User Experience – Be Extraordinary

May 20, 2010 By BJ Cook,

If I told you that a local business was offering quick service, free wifi, kona coffee, cold A/C, and a tiki lounge what would come to mind? Well it's probably not a smog station. Here is a photo though of just that, a smog station that offers all the amenities (if not better) of your local coffee shop. Smog Oasis is a new addition to my neighborhood and I must say that I am impressed. Now when you think about a smog check you're probably like me and picture a garage with a couple chairs, a mechanic or two, and the smell of grease. A smog check is also most likely an experience that you would choose to forget and would like to avoid, but this doesn't have to be the case. Even a smog station can benefit from more time and thought put into user experience. Understand what your customer or client really wants, even without them telling you directly, and provide them with a product that goes above and beyond what your competitors are doing and set yourself a part from the rest. Be extraordinary.

So what ways can you take your "ordinary" product and turn it in to something extraordinary? Remember before Apple started turning computers into works of art you probably pictured computers as large ugly boxes you hide in cabinets not something that you want to show off to your friends.