What comes to your mind when you think of quality?
For many of us it is our craft. We think of quality in terms of the code we write or our ability to follow a process such as Agile; the more story points we complete in a sprint, the higher our quality.
High quality craftsmanship and process are the foundation of what we do. Celebrate if a high level of quality has been achieved. It is no small feat.
When we only view quality through the lens of process and craftsmanship we miss out on a higher level of quality which is the quality of design. The quality that gets people to purchase a product, it delivers delight to the users and they talk about it with their friends.
People don’t buy a products based on technology stack or the process that was used to build it. We buy products because of they way they look and feel, the problems they solve, the delight they add to our lives, how they make us feel when we use them. In short, the experience we have when using the product.
The quality of design. It is what separates Apple from Dell, the utilitarian from a master piece of art.
The quality of design digs deep to understand the underlying problems, it’s curious, almost nosey wanting to know who is using the product, their goals and how they behave. Its relentless, constantly asking questions, challenging assumptions, generating ideas and testing them with users to see how well they work. Its obsessive with details because it knows good is the enemy of great.
It is not easy, does not happen by chance and will never be achieved unless it is the driving force behind your products.
Its goal is to solve the right problems, deliver an experience that delights the users, it creates ROI for the business and strengthens the brand it represents.
It sells products.
What comes to your mind when you think of quality?
