Designed for Use, 2nd Edition

Create a Product, Not a Collection of Solutions to Problems

In the same vein, it’s dangerous to look at individual problems in isolation and solve each of them individually, one at a time. That approach won’t result in a coherent product; it will result in a random collection of features. The goal of product design is to create, well, a product, not an assortment of randomly cobbled-together tools that know little about each other, barely work together, and don’t form a harmonious whole.

This means that it often makes sense to look at a range of problems, consider how they relate to each other, and find a way of solving them together, in one fell swoop. When solving a problem, take a step back and think about what other problems your users have, ...