Why experience driven products are indispensable

Why experience driven products are indispensable

Experience driven products have a great affinity to the principles of better design. The design approach for these products or services is a holistic approach that has never been so important to the customer, even if they don’t realise it.

A product being experience driven or not is most probably the difference between it being good or bad and to be blunt, in today’s intensely competitive world, there’s no room for anything less than a great experience for your product or service.

“Customers are no longer buying products and services– they are buying experiences delivered via the products and services.” — Gregory Yankelovich

In a previous post on defining moments in your product, I touched on why you should shape your products experience around a defining moment.

I argued that these moments should be placed in the most suitable or unexpected parts of a users overall experience for them to be able to subconsciously recall them when they thought of your product.

What I didn’t argue was why this is important.

A holistic design approach encourages us to render intent across the entirety of a users experience, to ensure that each and every touch point is considered but sometimes the ‘why’ behind this is missed.

Why should we consider the experience of our product?

There are multiple reasons why this question comes to fruition, it’s no dark secret that more often than not certain limitations such as cost, time and demand severely limit the product through no fault of its own. It’s up to everyone involved, not just the designers to push for a well thought out product. Below is a few thoughts on the importance of experience driven products and why we should consider experience as an important part of our products.

Consumer — brand relationships

As mentioned, in today’s intensely competitive world, there’s no room for anything less than a great experience for your product or service. It’s up to your organisation to ensure that they maintain an equilibrium between customer needs and fulfilment for the brand.

When such a balance is achieved more successful consumer-brand relationships are established. Once this balance is established your brand should focus on rendering great customer experiences to be able to achieve more loyal customers over a longer period of time.

During my time at Bosch Power Tools I have learnt how powerful these relationships can be, some users even declare themselves as ‘loyal fans’ of our brand and follow the release of our products.

Product growth


Considering the experience of your product in your approach gives you a better understanding of how your product will evolve over time, this gives you the potential for better features down the line and successful growth.

Airbnb is one of the perfect examples of how a holistic approach can empower a product. As you can see above in this clip from an AirBnB release video, they have expanded their existing product with a feature which acts as an extension of an existing touchpoint. This wouldn’t have been possible without first considering or understanding a users experience — the clip really speaks volumes for how experience driven products can grow.

Meaningful connections with technology

Fjord designer Paige Maguire says that machines are becoming “another type of user” as the focus on technology moves onto the potential of Artificial Intelligence throughout many disciplines including our everyday lives. With this trend comes an evolution of designing for experience — a new touchpoint more flexible than any before it.

“The machine is another type of user.” — Paige Maguire

Experience driven technology will ensure that these new innovations will be used in products that work with its user and not replace them, it also means that we will be able to map out a users lifestyle and find the perfect fit for these technologies. — Meaning not just giving them technology because we can but because it can empower them to live a better life.

Experience driven products are indispensable

These are just a few points on why experience driven products have become indispensable. I have no doubt that experience in design will continue to grow in importance, it is essential with our interaction with the design of everyday things.