How can one define and measure usefulness of a product? We discuss this topic in the paper “Measuring a product’s usefulness” to be presented at the ergonomics world congress IEA 2012. Paper is written in collaboration with Prof. Jean-Marc Robert (École Polytechnique of Montreal) and Tigran Atoyan, M.Sc. (University of Oxford).

A product’s usefulness can be evaluated by measuring its advantages over alternative solutions based on specific criteria associated with fundamental needs. When multiple criteria are involved, different weights are assigned to each criterion.

The main challenge in measuring a product’s usefulness is in determining the right set of specific activities that it will be used for and their relative weights in the user’s overall decision making process. This requires a deep understanding of the target audience, its behaviour, the context in which the product is used.

We use a formula to determine the relative usefulness of a variety of products in different contexts. We conclude that aspects of product’s usefulness, connected with sub-conscious human decision-making processes, can be a major factor in predicting acceptance and rejection rates.

While a product’s usefulness alone does not explain commercial success or failure, measuring it allows one to put its relative advantages in perspective. If a product has no measurable advantage, executives and designers should make other concrete benefits apparent in the value chain such as pricing, distribution, support, etc.

Decision makers should put a major effort in understanding a product’s potential usefulness before deciding to invest in it.

In particular, they should focus on the activities for which it will be used and their relative weights for their target audience. Countless failures can be linked to the inadequate assessments of these activities. For example, Steve Balmer, Microsoft’s CEO, presided over the failure of Kin and wrongly predicted that iPhone would not succeed because users would prefer a physical keyboard in their mobile devices.