These days, consumers expect products to have both excellent form and function. Indeed, there has never been a time when industrial design has been more in vogue. As you probably know, there are many companies that have stepped up to the plate. If you’re new to product development, here are some mistakes you need to avoid:
Good Ideas, Bad Design
Having a groundbreaking idea is no guarantee that you’ll end up with a runaway success. As often happens, that potential is squandered when inventors fail to translate a good idea into good product design. In truth, even a mediocre idea, once it undergoes professional design and development process, has a better chance of succeeding. Hence, make sure to partner with a trusted industrial design company to give your product a leg up on the market.
Nitpicking Too Early
Good design is a major factor in your product’s success, so it’s understandable why you want every little detail to be just right. In the prototyping stage, however, try not to focus too much on the trees that you lose sight of the forest. At this phase, focus on whether the prototype matches your expectations or fulfills your vision for the product. You can always refine details such as colors and button sizes as you near completion.
Assuming You Are the Audience
Oftentimes, inventors stumble upon a product idea after facing a problem in their daily life. From there, they proceed to developing a product that seeks to solve it. While this is always a great starting point, try to separate yourself from the product and look at how people at large will react to it. Does it truly solve an important problem or merely a niche one? Does it have to solve just one problem or can it have other features that address other issues to broaden its appeal?
Prioritizing Features over Benefits
To stand out in the competition, manufacturers usually beef up their product’s specs so that it becomes the fastest, smallest, or most powerful option on the market. This isn’t wrong per se, but don’t mistake a product’s features for its benefits. For instance, your product may boast a 16 megapixel camera, but how exactly does it benefit the user? A feature often isn’t self-explanatory; you have to phrase it as a benefit or advantage so people know if it’s something they need, e.g. take better pictures in low light, take DSLR-quality pictures, etc.
Bringing great things to life is no small task. But by marrying good ideas, deep consumer insight, and expert design development, you are better equipped to create something truly groundbreaking.
Sources:
How to Avoid the Most Common Design Mistakes, 99u.com
5 product design mistakes you need to avoid, venturebeat.com