Experience

“Form follows function-that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.” —Frank Lloyd Wright

My husband is a builder and has a tendency to view solutions through a utility lens.  Is it the right size?  The right shape?  Does it work?  Will it last?  Yes? Move on.

I tend to take a more aesthetic route.  No, I don’t think there’s actually a place for a backless couch covered in fragile white fabric in a living room bare of aditional seating.  Not even for the sake of art, or in the absence of small sticky-fingered children.  That’s just pretentious.

I think there’s a special place where materials, purpose, and design coalesce into truly attractive, usable solutions that serve a life’s need.  Granted, there are fewer goods that land out of this category than those that actually do.  Those that are successful are primarily manufactured by Apple, no surprise.  I suggest there’s a lot to learn by looking in their direction, and it’s not only to be found with covetous eyes.

Focusing your business strategy on creating rewarding experiences while delivering functional necessity isn’t rocket science.  It’s about giving people what they want (and maybe a dash of vision for what they don’t yet know they’ll want) in a way that feels natural and intuitive.  Is that the definition of fulfillment?

I was reading the 9/8/08 issue of Businessweek and read an article titled “The Shape of A New Coke” by Jessie Scanlon and was really impressed by what I learned about Vice President David Butler.

When challenged to “do more with design” for the iconic brand, he didn’t just think about packaging in the sense of a graphic makeover. To quote the article, “. . .[he] talks about the benefits of smart design in language people understand.”  After lots of field research, Butler evidently gleaned that Coke needed to focus on brand identity, user experience, and sustainability.  The result?  An aluminum countour bottle that’s less expensive than a glass bottle, delivers colder beverages, and has a resealable cap.  It’s also made from recycled aluminum that’s also recycleable.  In a word, wow.

It would seem that Butler’s developments would help advance the brand in emotional ways. People tend to get a warm & fuzzy when they can have a product they like that’s comfortable to hold, convenient to port, is sexy-looking, and shelters them under the umbrella of eco-friendly.  And they identify with the distinct shape, to boot.

I can’t think of anything that would make it better – except maybe revert back to the original price point of it’s 1916 launch.  That would make for a fulfilling experience, wouldn’t it?

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