Asthetics as a product feature

Found posted by DHH on the 37signals blog

http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/1247-theres-no-shame-in-looking-good

Aesthetics is a feature in itself. One that I — and most the rest of the human race — is perfectly willing to let trump other functionality.

I think you’ve fundamentally misunderstood why people buy beautiful products, if you think it’s all about projection. While there’s certainly something to that (and I see absolutely no shame in that either!), it’s at the core about people feeling good about that which is pretty. That doesn’t make us shallow, that just makes us human.

While I completely agree with his sentiments, I'd have to say I think it's prominently western cultures which even has the notion that form can be placed on the same level as functionality.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122143317323034023.html

"The iPhone is a difficult phone to use for the Japanese market because there are so many features it doesn't have,"

Being someone of asian descent brought up in a westernised country, I'm sure I don't have to point out the dilemma that the iPhone presents to me :)