Silencing the Fan

If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a pretty big Apple fan.  Not just because they make great, cutting edge products, but because they are such a role model in the realm of user experience.  And as someone who designs a lot of work that is used by others, it's a good lesson to constantly be learning.

Their latest MacBook Pro offering is another great example of redesigning a product from the ground up with the user front of mind. You can check it out here to see what I'm talking about.  There's a lot to love about the notebook, but one thing in particular struck me- the fan.

On this latest laptop, Apple created new fan that uses an asymmetrical blade pattern. This causes the sound of the fan to vary its pitch (instead of the consistent hum others make) which means your ear won't lock onto the pattern and you'll basically never hear it. No one was previously making this type of fan which means Apple had to design it and then find a supplier who would mold it and build it just for them.  It's a lot of work for only one version- the most expensive version- of their notebooks.

So why do it?  Why go to all the trouble and expense?  Because for Apple, they want to remove every possible distraction from your experience.  They know that if you're editing a movie, you want to hear the soundtrack; not the fan.  If you're sitting quietly reading an important report, you want to concentrate; not hear the fan.  They are obsessively focused on taking out of the equation anything that would get between you and what you really want- your content.

As a presenter, we have the same responsibility to our audience.  And so we too must take the time to get the details right and eliminate the distractions that get between our audience and the thing they really want- our message.

Because if the slide has spelling mistakes, it's distracting.  If the page numbers don't line up, it's distracting.  If the animation doesn't work, it's distracting.  If you're searching for your handouts, it's distracting.

So take the time to get it right.  Get passionate about removing the details that would distract your audience.  And think about your delivery from the audience's perspective, not your own.  Be relentless in your pursuit of experience.  And ultimately, figure out what it takes to silence the fan.