Everyone hates gadgets! Don't make your product a gadget

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Photo Credit: Librarian By Day
My mother sent me the following comment in a email recently:
"Us senior citizens don't need anymore gadgets. The tv remote and the garage door remote are about all we can handle."
I find the concept of gadgets interesting. I don't consider myself a gadget person.  However, I own an iPad and Android phone. My brother owns quite a few portable technology devices, but doesn't consider any of them gadgets. My mother owns a digital camera, mobile phone, and iPod. These devices are more complex than a TV remote or garage door opener, but are not gadgets to her. They are useful tools. The line between gadget and useful thing is how useful the owner finds it.  

This is something to keep in mind when designing. If somebody can find clear utility in your product they will spend time learning how to use it. You can increase your customer retention by focusing on clear workflows, usability, and tracking customer behavior. If you can't explain to somebody how using your product will help them sleep better at night they aren't going to even start using it.

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