The technology ecosystem is one that is collaborative in form and structure. It fosters cocreation much to the extent that design is no longer seen as a “good to have” or considered as an afterthought. Thinking in terms of addressing a business problem only through the technology lens will not render sustainable solutions anymore.
So, I believe it is safe to say that design has indeed become an integral part of problem-solving. Why do I say this? Simply put, we are increasingly interacting with more designs in our daily technological lives than we once did. Usability, accessibility and interactivity are a lot more critical in determining the success of a product and the overall consumer experience. The all-encompassing nature of tech has rendered the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design more important than ever before. Today’s consumer-facing technology is far more elegant than what it used to be, and good design underscores the difference.
With digitization initiatives dictating our lives, most businesses have an online presence in some form, and a company’s website or application is often the first interaction consumers have with a brand. It is, therefore, important to make a good first impression. And how is that done? Through good design.
Design is a strategic problem-solving process or approach that drives innovation, builds business success, and leads to a better quality of life through the development of innovative products, services, systems and experiences.
By the end of the first decade of the twenty-first century the demand for digital services began to consolidate with the use of the mobile channel, which became a definitive relationship tool, making possible for companies to develop a pervasive electronic presence with their consumers, all the time, in any place.
This new context of use, involving intermittent electronic availability and the virtual presence of services, reinforced the personal relationship between customer and companies, which now involves different levels of connections (rational, emotional, physical and sensorial). This new set of service attributes is defined as customer/user experience. According to Hassenzahl (2010), “an experience is a story, emerging from the dialogue of a person with her or his world through action”, and all experiences have an emotional route. In this context Krippendorf (2006) defines product semantics as the systematic investigation of how people attribute meanings to and artificially interact with products, and reinforces that product semantics is the key to enhance the experience perceived by the users.
Design research aims to create and to improve tools for investigating the meanings of experiences, including user-centered design, an approach that focuses on end-user needs to guide the development of new services, products and systems, helping in the determination of the scope of technological projects considering the miniaturization and digitization of available technologies for the use of non-specialists. The success of a company is based on its ability to develop new competences to create and to sustain competitive advantages. Design is considered core for digital companies because of its potential to access new markets and to maximize the perceived benefits by end customers in a unique way. Some organizations already recognize that their internal processes should be intimately connected with the holistic experience provided for the customer and, therefore, are changing the focus of process improvement, from an operational perspective to a perspective based on the requirements of the people that they serve.
As a product designer that specializes in technology and design, fascinated by consumer psychology and the impact of good design on business performance with over 5 years experience building products that are usable, equitable, enjoyment and useful, I’ve seen firsthand the value design can add to a business. Below are a few ways you can ensure your design helps enhance your connection with consumers:
1. Plan the Process
Planning is such an important part of the process; products will fail if every little detail isn’t mapped out beforehand. This means planning for obstacles that will occur. Having a simple product development process that finds a way of assessing high risks is key. Plan for employees/members/partners who may bow out of the project. Plan for negotiating fees and charges.
2. Visualization of Ideas
Visualizing ideas will show you a blueprint of what needs to be done during the entire process. It will show you what the design looks like. From digital illustrations to drawing by hand, there are many easy ways to iterate your vision. You won’t know how to design your product if you don’t create a visual representation of what your product will look like – including what goes on into making it.
3. Know Your Needs
What does your product need? What does your team need? The development cycle will be easier than ever once you know—ahead of time—what skills and team members you have at your disposal. Take stock of your resources before even beginning the dev cycle. Planning ahead will help you see, for example, how many members you need with CAD skills.
4. Storytelling
Any story behind a product’s design must resonate with the user and their concerns and beliefs. This is why it’s important to identify the overall problem of your target market, and then weave a story about how your product solves that problem. Be sure to include true anecdotes of your design team using the product to eliminate problems and solve issues.
5. Use
Products that are made with the sole purpose of generating sales quickly put organisations out of business. I have no qualms about getting rid of products that don’t serve me anymore, no matter how much it initially cost. If your business develops products that people find useful, you won’t have problems creating loyal customers.
6. Documentation
Create help documentation for using your product. You can use knowledge base software to offer this assistance, as well as online FAQ pages. This goes beyond a mere instruction manual; for example, we don’t need an instruction manual for driving a car. However, we do need help documentation for figuring out how to replace a flex-pipe or broken rotors.
7. Know Your Market
Do not skimp on early development and market research.
Otherwise, you’ll spend most of your budget designing (and manufacturing and distributing) a product that nobody wants. During this phrase, be responsive to the demands of your market; this can be as simple as asking existing customers what they expect from you.
8. Solve Problems
Never forget to solve existing problems that people have. I wear prescription glasses and I love swimming. Unfortunately, this means I’m often swimming blind, because my glasses will be lost in the depths of the river and pool. Swimming goggles that comfortably fit over my glasses would solve my problem. Find problems in your own life and devise products that would solve them.
