[Sigia-l] Product positioning 2: the iPod killers

[Listera]

Some months ago I had posted quotes from various iPod competitors regarding
their understanding (or lack thereof) of product positioning, hw/sw
integration, feature sets, listening to customers, design priorities, etc.
Many people wrote me to ask for the sources.

Here's another take, now with the hindsight of iPod's continuing success,
from FastCompany:

"At Dell, we don't make design decisions based on style alone. Customer
input is a huge driver, which is why we talk to our customers directly
through our in-house usability lab. This is where we test our concepts
alongside our competitors'. Then we watch and learn. That's how we realized
the importance of volume control, which has a dedicated button on the Pocket
DJ. It's something people want to adjust constantly but was often buried or
difficult to find on other players.

There's a sign in the lab that says two things: listen to the customer and
you're not the customer. We bring in people across a broad demographic, from
target customers to owners of our competitors' players, from teenagers to
corporate executives. It's hard to do the wrong thing if you're talking to
enough people and listening to what the masses are telling you."

Steve Gluskoter, Codirector, Industrial Design and Usability, Dell

"I do not share the opinion that Apple's design for the iPod is any good.
That's because I define great design in terms of fantastic machinery. And if
you look inside the iPod's technology, it's quite common and unimpressive."

Henri Crohas, Founder and CEO, Archos

And a number of similar gems at:

<http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/95/fast-talk-extra.html>

Ziya
Nullius in Verba