Why Product Design is Critical to Product Success
by Sumona Business 24 March 2023
There can be numerous answers to why product design is so important for your business. The curious thing is, no matter how different they may be, they’re all right!
The list of reasons justifying product design is quite extensive, and we tried hard to prepare the ones that best summarize the benefits of an excellent product design.
Client retention
If you know your end customer very well, you’ll be able to deliver a product design that’ll suit them perfectly.
The ultimate goal of any product designer is to deliver a product that’ll satisfy the customers. In order to judge whether a product is a good fit for them or not, your clients will probably analyze the typical aspects on your product:
- Physical appeal — Is the product attractive to the customer? Does it match their idea of what they usually expect from this type of product and from your company? Think about one of the biggest failures when it comes to looks. Do you remember Crystal Pepsi from the 90s? Pepsi reminded us of it in 2022, but the truth is this product never caught on the way its creators had intended. Poor product design is why we don’t see clear Pepsi on the shelves.
- Accessibility — A good product design is customer-friendly, i.e., its benefits are fairly easy to access. Design accessibility increases the chances of everybody using the product’s advantages properly, no matter the ability, context, or situation. For instance, the target audience might also include people with some form of disability. That’s why some websites have a special button for people with disabilities, so they can create the experience they wish and enjoy the content. That inclusive experience is what you should aim for.
- Restraints — These don’t necessarily refer to general product accessibility but may be relatable to certain styles, or the clear sign the company created the product with a specific demographic in mind. While the latter can be limiting, it can also spark interest. The thinking pattern would be along the lines of: “If the product is so obviously useful for one particular group of customers, imagine how great it’s going to be in my case.”
Good product design is what attracts new customers and helps you keep the old ones in ever-competitive markets.
Promising figures and a competitive market
Let’s just take a look at how much US companies are investing in product design with the intention of achieving high sales. For instance, the product design industry grew by 4.4% in 2022 as the specialists are in high demand and the current market size is $3 billion.
Why is the industry booming? Because of the potential promises of high revenues that come as a consequence of a good product design. According to one McKinsey study, businesses that embrace product design generate 32% bigger revenues than those that don’t.
So, is this true? Looking back at how much companies are willing to invest in product design and the fact that the industry keeps on growing, we can come to the conclusion that the investments are rightly justified. Excellent product design helps your business grow and develop.
Innovation is key
You snooze, you lose. Product design innovation is mandatory, today more than ever. Maintaining top-quality standards isn’t enough for customer retention — you have to surprise them occasionally with new features or completely new products, just like React is doing.
Another fine example would be the iPhone. When it first appeared, it caused a revolution in the market with its sleek design, original system, and great internet possibilities. A couple of years later, Apple had already generated generations of loyal customers. Today, the brand has become so strong that it no longer needs to make huge changes to the product design.
It’s almost as perfect as it is, but the company does introduce new creative solutions and features regularly. They are aware that if they hadn’t, then the iPhone wouldn’t have been half as successful as it is now.
Brand recognition
Speaking of loyal clientele, the right product design is crucial for brand recognition, and branding has become extremely important, especially with the rise of social media and influencers. Nowadays, you’re not just selling the product design, you’re selling an experience, a promise, and everything your company stands for. In other words, you’re selling your brand.
Trusting the brand is the determining buying factor for 81% of shoppers. Even who the CEO and the employees are matter to 61% of those buyers! When you hit the right note with the product design, you’ve created an easily recognizable representation of your company and your values.
On the one hand, the company’s values reflect onto the product. On the other, if the product design is useful, attractive, and original, the customers are going to perceive the company/brand in the same light.
A good old example of a product design that’s also become a part of a brand identity is the ubiquitous Coca-Cola bottle. Made to fit the grip, and quite innovative at the time, its shape is so recognizable right now to the point that we know it’s a Cola bottle even if it hasn’t got a sticker on it.
As you can see, there is quite a bit of overlapping with the above advantages of proper product design. Consequently, we could perhaps pinpoint it’s the fact that product design touches upon so many worthy requirements for business success that makes the product design invaluable.
If you wish for your business to start or continue blooming, investing more effort in product design would be the best place to start your journey since excellent product design brings benefits across all areas.
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