By Maryn Small | LTVN Reporter
Our generation often hypes up the saying “new and improved” or “next-gen breakthrough,” but most people don’t actually want that kind of change. Instead, they want something a little better, yet familiar, convenient and easier.
The tension with innovation is that unique revolutionary ideas only succeed when they feel natural, almost inevitable, to the people implementing them.
Let’s be honest, most of us don’t like the idea of change. We like innovation, but what we really love is convenience. We want the shiny new thing to be familiar enough that we don’t feel stressed out because it’s out of our comfort zone.
Our brains naturally gravitate toward familiarity because it’s comfortable. Psychological research indicates that constant exposure enhances our preference for it, even if it is not objectively better.
This means customers favor certain brands or products they encounter frequently, as this familiarity creates a sense of safety and comfort. Similarly, consumers tend to prefer small, minor improvements over massive, dramatic changes because the change introduces challenges such as learning curves and uncertainty.
This is one of the many reasons multiple people call innovation “incremental innovation,” with modest upgrades built on existing systems.
For example, the auto industry produces new versions of cars every year. Typically, the latest version of a car has an efficient engine, technologically advanced sensors and a refined dashboard display, while keeping the base design intact.
Uber didn’t invent cars or taxis; they just made it easier to book a ride. Netflix didn’t reinvent movies; they just made watching movies cheaper and easier. Even the iPhone, which we call revolutionary, hasn’t changed much since its first release in 2007.
True innovation and its relevance often succeed only when the upgrade feels natural.
Most companies know this; those who try to change or revolutionize everything often burn out. People don’t want to relearn how to live; they just want to live life a bit easier, which is why smaller upgrades often work better.
While it’s easy to become blind to this effect, if everyone makes slight changes to ensure people feel safe or manageable, someone will eventually come along and change the game. This is where innovators must find balance; they need to take risks and stand out, but not excessively.
The trick is to make something feel new and familiar. That’s what Apple does best. Each phone update feels fresh, but remains easy to use. It’s not a complicated interface; you can pick it up and go. Google is very similar, they roll out small updates, gauge the audience’s response and then continuously build and evolve from there. It’s innovation that grows with you.
All of this comes down to how our brains work; we are all creatures of habit. We trust what we know. Psychologists call it the mere exposure effect.
That’s why advertisers love to remind us of the same brands over and over again. Familiarity feels safe, and safe is good. So when a product develops slightly, our minds give it the green light, without us realizing it.
I’m not saying big and bold innovation is bad. It simply means it would need to be introduced carefully. People don’t resist change; they resist discomfort. The best kind of innovation meets us where we already are and takes it a bit further.
That’s the real art of innovation, not just dreaming of the future, but making it feel like it’s already here.
