Feature creep

Feature creep, creeping featurism or featuritis is the ongoing expansion or addition of new features in a product, such as in computer software. These extra features go beyond the basic function of the product and can result in software bloat and over-complication rather than simple design.

The most common cause of feature creep is the desire to provide the consumer with a more useful or desirable product, in order to increase sales or distribution. However, once the product reaches the point at which it does everything that it is designed to do, the manufacturer is left with the choice of adding unneeded functions, sometimes at the cost of efficiency, or sticking with the old version, at the cost of a perceived lack of improvement.

Another major cause of feature creep might be a compromise from a committee which decides to implement multiple, different viewpoints in the same product. Then, as more features are added to support each viewpoint, it might be necessary to have cross-conversion features between the multiple viewpoints, further complicating the total features.

A product typically goes through a product lifecycle of introduction, growth, maturity and decline. The Sony Walkman can serve as a functional example whose life cycle is well-documented.

At the introduction stage, a manufacturer introduces a new product with a basic feature set (say, a portable cassette player with play, pause, stop, fast forward, rewind, eject) in order to engage the consumer and support use and acceptance; meanwhile, competitors wait and see if the product will create a market worth investing in.

With sufficient growth, competitors enter the space, providing choice to the consumer, often competing merely on price as a cheaper alternative to the flagship brand's product offering.

At the maturity stage, with competitive products occupying the space, new features are introduced ("auto-reverse", "stereo with extra bass", "shock proof for jogging", "waterproof in the rain"...etc.) in order to differentiate brands beyond merely price point, and to create brand demand over price demand. The trailblazer is looking to fend off the new challengers, while the new challengers are looking to get a leg up on the trailblazer. It is at this stage that a proliferation of features occurs most often.

A strong indicator that the maturity stage has been reached, beyond feature creep, is when the trailblazer's prices start to drop in response to the downward pressure from the competition. Some argue that this occurs when there are no further practical features that can be implemented; this point can be referred to as "feature saturation".

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Wikipedia