Tips for Great Product Design

Product design is like art, as vision and creativity are at the core of product design companies. They come together to produce something really bold, attractive, and new. A product designer, however, has challenges that are different than the artist. He has to create something new while keeping the actual user in mind and at the same time be relevant and useful to his needs. 

Product designing is a very challenging process. Product design companies consider the needs of the people and pay closer attention to find the relevant solution. Finding the actual problem people face and then designing a product that could solve that problem is a hard task. 

Product design is an art requiring intuition, practice, and skill. Below are the tips for great design: 

A Product has to be Useful 

It is important to keep in mind that a product must be useful to its targeted audience,  otherwise, it does not make sense to even call it a ‘product.’ Giving your product utility should be your number-one priority, as an unuseful product has a high chance of failure. The utility should also not be concentrated only in one aspect of your product but pervade it, as that will ensure the long-term success of your product. 

Function over Features

Let’s dig a little deeper. For creative types, whether they be poets, composers, artists, or the product designers, there is always a sense of excitement that can lead you to be too ambitious with your product – whether too many words, too many notes, too many colors, or too many features. A warning for the wise, it is always more tempting to add more features than to take them away.  

Product designers always need to pay closer attention to function over features, as a great product with too many features can easily become cumbersome and inconvenient. As a product designer, you might be excited about having your very own little masterpiece, but consumers often get turned off by overly intricate designs and prefer products that efficiently address their needs. The more features your product has, the less simple and intuitive it becomes. People love a screwdriver more than a Swiss-army knife, sounds relatable? 

Brainstorm around the core purpose of your product, clearly define your mandate as a product designer and know your mission statement. 

Stay Focused

The ultimate goal of a product designer is to make your products user-friendly and useful so that people will buy them from you. It will have to compete with many other products in a competitive market and is unlikely to succeed if does not have a specialized niche in which to focus itself. To have a comparative advantage you should focus on a specific need of consumers and offer the best solution to satisfy them. 

Never design a product that can do everything, but design a product which can address one aspect in the best way. 

Address real-world Problems 

Successful products solve a problem that prevails in society, so If the product you developed is not addressing a real-world problem, then it will be art without a gallery. 

Even more difficult is making consumers aware of the particular problem or improvement that you are offering to address, as many are skeptical of how new products can improve their lives. Your product development should begin by addressing a real-world problem and how to address it. 

Aesthetics are Important

Product designers need to understand that the feel and look of a product are as central as its functionality. It stands true for digital and software products as well as tangible and hardware products, and a great designer should always have a sense of aesthetics. This is where industrial designers play their most important role. 

Simplicity is great for all consumer goods and is the key aspect of great product design companies. The product must look sleek while addressing the consumer’s problem! 

Attention to Detail 

It is often the smallest details that make the biggest difference. Polish, form, and fit – while such things may not jump out at people, the combined effect of several imperfections can make all the difference in consumer preference. If you want to impress your consumers pay attention to the details, and as a product developer, you should realize that the probability of product failure is very high during the age of mass production.  

Great Designs are always Simple 

Your product should be easy to use and easily comprehensible, as customers need to intuitively and quickly understand how your specific product is supposed to work. The product should not be complicated otherwise the users will become uninterested and frustrated. Design a product from the perspective of the user who has never interacted with it, and do not assume it’s features are obvious just because they are obvious to you. 

Be Innovative 

One of the major reasons for product failure today is very few products offer something revolutionary and new – irrespective of whatever their marketing says. The fact is most of the newly launched products are just an improvement to an already existing creation. If you want people to be interested in your product make sure it is innovative and has distinguishing features from other products currently in existence. 

Great design is timeless – and if you are able to develop a great product it will last the test of time. Great design is proof of human creativity and is a joy to the eyes, and remember that a great design never goes out of style!