The Biggest Myths of Product Design
Have you been asking around about product design? Running the idea through your own mind, or by others’?
Some major hot buttons about product development are also the most misconceived. Let’s end the game of telephone we’ve all been playing, and start circulating some educated truths. We can begin with the following six:
1. The product plan is set. We need to stick with it.
Once a plan is made, you have the ability to amend it. And you should if necessary. Many product design firms place a counterproductive weight on sticking to their original plan, but there’s really no need to find a scapegoat if it fails to achieve 100% predictive accuracy. Trends, customers, people, processes, competitors; they all change. Be open and flexible to adapting. If you’re not willing to bend, you’ll likely break.
2. The quicker we begin working, the quicker we will finish working.
Starting quickly isn’t equated to starting smart. Rushing into design and development makes your product susceptible to mistakes down the line, and often neglects accessing consumer demand. The most critical portion of any project is the preparation, and this is especially true in product design.
3. Adding more features will make my product better.
Adding features doesn’t always add value. First define the problem your product will be solving, then add features to solve that problem. Identifying what features to leave out can be just as important as deciding what features to include.
Meet the design team that wrote this article.
4. We’ll be more successful if we get it right the first time.
This encourages the safe route to be taken. But with risk, comes reward, so creative out-of-the-box thinking should be encouraged. Design is an iterative process that should be embraced — it brings out innovation. Many obvious factors can lead to a project straying from its projected timeline, like budgets, management and employee capabilities, but the demand of only getting one try should not be one of them.
5. I should save my money for manufacturing.
Spending money upfront helps ensure you can make it to manufacturing, and that the product you’ll put through production is a sellable one. Investing resources during research and design is like purchasing an insurance policy for engineering and manufacturing. Otherwise, you’re trying to save your money for when it could be too late.
6. I am just like my customers.
What seems great about your product to you, may not be what your customers want, or will buy. Don’t assume that your customer’s preferences will mirror yours; collect objective statistics through some thorough market research to accurately determine preferences.
Meet the design team that wrote this article.
References:
“Four Myths About Product Design — Studio Red.” Studio Red. 06 July 2015. “Six Myths of Product Development.” Harvard Business Review. 01 May 2012.
“Six Myths of Product Development.” Harvard Business Review. 01 May 2012.
