This idea (see subject line above) is ultimately about brand. And when I say brand I almost never mean a logo. I mean Brand.
Unproven statements that are likely true: Most people purchase and use software on their computers and phones of which they use less than 10% of its functionality; from which they develop an adversarial relationship with. In general this is not true with products of a great brand.
Great brands have the ability to convert confusion into curiosity. Bad brands convert confusion into frustration. The classic example of contrasting brands in this sense are Apple and Microsoft. It is clearly the case that Apple has been succeeding in creating better products. My argument here is that it is not entirely because of good interface and industrial design. Good design has to rely heavily on a great brand to introduce it. There are many examples where Apple software and hardware fail to be useful, usable. But they are always desirable. And with this desire comes the user's forgiveness.
[The rumble of an open dry clutch Ducati in the distance.]
Example: Before the jesus-phone, I mean the iPhone, existed I had the usual suspects that flip, slide, scissor, etc. with convoluted software promising a super long list of features and benefits. I had no prior affinity with these brands, if anything, negative perceptions from horrible billboard and banner advertising. The experience in the store usually failed to generate any further liking. The experience around the un-boxing of the device and the activation are, with no surprise, similarly lame. All this is a priming, leading up to the actual attempts at gaining promised benefits where at each point I encountered confusion which immediately turned into frustration. The frustration turned into a shrugging of the shoulders and of putting the device away.
The way I define product quality is in the fierce and consistent application of a brands promise across everything they do. Having been good at this, a person approaches any Apple experiences with a positive sense of desire and wonder. And so during any attempts in use, any encounter with confusion is immediately turned into curiosity.
[An old friend pings about meeting up in the city for a drink at 12:07pm. Obviously a bad infuence.]
What does this kind of curiosity do for a consumer? Curiosity leads to exploration. Exploration to discovery. A rewarding discovery is a very precious element in user experience. It makes you feel smart. It creates a stronger relationship between you and the product. It gets you talking about it to others. It turns you into its evangelist.
What does this kind of curiosity afford a consumer product? The ability to have less interface and more interaction. Less interface is (and is perceived as) friendly, simple to use; less interface is (or can be) more visually appealing.
[Gotta go.]
