“Technology is a dumb word...to me, something different is technology” - John Kestner
Last Thursday we had John Kestner from Super Mechanical skype us during class. John has launched many successful kickstarter campaigns and is currently about a week into his most recent one. It’s always great to talk to someone that is going through the same process we are. Supper Mechanical has launched a series of successful kickstarters and one that they reworked, and relaunched. John mentioned to us that you don’t really learn anything from success, all you know is that you did something right, but you are left not knowing exactly what it was. It seems like Kestner found the secret formula as they are now one fourth of the way away from getting funded and still have 23 days to go. Seeing your hard work not do as well as you projected is tough, but what’s tougher is accepting it, reworking it, and re-releasing it again.
He also shared with us a little of his design philosophy. When it comes to deciding what to do next he believes in knowing your strengths and finding ways to combine them. With this combination emerges a mature product. You have to allow people to project what they want your product to be, think about to who and how you’re going to see it. Even if your project is more concept, you just have to do what you can to get it to the right people. He believes that making your own video is optimal because it helps you explain your product exactly how you want to express it.
John also had a lot of insight on the process of reworking his current project. His biggest question being: How do I get people to re-purchase this product? How do you get people who have bought the first one to buy the second one? He found that if you change what it can do (the inside), you have to change the outside or people will think it’s the same product. This is why the iPhone changes yearly. It has features that exceed the previous model, but people don’t want one that looks just like the one that can’t do as much. Your best customers will be those who have bought from you before.
Super Mechanical has spent countless hours trying to reduce the complexity of their latest kickstarter, the Range Dial. This thermostat is meant to be a well designed tool and not just another kitchen gadget. The secret to making an electronic tool in not to hide the technology to make it seem simpler, but to actually reduce the complexity of how the user uses it. John had reduced this product to four carefully chosen materials: Polycarbonate; Silicone; Magnet; and Stainless Steel (to make it feel like it belongs in the kitchen). He has tried to keep manufacturing locally, because he feel that it makes you feel like you’re more involved when it comes down to communication and being able to explain exactly what you want.For him, the reality of a product doesn’t sink in until he has gotten a quote and has made sure that they can do and understand exactly what he wants.
It seems like all of this knowledge is being applied as Super Mechanical’s kickstarter nears its’ goal. I want to thank John from taking the time from his busy schedule. You have given us knowledge that I’m sure I will surely put to great use.
