As technology continuously improves, product design services are provided with the opportunity to create more advanced products with intelligent features and interfaces. However, this digital enhancement process is not always necessary to create a worthwhile, user-friendly product. Designers should remember that the main goal of product development is to create something that will solve a real human problem. People buy new products in the hopes that it will make their life easier or more enjoyable in some way. Impressive technological integration can be involved but is not the end all be all.
When creating a new product or improving an old one, product design companies like Designstein Studios have a list of questions that they must answer when creating their prototype. Some of these questions include:
- How is this product going to solve a real consumer problem?
- What differentiates this product from competing products?
- Who is the target audience and what kind of features do they expect?
- Can this product be marketed effectively?
While many of these questions involve the direct engineering of the product, they also take into account how it will be received by the consumer. When looking at the perspective of the future potential buyer, a product design and development company such as Designstein Studios is taking a human-centric approach. This is essential to creating a product that will be well-received and useful on a day to day basis.
In some cases, the most technologically advanced product is not the most user-friendly product. This will largely depend on the demographic you are trying to reach and their current level of comfort with technology. In order to make an intuitive interface for your market, you must thoroughly research the average consumer and determine what appeals to their sensibilities. This will not only ensure that your product is purchased but it will also ensure that the product makes a significant impact on the consumer’s life and makes them willing to recommend this product or buy it again. When you have achieved a lifetime customer, then you have won.
Product design services can save on overall production costs when taking a human-centric approach to design. This is a direct consequence of fulfilling the customers’ needs the first time around. When you consider every aspect of the product with a person in mind, then you avoid certain pitfalls and design errors that could cost you later, when manufacturing or selling the product. Here are 5 ways to tell if your product development process is centered on fulfilling human needs:
- Your conversations about the consumer outweigh your conversations about new technology.
- Product value is far more important than a multitude of features.
- You are constantly testing and reanalyzing to create the best user-friendly experience.
- You know how to make compromises when it comes to the finished product.
- There is room for growth and improvement.
Product design is (and always will be) about humans. So, no matter what digital advancements come up in the next few years, designers should always remember that products exist to make a person’s life better. Without people at the center of design, nothing can be marketed or sold. Human-centric design stimulates the economy and encourages a greater understanding of the human condition and how it can be improved.