4 Lessons Guitar Has Taught Me About Product Design
For years I have played the guitar, never well, but never so badly that only musicians could tell that I would never take down the stage at Donnington. It’s an instrument that since its early days has come to symbolize creativity, outlaws and danger, in fact, in some circles guitarists are referred to as gunslingers due to their shoot from the hip take no prisoners approach. So how does this apply to product design? Here are 4 lessons I’ve learned from Guitar.
#1 You Can’t Fake Emotion
Part of becoming good at anything is through plain old practice. Many an hour I’ve spent in my room playing the same line over and over in an attempt to get it sounding close to the record. Anyone and I do mean ANYONE can learn to play something as long as they practice, making it your own, however, is something quite different.
10 different people can play the same note but it’s the subtle bends and vibrato that make it unique and Product design is no different. One can be faced with 2 similar products but it’s the subtleties of each that decide whether it is a winner or not.
At the risk of sounding redundant, Apple is all about the details, and you can tell they care about their products. Open up a Macbook or Tower and you’ll see the careful details in everything, how each piece fits together or how a drive slides into place, Apple cares about these details because they love what they do and they can’t live with themselves if they do anything less. It won’t matter if no else sees a missed detail, they know it’s there.
If you don’t care or love what you do you’ll never make a great product. Leave it all out there for the entire world to see. Pete Townsend of The Who used to end each night with hands raw and bloodied from his legendary windmill guitar attacks, he put every fiber of his being into his performance. Build your products the same way.
#2 Develop your own voice
In 1978, a short 1 minute and 42 seconds changed the music world forever with a track called Eruption. In it Eddie Van Halen introduced a revolutionary new technique called tapping that incorporated the use of both hands on the Guitar’s fret board. Within only a few seconds the entire idea of what was possible on guitar was turned on its head. Eddie’s explanation was that he was inspired to use tapping after hearing the fluid “left-hand-only” pull-offs in Jimmy Page’s guitar solo “Heartbreaker” he expanded this technique by adding his right hand finger(s) out of necessity in order to reach the higher notes.
He had absolutely no idea if it would work when he tried and this is what developing your own voice is all about, having the confidence to try different things and figure out what works. Being a product designer requires the same level of risk, don’t be afraid to try something new, even if it doesn’t work you’ve now learned something important with which to build upon. Your users are your audience, listen to them, get feedback but follow your own course.
#3 Believe in Your Vision
Back in 1968, Jimmy Page was one of the most accomplished studio musicians in London. By the time he was 24, he had already played on hundreds of tracks for some of the most accomplished acts in Great Britain. However, Jimmy wanted to do something different, he saw an opportunity for change in the music world, a sound that would combine influences from blues to folk to Middle Eastern music, a sound and a group that would allow him to take risks on his own terms.
People from various parts of his life strongly urged him against this “why rock the boat”? they’d say, “you’re making more than most bands out on tour just keep cashing the checks and enjoy it”. Keith Moon of The Who even gave him the name, saying the sound will go over like a “Lead Zeppelin”.
Page would have none of it and in spite of all the naysayers he created what many believe to be the greatest band of all time, one that outsold both The Rolling Stones and The Beatles in their day. Led Zeppelin would not have existed if Jimmy Page had deviated from his vision, he saw an opportunity and believed in himself enough to go after it.
Product Designers need the same vision and determination, being able to identify trends is only a small part of what makes a truly great product person, having the guts, courage and focus to capitalize on one’s insights is what it is truly all about.
#4 It Takes Time
For most of us, even the best, it takes time. No one is born a great guitarist, not Hendrix, not Clapton, not Van Halen. Sure they may have had raw musical talent but they all had to practice to become masters of the instrument. Van Halen would sit in his room while this older brother Alex went on dates only to come home hours later to find Eddie still sitting in the same place practicing. Randy Rhodes, Ozzy Osbourne’s late great guitarist, would take a lesson in every city they visited on tour because he knew he could learn something from everyone.
Being a great Product Designer requires this same level of commitment, it won’t happen overnight but with enough time and sheer determination you will get really good. Your first 10 products may fail but keep at it, acknowledge your mistakes and give yourself credit when you improve, as long as you continue hammering the nail in the same spot, you’ll see results.
