One of the gents who works for me here at Silicon Valley Research Group just celebrated his baby daughter’s first birthday. She’s growing like a weed he tells me, and she just started tromping around the house as a bi-ped beginning a couple of weeks ago. She can’t talk yet, except for the occasional broken “Da Da” and “kitty”, and she doesn’t know what a book is, how one works or what reading is all about. But boy, she sure knows how to make the iPad work. So simple, a baby could use it. That’s no joke.
How did Apple get it so right? First there was the initial wide spread adoption of the mouse, bringing drag and drop computing to the masses. Then it was the simplistic user interface of the iPod music player. One wheel…does everything. The iPhone, then the iPad. Touch…swipe…flip…so intuitive, children can master its use before they learn to speak or read a single word. Here are five reasons why Apple leads in product development while its competitors play catch-up.
It’s a human thing. Apple designers and developers have always kept this one key design philosophy in mind. Humans have to use the products, and humans are biologically pre-disposed to use tools in a certain way. You know why the clocks on your parents VCR’s always flashed 12:00? Because ancient man never had to push buttons to make any of his tools do what he needed them to. He swiped, dragged, poked and pulled his way into advancing technologically. Apple understands what it means to use tools as a human.
Perfection is Relative. We wondered aloud how they could possibly improve on the functionality of the original iPad, (I know! Camera!). Then we thought to ourselves, “It can’t get any better than this amazing iPad2!” (How about retina display? Hello iPad3). What’s next? Apple knew the devices it released were not perfect, but contained enough gee whiz to make them seem relatively perfect. At least for now. Want more perfection? It’s coming, but as they say, perfection is the enemy of good. Well, in Apple’s case, great, but you get the idea. If your product is innovative and designed well enough, it will seem perfect to the new user. At least until the next version is released.
It’s all about love. If you love something (or someone) you can overlook a few shortcomings. Most iPhone and iPad users will tell you to your face, “I LOVE” my Apple product. You don’t even have to ask. They just blurt it out sometimes. When’s the last time someone said that to you about a Samsung or Motorola device? (I knew a fellow who loved his Startac back in 1997, but only because it fit in his Canali Suit pocket). Apple's ability to foster, nurture and maintain love for its products is key to its culture and success.
Follow your own Path. Why follow when you can lead? It’s been a core Apple philosophy since the days of the Apple Lisa. Every design decision and product launch attempted to create new markets, not capture a piece of old ones. Sure, not everything worked (Newton, anyone?) but each success and failure informed the next round of development, and the phoenix at Apple has risen more than at any other technology company.
Price it as premium. It’s true. You get what you pay for. Apple has always considered itself a premium product, and its build and operational quality have always supported that. People are willing to pay more, because they feel they are getting more. That positioning has in turn built the culture of love and trust that have customers upgrading with each new product version, and the circle continues with those customers willing to pay even more. That’s why I was not surprise when the rumours of a lower end, $299.00 iPad proved to be unfounded. Too much good will and quality has been built into Apple’s products to cheapen them now. They’ll leave that to the competition for the foreseeable future.
