Lesson learnt from a speedboat reality show as a ux designer
Design is good but functionality should be the priority, this thought came to my mind as I finish watching a TV show where two-team of engineers were stage to create an airbag speedboat that can ride on land and water.
The idea was to grade the teams and pick out the winner with a winning price of $200,000
The score was graded in 3 levels
- Visual Design – 10 points
- Functionality – 10 points – (they were to pick up the host of the show on the other end across the sea)
- Speed drive and 360-degree turn (Functionality) – 10 points
The first team (Team A) won the visual design with 9 points as the speed boat was sleek visually with a sport like concept.
The second team (Team B) got only 6 points from the visual design.
But the during the functionality test drive (Team A) fall short and during the process of picking the host of the show across the other side of the sea, the speedboat got overloaded and was moving very slowly as against why it was build and design. which got them 6 points.
Why the (Team B) who got 6 points on the visual design but focus on the speedboat fans making it a little big and added another fan in the front of the both also got a very smooth experience while driving on the water to pick the show host and brought him back on a speedy time which got them 9 points.
Now the final battle was speed drive and 360-degree turn (Functionality), As you can predict (Team B) again had a better experience with the 360-degree turning and won the competition.
what I learnt was the mistake of (Team A) because they were so aesthetic driven they create a small speedboat fan which affected the overall performance of the airbag speedboat.
While the (Team B) that starts with a great functionality mindset won the show.
The lesson here as a UX designer is, in as much aesthetic compliments your product design, you cannot downplay the importance of functionality in a product over a design. you must strike the balance 100% visual driven and 100% functionality driven.
In fact your product will thrive if it is 50% visual and 100% functionality driven than 100% visual driven and 50% functionality.
