We have all heard “well-crafted” user experience in software design. It could have been in a conversation, an article, or a job interview. In fact, I’ve spent 20 years working in the tech industry and have had many conversations and debates about what craft is, and why it’s important. I’ve worked for companies who have developed their appreciation of craftsmanship (Google), brands that built their brands with it, (Airbnb), as well as companies that are bringing craft into enterprise sectors that don’t typically.
We need a framework that will help us define craft and understand why it is important. This will allow us to explore, debate, and improve the craft of software we create.
Three Building Blocks: Utility, Usability, and Craft
Our product principles are based on three factors that make for great design: utility and usability. Utility is the degree to which software serves a real purpose and provides value. We use the principle to decide where and how to place our design bets to deliver maximum value to customers. Our product’s utility is measured by the ability to offer enough value to encourage repeat use.
“Don’t make me think” refers to the ability of the customer to use the software. Our designed to be intuitive so that customers can do their jobs without having to think too much. Our usability is determined by studying and talking with our customers, tracking support tickets and measuring task completion.
Craft is the last element. This is how the product feels when you use it. “be an excellent host” is the product principle that we use to ensure high-quality craft. We want software to be reliable and easy to understand, but we also want it to be enjoyable. Poorly crafted products are unintuitive, and can be unpleasant to use. Craft creates an emotional connection that enhances the utility and usability of products and makes customers more loyal.
All three elements utility usability and craftsmanship must be combined to produce the best product experience. If one of these elements is missing, you run the risk of creating an unsatisfying experience.
Another way to look at how these elements work together is through a hierarchy. Like Maslow’s hierarchy, there’s a hierarchy for design qualities. The software should be functional as a starting point. It works! It is reliable, performant, and bug-free. It should be usable at the next level. It is useful and does the job. At the top level, a product should be pleasant to use. Craft is the key to achieving this level.
What is Craft?
Visual & industrial design
Craft is a combination of elements from visual design (color theories, typographic standards, appropriate spacing, information densities, clarity of icon sets, etc.) and industrial design. By incorporating industrial design ideas into software, we can create a more tangible experience, which feels like the real thing. My favorite example is the way the Apple Watch mimics the analog experience of winding hands on an alarm clock with haptic feedback!
Animation
The software will move in an animated manner. Does it move from A to B instantly or is it smooth? Does the transition start off slowly and then ease up at the end? Another factor that can make an experience more real is motion. Even more, it will feel like the highest quality items in the real-world. Consider cabinets with a soft-close feature. These cabinets feel better than ones that slam.
Voice
Then there are the words that we use to make it sing and to make it easy to use. This is an important and necessary part of our brand. Our voice is humane, clear and concise, just like a friend or intelligent coworker. This voice has been used in our product, marketing, help and branding content since day one. It’s our voice that defines us. It’s just as important to our personality as anything else in our UI. Voice is used to great effect in AI. A good example is the voice in GPT-4o. It is a powerful new example of voice in AI.
Interactivity
Interactivity is also important to us. It is the responsiveness to input of the software. You can test this by rolling over the button. Does it feel alive to you? Is it responding in a unique way? To start a group, tap the toggle. Do you feel special doing so? Software is different from non-responsive media such as movies because it has interactivity.
Five Elements of Action
Take a look at a design that combines utility, usability, and craftsmanship. Pegman is one of my favorites in Google Maps. Pegman’s not just for fun. It helps people to understand that map view becomes street view where the little Pegman has been dropped. It feels good because it wiggles when you drag it. It brings a physical element to the experience, which blends seamlessly with the realism of street view.
We wanted to give people a quick overview of their (often busy and cluttered), without them getting lost. We could have displayed this information in many ways but we chose to use a swipe method swipe right to mark a message as read, and swipe left to leave it unread because it felt more tactile. It was also specifically designed to take advantage mobile’s touch interface. Catch Up is not only functional and easy to use, but it also makes checking another inbox fun and simple.
Why is important
People deserve well-crafted software. We demand that our physical work environments are ergonomic and top-notch. Why shouldn’t digital environments be pleasant and useful? Craft is our responsibility. It shows that a business cares which in turn elicits loyalty and trust from customers. A well-designed website can help people to make better decisions in their lives, such as those relating to health and finances.
How to begin
Craft is a commitment that can be difficult for some leaders to prioritize, as it requires resources and time. Where do you begin? Bring your key decision-makers along for the ride. You need to convince them of the importance of art. You can use this article, along with the resources below, to convince your team to invest.
Include time in your scope for craft and build it into your schedule. We also uses proto typing to achieve a high-level of craft. It’s not possible to get it right the first time. Iteration is a necessity in the craft. Refinement is key. You have to keep working on something until you get it right.
Wishing you all the best on your creative journey!
