Oscar Health
I've been thinking about how there is a clear disparity in design aesthetic for products meant for different socioeconomic audiences. When I see a certain design aesthetic, it evokes a particular image of a modern idealistic lifestyle in my mind, while others feel underdeveloped, busy or don't match the ease and polish that I'm accustomed to. (This includes the obvious caveat that I'm biased by what I'm exposed to)
I'm specifically thinking about products meant for consumers but aren't for leisure (like CPGs) - my sphere is within healthcare, but I think the lack of attractive design could be driving lack of utility.
I wouldn't advocate for all design aesthetics to be the same - users aren't monolothic and not everything should be plastered in pastels and Sans Serif fonts. But attractiveness and utility at a high degree of nuance (maybe known as delight) make a difference in how much we want to interact and engage with a digital or physical product. Not to beat the Superhuman or Notion analogy over the head, but their emphasis on design has made unpleasant tasks feel easy. Design shoud be a competitive edge in driving utilization and therefore outcomes. It also just feels unfair that beautiful design is yet another thing that low income populations are cheaped out on, especially if it could drive the better outcomes we desire.
Here's some examples that feel distinct in the difference in design aesthetic:
I was thinking about this, and so I tweeted asking for answers, which as always turns up great responses.
https://twitter.com/shohinigupta/status/1258135857506275329?s=20
Aakash: Designing for a fractured and cheaper Android market
Lily: No time and money to invest in an elaborate brand system, or more restrictive design implications for accesibility
A few different people: low margins means focus design is focused purely on utility where you don't need attractiveness because people wil complete the behavior anyway
At a severe end, poverty could lead to underdevelopment of cognitive ability, which make it hard to navigate hierarchies
Here are a few thoughts on what people mentioned: