Notquality

Notquality is a term used in discussions of product evaluation and quality management to describe the absence or deficiency of quality in a product, service, process, or experience. It is not a formal technical standard, but a descriptive label applied by consumers, critics, or analysts to indicate failure to meet stated requirements or user expectations.

Origin and usage: The term is a compound of not and quality, and its usage appears in online reviews, blogs, and critical writing. It can be written as notquality or not-quality, and is often employed pejoratively to flag perceived shortcomings, or analytically to frame discussions about quality gaps in design or delivery.

Contexts: Notquality is used across domains such as manufacturing, software development, consumer electronics, and service industries. It may refer to defects, unreliability, poor user experience, inconsistency across batches or releases, or failure to meet advertised specifications.

Criteria and measurement: Because notquality is highly subjective, assessments are typically accompanied by explicit criteria. Common reference points include defect rate, conformance to requirements, reliability, maintainability, performance, and user satisfaction. Objective metrics help contextualize what constitutes notquality in a given domain.

Criticism and limitations: Critics note that notquality can be vague or rhetorical if not anchored to concrete standards. Clear definitions, documentation of requirements, and transparent testing or review processes are important to avoid misinterpretation.

See also: Quality assurance, quality control, substandard, user experience, product quality.