Available Value

#11 - Jun.2021

Whenever I think about a good product design I always remember the clothespin. Elegant, simple & timeless. It resembles what good product design should be all about: adding value to people.

The clothespin hasn’t changed drastically for over 100+ years. Still, it is difficult to debate how useful and practical it is. I believe this is driven by value and availability. Many innovations are valuable, however, if the product or service has low availability (infrastructure, coverage, reliability...) it can't deliver its value.

Think about the value of electric cars. The first models appeared in 1880 - almost the same time as the clothespin models we know today! - but their real availability is just getting traction in recent years. The comparison might seem disproportionate but the same elements - value & availability - play a critical role at any scale.

Making valuable products and services is key but how you make them available to your customers will drive the real adoption.