UI, UX, and MVP ... oh my!

"User experience" (UX) and "user interface" (UI) are terms from the world of software and hardware design. But these terms should be intimately familiar to anyone who uses gadgets, software or the Web.

Ever been frustrated by your television remote control's assortment of buttons and symbols? How about a confusing website that has dozens of links on the front page, but it's difficult to find what you're looking for, even though you know it's there? Blame bad UI. It's endemic to the television and camera industries, but individual companies such as Research in Motion (maker of the BlackBerry) and GoDaddy (a large Web host/domain registry) are notorious for terrible user interface design.

At the other end of the spectrum are technologies that not only look good, they make your life easier by minimizing unnecessary clicks, buttons, or engineer-centric features. The experience is often so good that you want to recommend it to your friends. The simplicity of Google's search engine and most Apple gadgets (such as the iPod touch and click-wheel iPod nano, pictured above) fit into the "good UX" category.

But design and technology clash for early-stage technology companies, which are often trying to get an MVP ("minimum viable product") out the door and into the hands of users as quickly as possible. It's easy for design to fall by the wayside. But maybe it shouldn't be. I've written in the past about MDP, or Minimum Delightful Product. The idea comes from Adam Berrey, who had this criticism of MVP:

"In the consumer world 'viable' isn't really compelling. It's like someone in the ICU. They are alive, but not really fun to hang out with."

He's right. Further, MVPs are targeted at early adopters rather than mainstream users, meaning that the feedback loops will be based on a different set of users than the people you want to attract. That's not to say an MVP can't evolve into something delightful, but for a product aimed at mainstream users, why not start with great design?

Image: iPods, circa 2010 and 2007. I am licensing this picture under a Creative Commons Generic 2.0 license. Please credit Ian Lamont and link to ilamont.com if you use this picture.