Designing the End of Products

Interview with Joe Macleod, Head of Endineering at andEnd, TEDx
Speaker, Author of the Books “Ends” and “Endineering” “In
developing digital products and services we have this focus on
onboarding users, onboarding users, onboarding users… But how does
this end? How does the consumer get rid of this product? That
question never comes up.” How many ads have you designed? How many
products have you launched? Have you ever designed an ending? Does
it matter? There is a gap in the consumer lifecycle that needs
attention - the end. The problems of consumerism are piled high in
this gap: hoarding, pollution, unwanted pictures on social media,
risks to security, mis-sold financial products. In our conversation
we discuss questions like: What is “endineering”? What does it take
to design a good end for consumer products and services? How does a
good offboarding experience look like? Why are there no un-share
buttons? Why do we measure and why don’t we measure the end? What
does it all have to do with the fact that we have distanced
ourselves from death? What value lies in the reflection of an end?
What can we learn from emotional spaces like an arrivals hall? Why
are we relieved from all consequences of our actions as consumers?
How could we get away from our addiction to endless growth? And
what the hell is an end of treatment bell?