Ryan Singer: Products Are Functions

Every product solves some sort of problem for the person using it. The product can solve a functional problem (like a hammer that installs a nail to hang a picture frame) or it can solve an aspirational one (like the fuzzy dice that hangs from your rear-view mirror to signal: the driver of this car is obviously killin’ it).

These days, the problems

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the easiest thing to do in a product is add a feature. People new to design tend to see the world of product as a set of features to build more than an experience to balance, and they rush to add things until they paint themselves in a corner with an encumbered experience that lacks a cohesive purpose. Balancing and integrating takes a lot more eff... See more