Experience IS the product.
Friday, June 8th, 2007This article by Peter Merholz, in core77, does a good job of describing one of the most important philosophies behind Jump’s work. Creating experiences to meet people’s deeper needs is the ultimate goal of any product or service design. It’s not just about the product.
This also has implications for sustainable design. In recent years we’ve seen the unparalleled accumulation of STUFF. Much of this stuff goes unused and ends up in landfills. Oftentimes the experience these products provide can be replaced by a service. For example, the average power-drill is used for 20 minutes during its lifespan. What people need are holes, not drills. Berkeley has a public tool library to allow people to create the holes they need without accumulating infrequently used tools. The same thing is at play with car sharing that allows people flexible use of cars in urban environments and commercial carpet services that properly dispose and recycle used carpets. The great thing about these solutions is that they aren’t just more environmentally friendly - they are cheaper and more efficient.