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New Procrastination Ability Unlocked!!!
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Bored Panda reached out to industrial designers Celine Wong and Lisa Pechenkina, who kindly agreed to tell us more about how hidden features are included in products.
Wong believes that hidden features aim to bring joy to users by offering delightful moments of surprise. She further explained, “Take, for instance, the Gen 1 Apple Pencil, which always aligns its logo upward when rolled on a table. While not particularly useful, such features provide a sense of pleasure upon discovery, leaving a lasting impression on users. This extra touch sets brands apart.”
Wong pointed out that hidden features should never compromise a product’s design or user experience. “While it’s ideal for users to stumble upon them organically, it’s also acceptable if they remain undiscovered. For instance, I only found the hidden game on my Fellow kettle after owning it for two years, showcasing that discovery can occur over time without detracting from the product’s core functionality.”
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Pechenkina describes secret functions in industrial design as something that can help maintain a clean and minimalist design aesthetic. She provides an example of a hidden front camera in smartphones that manufacturers often hide at the top of the screen. “This design choice maintains a clean display surface, enhancing the overall sleekness of the device while users still know that their device has that front camera,” she adds.
She also mentions that “in some products, additional functionality can be hidden from prying eyes while the product owners know about that additional functionality. In compact apartments, furniture manufacturers offer hidden storage solutions, such as ottomans with built-in compartments or coffee tables with lift-up tops that reveal additional storage space. These hidden features maximize the use of limited living space, providing 2-in-1 solutions.”
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Pechenkina believes that in complex products, the inclusion of hidden features serves a crucial purpose. “For example, keeping the main interface simple for most users while sneaking in advanced features for those who need them. This way, everyone gets a straightforward experience, but more advanced users can still access those extra tricks when they need them. It’s all about balancing simplicity with depth, especially in digital design.”
She also explained the different ways hidden features could be made easily discoverable to users without compromising the design of the product. “This could involve QR codes on household appliances linking to online tutorials or augmented reality overlays showcasing hidden functionalities in designs.”
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Another great method is the use of customizable features that allow users to tailor their experience and adjust the visibility of secret functions to their preferences. For instance, “a wearable fitness tracker may analyze user activity patterns to suggest advanced workout modes or health-tracking features. Embedded sensors or companion apps [can] gather user usage data and preferences [so] the product can adapt its interface to highlight or suggest hidden features [that are] tailored to individual user behaviors.”
She concluded by saying, “These are just a few examples of how I ensured that hidden features enhance user experiences without overwhelming the overall aesthetics and usability of products in the past, but I believe that, depending on a particular problem, we can find creative solutions that would show that additional functionality when it’s needed.”
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