Humans instinctively sort and classify things. It’s how we make sense of a complex world. So when companies develop innovative products and services that don’t obviously fit into established categories, managers need to help people understand what comparison to make. When people encounter something they don’t recognize, they make sense of it by associating it with something familiar. “What category you place something in has a huge influence on how you view its basic properties,” says Arthur Markman, a professor of psychology at The University of Texas in Austin. “The category signals not only a set of features to expect, but at a more basic level, when and how you should use the novel item.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/business/04proto.html?_r=1andref=business
It’s Brand New, but Make It Sound Familiar
The New York Times
Oct. 3
