Life changing product

Have you ever come across a product designed so well that it changed your life?

My first Leatherman multi-tool did that for me.

It literally had every tool I needed at a time when I was building PCs nearly every day (this was the 90s!). It "presented" every tool in a way that made these easy to access, but prevented you from injuring yourself.

I remember marvelling at the ingenuity and design of it - and dreaming of one day being involved in creating great products.

A lofty goal and one that has shaped my career.

These days I use a few simple criteria to judge the software we’re helping to build:

1. Does it reliably provide the users with the right tools?

2. Does it do it in an efficient and user-friendly way?

3. Does it improve the users' work experience from the previous toolset or version?

4. Does it add the intended business value at the right times?

The list touches on Built-in Quality, Design Thinking, Kaizen and Lean principles and you could certainly get far more cerebral about this. But in general, if it ticks those 4 boxes, I know we’re staying true to our mission of creating great products!