XC Planning and Research
Kano Best Practices
Laura Pomeroy & Tiffany Smith
Agenda
What is Kano?
When & Why use Kano?
Data collection
Analysis techniques
Helpful Resources
What is Kano?
What is Kano?
The y-axis is defined by a
customer’s satisfaction with a
feature
The x-axis is defined by the
degree to which a particular
feature has been implemented
A feature is plotted against a
reaction graph that captures
both satisfaction and
functionality
Kano is a quantitative method for prioritizing work based upon
satisfaction and functionality
What is Kano?
The y-axis is defined by a
customer’s satisfaction with a
feature
The x-axis is defined by the
degree to which a particular
feature has been implemented
A feature is plotted against a
reaction graph that captures
both satisfaction and
functionality
Kano is a quantitative method for prioritizing work based upon
satisfaction and functionality
KANO is not an acronym.
The method is named after its inventor Noriaki Kano,
a Japanese researcher and consultant, who published
a paper in 1984 with the set of ideas now commonly
known as the KANO model.
What is Kano?
The Kano technique assumes that:
1. Increasing customer satisfaction is dependent upon the
level of functionality provided for any given feature
2. You can measure satisfaction through a survey
3. Features can be classified into 4 distinct categories
Must-be or Mandatory
Performance
Attractive (Delighters)
Indifferent
Kano Feature Categories
Mandatory
Customers dislike when these features
are absent but aren’t delighted by their
presence – they expect them.
Investments here are necessary to avoid
disappointing customers.
Performance
Customers like having these features
and dislike not having them. With these
features, “more is better” in terms of
investment.
Attractive
Customers like these features but
don’t expect them. They are
delighters. The trick with attractive
features is to avoid over-investing
initially.
Indifferent
Customers don’t care about the
presence of these features. These types
of investments are considered “money
sinks.”
Kano results classify features into one of 4 distinct categories based upon customer reactions to the provided level
of functionality.
Note: During analysis, you will also come across “questionable” (conflicting) and “reverse” (customers
want the opposite of the feature you’ve described) responses. More on this later.
Kano survey measures customer
reactions with an inverse pair of
questions for each feature
“Functional” form (y-axis =
satisfaction)
If you have this feature, how
would you feel?
“Dysfunctional” form (x-axis =
functionality)
If you do not have this
feature, how would you feel?
It was later suggested to add a third
Likert item measuring each feature’s
importance to better understand their
relevance to customers.
Kano Survey Results
These features are
attractive.
I don’t expect this feature, but its
presence delights me. My delight will
naturally decay over time as the
novelty wears off.
These features drive
performance.
My overall product satisfaction
increases in proportion to this
feature’s level of sophistication. More
is better with these attributes.
I am indifferent to the
presence of these features.
The presence or absence of these
features have little to no influence on
my product satisfaction. These tend to
be money sinks.
Satisfaction
(y-axis)
Functionality (x-axis)
If you do NOT have this feature, how would you feel?
If you
have this feature, how would you feel?
These features are
mandatory.
The absence of this feature frustrates
me and leads to my dissatisfaction.
The presence of this feature does not
increase my satisfaction however, it
meets my basic needs.
Kano depicts customer perceptions of
a feature at a specific moment in time
When + Why conduct a Kano survey?
When & Why conduct a Kano survey?
When there is limited time
Kano is a great tool to speed up decision-making.
When there are limited resources
Sometimes engineering resources are slimmer than expected and we have to
make tough calls. Recruit through usertesting.com and launch via Qualtrics.
When you want to see what would impress your customers
Sometimes we have a good idea what our customers need, but perhaps we
want to ensure that we roll out a few features that really “wow” customers. Use
Kano to understand which features are delighters.
When you want to enhance a current product to keep it
competitive against your market competition
Have a long list of potential features from a recent compete analysis? Not sure
where to start?
• How can we measure
customer satisfaction?
• What features can we
create to increase
customer satisfaction?
• Do our current features
cause high customer
satisfaction?
• How can we enhance
our features so that
customer satisfaction is
at the optimal level?
Common scenarios
When there is a backlog that people do not
know what to do with. Kano can help shape
the product roadmap.
Other, less common uses:
•To inform upsell strategies
•To compare the value of features between user segments
•Benchmarking
Why?
• To bring clarity around which features are vital to
customer satisfaction and delight.
• Speak the language of your stakeholders.
• In studies, participants often say they like everything and
say what they think you want to hear. Kano helps
measure the self-reported impact of someone not having
a feature.
What can be tested?
Existing features New concepts
Can be used for
concept value testing
Preparing and gathering data
Prepare to conduct your survey
Identify your user segment(s)
Results will be inconclusive if the audience is not narrowed. If you intend to compare the results
among different segments, ensure you identify the correct sample size for each to support
significance testing. MeasuringU recommends a sample size of 50-300 for an MOE of 5-9%.
Other sources such as Qualtrics, have suggested 15-20 is acceptable if not comparing groups.
Use discretion and know your audience.
Identify the requirements and/or features you will test
It is advisable to limit the number of items to 20 to minimize survey attrition.
Gather input from multiple stakeholders before choosing to ensure you have the best
possible set.
Determine how you will you present the survey items
Using Qualtrics you can upload static images or animated GIF files to showcase each item. For
interactive features, it’s advisable to use an animated GIF file when possible, which you can
create in PowerPoint by exporting a series of slides that depict the interaction as a GIF file.
Consider adding open-ended qualitative questions to understand why people answered
the way they did.
Phrasing the questions Assessing response style
Be sure to describe what the feature will do for
them rather than name a feature.
Example: How do you feel if… (you can/can’t)
Remember that the dysfunctional question is not
necessarily the opposite of the functional one; it’s
just the absence of the functionality.
Example:
How do you feel if you can upload a video in less
than ten seconds? How do you feel if it takes
more than ten seconds to upload a video?
Same set of responses is used for both
questions
I like it
I like it that way
I expect it
It must be that way
I am neutral
Don’t care
I can tolerate it
I can live with it
I dislike it
I dislike it
Pilot your survey
There are multiple variations of response styles and many ways you can phrase your questions.
Consider having a few respondents “think aloud” to ensure the
concepts are being accurately interpreted.
Examine the results. If there are more than a few questionable
responses, you may need to consider rephrasing the question and/or
the responses.
Analyze your data
Two primary approaches to analysis
Discrete analysis Continuous analysis
Leveraging discrete analysis, each feature is classified by
the most frequent result. Example: Mandatory (20),
Performance (6), Attractive (3), Indifferent (1). This feature
is mandatory. It must be built!
Functional form (feature is present)
Dysfunctional form (feature absent)
Like it Expect it Don’t care Live with Dislike
Like it Q A A A P
Expect
it
R I I I M
Don’t
care
R I I I M
Live
with
R I I I M
Dislike R R R R Q
Leveraging continuous analysis, categories are assigned a
numerical coding and each feature is classified using the
average of both the functional and dysfunctional
forms of the question pair.
Functional form (feature is present)
Dysfunctional form (feature absent)
Like it Expect it Don’t care Live with Dislike
-2 -1 0 2 4
Like
it
4 Q A A A P
Expe
ct it
2 R I I I M
Don’
t
care
0 R I I I M
Live
with
-1 R I I I M
Dislik
e
-2 R R R R Q
Two primary approaches to analysis
Discrete analysis Continuous analysis
Leveraging discrete analysis, each feature is classified by
the most frequent result. Example: Mandatory (20),
Performance (6), Attractive (3), Indifferent (1). This feature
is mandatory. It must be built!
Functional form (feature is present)
Dysfunctional form (feature absent)
Like it Expect it Don’t care Live with Dislike
Like it Q A A A P
Expect
it
R I I I M
Don’t
care
R I I I M
Live
with
R I I I M
Dislike R R R R Q
Leveraging continuous analysis, categories are assigned a
numerical coding and each feature is classified using the
average of both the functional and dysfunctional
forms of the question pair.
Functional form (feature is present)
Dysfunctional form (feature absent)
Like it Expect it Don’t care Live with Dislike
-2 -1 0 2 4
Like
it
4 Q A A A P
Expe
ct it
2 R I I I M
Don’
t
care
0 R I I I M
Live
with
-1 R I I I M
Dislik
e
-2 R R R R Q
Discrete analysis leverages the mode while continuous
analysis leverages the average. Technically, continuous
analysis (depicted on a matrix) is more inconclusive of
all the data.
Looking at the coding of both forms of analysis with
their relative importance can be helpful when
interpreting which method has yielded the most
accurate results.
Considerations
International differences
A Windows study found major
differences in how people from
different countries respond to
Kano questions.
Resources
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XC Planning and Research
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