Development: Product Design

March 1 & 6, 2007

What Is Design? Has been defined as “the synthesis of technology

and human needs into manufacturable products.”

In practice, design can mean many things, ranging from styling to ergonomics to setting final product specifications.

Design has been successfully used in a variety of ways to help achieve new product objectives.

One thing it is not: “prettying up” a product that is about to manufactured!

Aesthetic Evaluations of Consumer Products

Balance Movement Rhythm Contrast Emphasis Pattern Unity

Contributions of Design to the New Products Process

Range of Leading Design Applications

Purpose of Design

AestheticsErgonomicsFunctionManufacturabilityServicingDisassembly

Item Being Designed

GoodsServicesArchitectureGraphic artsOfficesPackages

IDEO Questions

Process What makes the “Deep Dive” unique? What is the role of prototyping at IDEO?

Culture What makes the culture at IDEO so

different? How does their hiring strategy affect

the company’s performance?

Assessment Factors for an Industrial Design

Factors Which Decrease Product Costs

MAXIMIZE simplicity of design use of economical parts and materials standardization of parts and materials use of economical technologies use of simple, proven processes

MINIMIZE number and variety of parts critical materials and processes procurement lead time work in process

Eliminate Scrap and Rework

Consumer Response to Product Form (Adapted from Bloch 1995)

Product Form

PsychologicalResponses

to Product Form

CognitiveEvaluations

• Categorization• Beliefs

AestheticEvaluations

BehavioralResponses

What is Product Form?

Objective Physical Properties of a Product Form Structure Texture Color

The Personality-like Associations of Selected ColorsThe Personality-like Associations of Selected Colors

Commands respect, authority

• America’s favored color• IBM holds the title to blue• Associated with club soda• Men seek products packaged in blue• Houses painted blue are avoided• Low-calorie, skim milk• Coffee in a blue can be perceived as “mild”

Caution, novelty, temporary, warmth

• Eyes register it faster• Coffee in yellow can be perceived as “weak”• Stops traffic• Sells a house

Secure, natural, relaxed or easy going, living things

• Good work environment• Associated with vegetables and chewing gum• Canada Dry ginger ale sales increased when it

changed sugar-free package from red to green and white

BLUEBLUE

YELLOWYELLOW

GREENGREEN

Human, exciting, hot, passionate, strong

• Makes food “smell” better• Coffee in a red can be perceived as “rich”• Women have a preference for bluish red• Men have a preference for yellowish red• Coca-Cola “owns” red

Powerful, affordable, informal

• Draws attention quickly

Informal and relaxed, masculine, nature

• Coffee in a dark-brown can was “too strong”• Men seek products packaged in brown

Goodness, purity, chastity, cleanliness, delicacy, refinement, formality

• Suggests reduced calories• Pure and wholesome food• Clean, bath products, feminine

Sophistication, power, authority, mystery

• Powerful clothing• High-tech electronics

Regal, wealthy, stately • Suggests premium price

REDRED

ORANGEORANGE

BROWNBROWN

WHITEWHITE

BLACKBLACK

SILVERSILVER, , GOLDGOLD

Psychological Responses to Consumer Products

Context Category Membership Functionality

What happens in the absence of context? Design communicates, but does it do so

effectively? How does the design and its context

influence: Consumers’ reactions to the new products Consumers’ communication strategies

What Does the Design Tell You?

What Does the Design Tell You?