Cell phones are not (just) fashion

Feb 29, 2008

From the NYT, how cell phone companies are trying harder to connect with customers. It's good news, and not entirely a surprise. Apple's especially user-friendly iPhone is doing so well that competitors are finally being forced to listen to their customers. Sure, these companies have employed diligent user experience teams for years. But often it takes hard sales numbers to get management to start really listening up.

The story also mentions the Motorola Razr, a phone that sold very well for awhile, then dropped out of favor. It's pretty obvious why: the Razr was a fashion statement, not a usable device. (Motorola phones have historically had poor interface design.) Fashion is a difficult, volatile business to be in. In contrast, a great user experience is a competitive advantage, and in the tech industry that means creating tools that people can delight in using, not just flashing like a piece of jewelry.

If I was advising Motorola or Nokia, I'd be wary of too much research into the emotional depths of customers - what mood a color puts them in, that sort of thing - and make sure that there's a focus on delivering on customers' unmet needs. Can you make a call? Can you turn off the ringer easily (without it making noise)? Can you take a picture easily? Pretty obvious stuff, and most cell phones aren't very good at it.

Yes, it's also important to focus on physical design - shape, color, etc. - that's part of the iPhone's appeal, after all. But I wouldn't focus exclusively on this - otherwise you're just in the fashion business.

P.S. It's also nice to see Nokia prototyping green devices, like the "remade" (see articles pro and con), a phone made from recyclable materials. Still, though, if it's hard to make a call or take a picture, it's going to be hard to sell to customers.

See also:

• iPhone and Nokia's attempted copy

• Poorly designed Samsung cell phone

• Motorola's poor usability (from 2006; presumably they're getting better)

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