Excellent article Chris.

At the end of the day, all design should be representative of user need(s), and follow a pattern that attempts to respond to them appropriately.

Any improvements on any product, therefore, would need to be assessed against the first principles of said users' unique problems that the product is attempting to solve.

Sage advice in a world where throwaway products are made constantly in an attempt to generate revenue without substantial emphasis being placed on designing for real user needs and wants.