The article discusses the surprising success of Craigslist, known for its outdated design, highlighting how it continues to thrive despite competition from visually appealing platforms. It contrasts Craigslist with other examples like Google and Yahoo to illustrate that user experience and functionality matter more than aesthetic appeal. The author critiques modern product teams for falling into the trap of 'design theater,' focusing on visual elements instead of user needs, which leads to failed products. Ultimately, the article emphasizes the importance of prioritizing usability over beauty in product design.
The uncomfortable truth is that entrepreneurs and product teams fall in love with the wrong things. We obsess over pixel-perfect interfaces while users just want to get stuff done.
A significant 34.6% of visitors worldwide indicate that they strongly favor information structures that are simple and easy to understand. Yet somehow, when we're building products, we convince ourselves that users want something more sophisticated.
This should bother you. It bothers me. As product managers, we're supposed to know better. We talk about user experience, design thinking, and all that jazz.
The psychology behind this is fascinating. It's what I call 'design theater' - when form becomes performance art rather than purposeful function.
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