In 1975, the Pet Rock was born. The egg-shaped, smooth stone came nestled in hay, accompanied by an instruction manual, and encased within a small cardboard box (see Figure 11-1). For $3.95, you could own one too. Although the Pet Rock started as a joke, it demonstrates why some products succeed and others fail.

The Pet Rock’s inventor, Gary Dahl, knew it served no practical purpose other than humorous, geologic companionship. Despite the Pet Rock’s relative pointlessness, it was sold to over 1.5 million questionably proud owners.¹ People placed them on desks, gave them as gifts, and wrote about them in books. Years later, the website ThinkGeek improved upon the original idea by adding a USB cable connector. And, true to form, the update did not distract its customers with any apparent benefits. How does such a product succeed?

If there is any truth in product development, it would be that a good product fulfills a need, even if that need is entirely made up and supplied to the consumer. Advertising creates a hole, then a product fills it. Want to feel pretty? Buy shampoo. Dead-end job got you down? Eat at Chili’s. Trapped in a loveless marriage? Buy a bow-wrapped BMW. Products fulfill needs—real or imagined—in consumers’ minds. The Pet Rock succeeded because it, too, fulfilled a need, albeit a silly one. It highlighted the vacuousness of products that do not serve a purpose. People thought such an observation was funny and innovative. The Pet Rock got lucky. Few products succeed in such a way. As creators, we are tasked with a heavier burden. We must design satisfying experiences that fulfill users’ needs . We cannot create Pet Rocks.

Do the experiences you design fulfill a need? This fulfillment could be as specific as managing thermostat settings, or as general as entertaining children. Experiences are not inherently satisfying. Just ask anyone sitting in traffic or aimlessly reviewing his or her Twitter feed.

To some extent, all designed experiences attempt to satisfy users with information, entertainment, and capabilities. Some do it better than others. The New York Times’ website transforms complex subjects into comprehensible stories and engaging media, allowing its users to better understand their world. Consider the website’s 2016 Webby Award-winning article, “Greenland Is Melting Away” ( https://goo.gl/gSYFWp ). It not only informs, but it also entertains and educates users with a richly visual display. It shows global warming’s impact, starting with an aerial view of Greenland’s southeastern coast, zooming down to a scientific basecamp sitting on an ice sheet.

The game Minecraft teaches visuospatial reasoning and goal-setting strategies, engrossing its users in environments that they themselves create. The game not only entertains, but it also informs and enables players to construct and experiment. From the time a player starts the game, she may wander a landscape full of resources that can be used to build structures, maintain crops, and collaborate with other players.

Microsoft Excel arranges large datasets and calculations, enabling millions of managers, strategists, and number-crunchers across the globe. With over 750 million users, Excel’s usage is ubiquitous. Its user experience may be a diamond in the rough, but you cannot knock its utility. The spreadsheet application not only enables users with capabilities, but also informs—and for a few weirdos, it even entertains. You only need to talk to someone managing a fantasy sports team to discover Excel’s potential (see Figure 11-2).

The more a product provides relevant information, capabilities, and entertainment, the more satisfying it becomes. An ordinary experience grows into a towering achievement. Make usefulness its cornerstone.