Editing Feature creep (section)

{{Short description|Excessive ongoing expansion or addition of features in a product}}
{{for|the project management concept|scope creep}}'''Feature creep''' is the excessive ongoing expansion or addition of new [[Software feature|features]] in a product,<ref>
{{Cite book|doi= 10.1109/ISTAS.2005.1452719
|chapter= Impediments to and incentives for automation in the Air Force
|author= J.M. Sullivan
|title= Proceedings. 2005 International Symposium on Technology and Society, 2005. Weapons and Wires: Prevention and Safety in a Time of Fear. ISTAS 2005
|date= 8–10 June 2005
|pages=101–110
|isbn= 0-7803-9284-1
|s2cid= 21079766
}}</ref> especially in [[computer software]], [[video games]] (where it should not be confused with [[power creep]]) and [[Consumer electronics|consumer and business electronics]]. 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 definition of what qualifies as "feature creep" varies among [[End user|end users]], where what is perceived as such by some users may be considered practical functionality by others.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/book/the-glossary-of-human-computer-interaction/featuritis-or-creeping-featurism|title=Featuritis (or creeping featurism)|date=January 2024 |language=en}}</ref> Feature creep is one of the most common sources of [[Cost overrun|cost]] and schedule overruns.<ref>{{citation |author1=Davis, F.D. |title=Toward preprototype user acceptance testing of new information systems: implications for software project management |date=February 2004 |journal=IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=31–46 |series=51 |doi=10.1109/TEM.2003.822468 |issn=0018-9391 |s2cid=1204079 |author2=Venkatesh, V.}}</ref>{{check|date=October 2012}} It thus endangers and can even kill products and projects.