Kano - a quick intro

KanoManaging innovation through classi!cation of needs

Jason Mesut - Head of User Experience

KanoA technique for classifying customer needs and

determining appropriate levels of innovation for products and services

Created in the 1980's by Professor Noriaki Kano, it's main objective is

to help teams uncover, classify, and integrate 3 categories of Customer

Needs and Attributes into the Products or Services they are

developing. 

It’s also being used in Agile methodologies for prioritising

requirements

Based on three core tenets

Value attracts customers

Quality keeps customers and builds loyalty

Innovation is necessary to differentiate and compete

in the market

Kano is based on 3 core types of need:

Basic, Performance and Excitement

BasicAttributes / needs that are expected, assumed, given.

The hygiene factors.

Kano modelVery satis!ed

Delighted

Very dissatis!edDisgusted

Executed very well

Executed poorly or not at all

BasicSatisfying basic needs merely minimises dissatisfaction. Absence or poor execution leads to greater dissatisfaction.

BasicAbsence of these will cause

dissatisfaction, but no amount of execution quality will cause

positive satisfaction, it will only minimise dissatisfaction.

BasicToilet rolls in a hotel room. Zero toilet rolls = unhappy

customer. Three extra toilet rolls = not

unhappy, but not happy customer.

BasicCar door hits curb when opened

causes major dissatisfaction.Car door missing the curb causes

no dissatisfaction, but not positive satisfaction.

BasicCustomers/ users will rarely state these, so you have to observe or

analyse other products or services in depth to get to what they are

PerformanceAttributes / needs that are consciously

evaluated by the customer and at top of their minds when purchasing

Kano modelVery satis!ed

Delighted

Very dissatis!edDisgusted

Executed very well

Executed poorly or not at all

PerformancePerformance needs yield a proportional satisfaction for an investment in execution quality

PerformanceSatisfaction is proportional to the way in which these are executed,

starting from dissatisfaction due to slow, poor, or absent execution

through to high satisfaction due to quick, powerful or exquisite

execution.

PerformanceThese are possibly the easiest to

ascertain from users or customers as they are often ‘stated’ needs, so

will come up in surveys, focus groups etc.

PerformanceMiles per gallon: more = greater

satisfactionWaiting time in an airport: less

time = greater satisfaction

ExcitementAttributes / qualities that deliver “buzz”. The wows, differentiators, innovations, unique

selling/value propositions

Kano modelVery satis!ed

Delighted

Very dissatis!edDisgusted

Executed very well

Executed poorly or not at all

Excitement needsdelight when present but no dissatisfaction when not

Excitement

ExcitementPresence of these will delight

customers/users and increase their satisfaction, but absence of them

will not dissatisfy.

ExcitementInternet access on a plane or tube

is not expected and so will not upset if not present, but will delight

if it is.

ExcitementA pillow menu at Penny Hill Park

Spa for RMA Xmas party is not expected but is a rare delight.

ExcitementThese are harder to come up with,

and really require an understanding of ‘latent need’

which can only really be understood through observation or

incredible genius intuition

Kano modelVery satis!ed

Delighted

Very dissatis!edDisgusted

Executed very well

Executed poorly or not at all

Excitement needsdelight when present but no dissatisfaction when not

Excitement

Basic

PerformancePerformance needs yield a proportional satisfaction for an investment in execution quality

Satisfying basic needs merely minimises dissatisfaction. Absence or poor execution leads to greater dissatisfaction.

Over time, excitement needs become performance needs, and

then basic needs.

The innovations of tomorrow, will become the hygiene factors of

yesterday.

Kano modelVery satis!ed

Delighted

Very dissatis!edDisgusted

Executed very well

Executed poorly or not at all

Excitement

Basic

Performance

There are tools that help you classify, by asking some simple

questions

Kano survey tool

I  re-­‐found  this  special  survey  tool  that  does  Kano  analysis  on  requirements  for  you.A  basic  (i.e.  Not  very  well  done)  version  here  h?p://www.kanosurvey.com/?id=395    <h?p://www.kanosurvey.com/?id=395>  

Kano

h?p://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v3qHFv4Zbo

Some  useful  linksh?p://blogs.msdn.com/b/noahc/archive/2006/10/20/removing-­‐dissaSsfies-­‐kano-­‐analysis-­‐a-­‐decision-­‐making-­‐tool.aspx

h?p://www.agile-­‐ux.com/tag/kano-­‐model/

h?p://it.toolbox.com/wiki/index.php/Kano_Analysis

h?p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kano_model