Product development teams rarely struggle with a lack of ideas. The real difficulty lies in deciding which features deserve your limited time and budget. You likely have a backlog filled with potential upgrades, requests from stakeholders, and bright ideas from the engineering team. Attempting to build everything is a recipe for failure, but choosing the wrong features can be equally damaging. This is where Kano Analysis serves as a powerful prioritisation tool.
The Kano model provides a framework to categorise product attributes based on how they affect customer satisfaction. It moves beyond the simple binary of “good” or “bad” features and helps you understand the emotional reaction a user has to your product. By distinguishing between basic necessities and features that genuinely delight your audience, you can plan your roadmap with confidence.
The Kano Model Categories
At the core of the analysis are five distinct categories of product attributes. Understanding these helps you predict how a user will react to a new feature or the absence of an existing one.
Must-be attributes are your baseline. These are the features that customers expect as a standard part of the product. If these features are missing, the customer will be extremely dissatisfied. However, their presence does not increase satisfaction; they simply prevent frustration. For example, if you check into a hotel, you expect clean sheets. You do not leave a five-star review because the sheets were clean, but you would certainly leave a one-star review if they were dirty.
One-Dimensional attributes follow a linear relationship with satisfaction. The better the functionality, the happier the customer. Using the car analogy, fuel efficiency fits this category well. A car that gives you more miles per gallon will result in higher satisfaction than one that gives you less. These are typically the attributes companies compete on directly.
Attractive attributes are the delighters. These are features that the user did not expect but loves having. Because they are unexpected, their absence does not cause dissatisfaction. However, their presence can drastically boost customer happiness. These features often differentiate a product from its competitors. Over time, attractive attributes often transition into must-be attributes as market standards shift.
Indifferent attributes are features that do not impact the customer’s satisfaction levels one way or the other. The user does not care if the feature is present or absent. Identifying these is crucial because they represent wasted resources. If you spend time building a feature that falls into this category, you are not adding value to the customer experience.
Reverse attributes are features that actually annoy the customer. While you might think a high-tech, complex dashboard is an improvement, a user who prefers simplicity might find it frustrating. In this case, the presence of the feature leads to dissatisfaction, while its absence would be preferred.
How to Perform a Kano Analysis
Conducting a Kano Analysis requires a specific approach to gathering feedback. It is different from a standard satisfaction survey because it asks about both the presence and absence of a feature.
You begin by creating a questionnaire. For each feature you want to test, you must ask a pair of questions. The first is the functional question: “How do you feel if this feature is present?” The second is the dysfunctional question: “How do you feel if this feature is absent?” The answer options typically range from “I like it” to “I dislike it.” This pairing allows you to map the feature to one of the five categories.
Prioritising for Success
Kano Analysis offers a sophisticated way to view customer needs. It reminds us that not all features are created equal and that customer satisfaction is dynamic. By regularly assessing your features against this model, you can maintain a product that meets basic expectations while consistently offering new value. Understanding these nuances allows you to build a product that people use and love.