It always makes us giggle when people talk about ‘how intuitive’ Apple products are. They are. And... they aren’t. Without a hefty marketing spend, I’m not sure the world would have ‘just known’ how to use the iPod’s wheel. At this point if you’re an Apple user, you’ve spent so much time in their ecosystem that your whole mental model of how computers work follows theirs. But good luck switching over from Microsoft, and vice versa. What’s not under dispute is that Apple products are pretty, and that makes a world of difference. Young companies often think that if they’re solving the right problem for the right audience, they can get around to making it all look good later. And they’re not totally wrong, but it’s a mistake to discount the the selling and retention power of an attractive product. Why? Well, it seems like we’re hardwired to appreciate beauty. Voila the aesthetic-usability effect. It can seem unfair, but it’s not such a bad thing if you use that power for good.
