Great Design Is In The Details.
Jessica and I spent a few hours at IKEA over the holidays, just soaking up all that Swedish design and picking out a few items for the home. One of the products we bought was a set of Trofe mugs. The stackable nature of the mugs is what sealed the deal for us, but the truly happy surprise came when I began unloading them from the dishwasher. No pool of water in the base of the mug!
The mug itself is beautiful in its simplicity (though nothing especially stunning or gorgeous), and the stacking ability is certainly nice, but I wasn’t particularly excited about the purchase until I noticed that notch. It’s often the smallest of details that turns good design into great — or even pleasurable design. As stupid as it sounds, that small design detail changed me from a user of the mug to a fan of the mug.
Isn’t that what we’re trying to accomplish in our own roles as designers? What small things can you do with what you’re working on right now to convert users into fans?
Take a tip from the Trofe: great design is in the details.