistent navigation, simplicity? - what is that x-factor? I don't know the answer but I know it's important!

Creating an emotional connection is not at all frivolous, it has huge commercial advantages. Apple have sold 260,000,000 iPod units worldwide and hold around a 70% market share of the global portable media player market (I want to say 'iPod market' which is a sign in itself!). Just imagine getting a tube or plane and not seeing the ubiquitous white headphones! To remain streets ahead of your competitors despite a higher unit cost is impressive.

In our world it's equally important to remember the importance of these connections… we need 'our customers' to feel a sense of satisfaction when using a system or process not just acceptance. I'm not sure there's a fixed recipe for creating this (or I'm sure I'd be a lot richer!) but I think a strong starting point is the recognition that 'functional' is not enough... Understand every detail, understand your customer and pursue perfection.

Something for the Weekend - Anthora Coffee Cup

Lesley Buck passed away a fortnight ago aged 87 - In the 60's Buck was Head of Marketing for the Sherri Cups company, an established disposable cup business. As a man with no design experience; he calculated that slathering a paper cup in Greek motifs and the colours of the Greek flag would help him crack into the ethnically-Greek dominated New York diner market. The gambit worked.

The sheer ubiquity of the cup (total figures are hard to come by, but Sherri Cup sold half a million of them in 1994 alone) has propelled the design into museums, T-shirts, and countless television show prop masters seeking a visual shorthand for hard-boiled detective, hard-working hack or Gothamite-on-the-go.

Reflecting on his success is relevant to our roles too. Buck had a real understanding of his customer base, not just what they needed (or asked for) but also what they valued beneath the suffice, perhaps even sub-consciously. Looking at other companies, Apple act as a great pioneers of this, fan's often quip that "you don't know what you need until Apple have invented it".

It's a concept that's I'm increasing embracing... we're great at delivering highly 'functional' things, and that's a good foundation, but to take things further we need to add that much needed 'emotional' connection to our work... more on that next time!!

Finally, I can't end this with out covering the issues with packaging waste! With 58 billion paper cups being thrown away each year, the challenge for today's paper cup designers is how to design a functional AND sustainable solution. People like Tom Farriday think they've got an answer with a cup made from 100% recycled, recyclable plastic! Read more…

Sources

NYTimes

The Graffik