On the drive home from the bookstore once I got to thinking why I had just purchased the book that I did (Fifty Shades Darker. Shhh, don’t tell) and not some other book. Then I started thinking about why I buy any “non-necessity” (a dress, shoes, a drink, a DVD, a muffin) over some other thing in the same category.

You might have some ideas. Because it fits right. Because it’s cheap. Because my friend told me it was good. All good ideas, but don’t forget – how are you feeling as you drive home with your new pile of booty? Pretty good, right? Pretty… excited?

There’s an element of excitement with all these purchases. The product you just bought holds some kind of promise – of entertainment, of well-being, of health or deliciousness. What about the stuff you didn’t buy? The flip-flops or the new Steven King novel? They didn’t hold the same kind of excitement and promise for you. The ideas those products stood for didn’t resonate with you.

So what does that mean for the things you create – whether it’s a piece of art, literature, a song, or a gadget? Think about the promise your product has. Is it exciting?

Exciting doesn’t have to mean trendy, or that it lights up and flashes if you move it. The definition of exciting depends on your ideal customer. So step into their shoes (if you’re not already your own ideal customer), and ask yourself, “Am I excited about this?”

image courtesy of: graur razvan ionut