Product
A good feature can still create a bad experience.
Adding something useful doesn't always make a product easier to use. Sometimes the experience needs to make room for it first.
6 min readPublished
Every feature starts with a good reason. Someone asked for it, a competitor has it, or it solves a real problem for a real group of people.
And yet a product can get harder to use with every good feature it adds.
Features compete for attention
Each new option asks for a little space on the screen and a little space in someone’s head. One more is rarely a problem. Ten more usually is.
Who is this for?
Not everyone needs to see every feature.Where does it belong?
Put it where the need appears, not where there is room.What does it replace?
Sometimes the best addition is a simplification.Make room before you add.
The best time to fit a feature into an experience is before it ships, not after people get lost.