Kano Model

Biological Parallel

Desert organisms reveal three layers of environmental needs that mirror Kano's categories: minimum water for survival (must-have), optimal temperature ranges that improve function (performance), and rare nutrient bonanzas that trigger reproduction (delighters). The Namib Desert beetle requires fog moisture to survive, performs better with cooler nights, but explodes in population when rare rains deliver phosphorus—demonstrating how organisms distinguish between baseline survival, incremental improvement, and transformative abundance.