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Creeping featurism is a disease, fatal if not treated…

“Creeping featurism is a disease, fatal if not treated promptly. There are some cures, but, as usual, the best approach is to practice preventative medicine.” quote by Donald A. Norman
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“Creeping featurism is a disease, fatal if not treated promptly. There are some cures, but, as usual, the best approach is to practice preventative medicine.”

Donald A. Norman

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Creeping featurism is the gradual addition of unnecessary features that degrade a product, requiring early preventive design discipline.

In simple terms: Unnecessary features accumulate and harm usability.

Key Takeaway

Avoid adding features without clear purpose.

Themes

design usability feature creep prevention

Mood

cautious reflective

Type

technical advisory

When to use this quote

  • software development
  • consumer electronics
  • enterprise tools
  • project planning

Key Concepts

human‑centered design product management risk mitigation

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you spot early signs of feature creep?
  • What preventive steps can you embed in design reviews?
A Different Perspective

Feature creep can be hard to reverse once released.

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