Kano Model

What is the Kano Model?

The Kano Model is a product management approach to prioritizing features within a product roadmap based on how likely they are to delight customers. Product managers can compare the estimated satisfaction of a feature with how much it would cost to implement to decide whether or not they should include it in the roadmap.

How does the Kano Model work?

The first step for using the Kano Model is to create a list of features that need prioritization before they can be included in the product roadmap and obtain development resources for development in the future.

Each of the features will be weighed against two criteria:

1. The potential to satisfy or delight a customer
2. The time and resources needed to implement
   

Alternatively, you can use the Kano Model to understand currently implemented features versus those that are absent. In this case, the second criteria changes to identifying "the current level of implementation in your product."

Satisfaction criteria

A range of how satisfied a customer is with the feature or how satisfied the customer would be with this feature.

Functionality criteria

A range of how much time the feature would take to be implemented or how much functionality is implemented in the product.

What are the categories of features in the Kano model?

Performance: A linear increase in satisfaction when introducing new functionality is represented by the performance line. An example of a performance feature is battery life for headphones: the more battery life there is, the greater the satisfaction.

Must-be: These are features that customers expect or need to be included. While these features may not increase satisfaction, not having them will make the product seem incomplete. An example of a must-be feature is volume control for a smartphone.

Attractive: The opposite of the must-be features, attractive features are those that aren't a given for using the product but create an increase in customer satisfaction. For example, a voice-enabled remote control.

‍Indifferent: These features don't necessarily have an effect on customer satisfaction or delight and don't make much of a difference on the product experience. These features take time and resources to implement but don't provide value and should typically be avoided.