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Distinguish – stating the obvious

Say I’m looking for a todo app. There’s a few things I need it to do: add todo’s, categorize them and check of them of. So I do a quick search on the web, perhaps ask about it on twitter, and then make a small list of five apps I feel are worth looking into.

In terms of functionality, all five will do just fine for me. Looking at the products, four out of five of them look as if they ship as a part of OS X or iOS. Their product sites look similar to Apple’s website, and just as similar to each other. The fifth product looks quite different though: it’s colorful, playful even – nothing like the other four, or anything else I’ve seen before.

So which of these five products do you reckon catches my attention? Which one am I most likely going to pick for a test-ride? One of the four look-a-likes? Or number five, perhaps?

It’s stunning to see how many products and services aim for similarity, rather than differentiation, in the way they work, look and even in how they’re being presented. I used todo-apps as example because it’s so obvious there. That’s why Clear jumped right on the opportunity, offering an app that’s completely different in how it works and what it looks like, getting enormous attention even though they’e entering a very crowded, saturated market.

And sure, I hear you, Clear, and any other app offering a rather different approach “aren’t for everyone”, because their so specific, and often have such strong personality. But then again, will the people who are satisfied with what’s out there already, be the people you’re going to sell to? They’re happy with what they’ve got, so luring them away with a similar offer is going to be really, really hard. And cost a shitload of money on marketing, too. However, there’s also people who aren’t satisfied with what’s out there. Who are – consciously or not – ready for something different, a new take, and willing to look at something new if it’s really obviously different.

Distinguishing from what’s out there is pretty much always a great idea, whatever you’re designing. There’s enough stuff out there that looks the same and does the same. A fresh take on both, or even either, will save time and money, for example on the marketing budget you’d need for yelling at people that you’re thingy really is different and better than all the similar looking thingies out there.

If you’re a designer, looking to get hired, all of the above goes for the way you present yourself. When building a portfolio, don’t do the stuff everyone else is doing. Seriously, you don’t need the big “Hello I’m designer” line at the top of your site, or whatever all of the cool kids are sporting on their websites these days. Unless of course, you want people to think that you don’t have any ideas of your own. That’s not a strategy likely to get you hired for a creative position though.