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Industrial Design Blog » Good Looks
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We’ve all heard this age old adage from our earliest childhood memories. Beauty and taste govern most of our personal daily decisions in everything from choice of foods to selection of clothes, cars and furniture. Yet most of us never think of how these things were created, they were all designed! Imagine, every manmade item has been designed by someone. Each product has undergone a series of developmental iterations before finally reaching the marketplace. The final product represents someone’s idea of what is best for their customer. A few products become a major success while hundreds of others disappear shortly after they are introduced. Although purchasing decisions are made based on a number of factors, appearance influences one’s choice in virtually every situation.
Good looks are vital for attracting customers to your product, especially if the market is saturated with many alternative choices. The question is what makes a product look good and what is be best design for a particular product to maximize sales? Although books have been written on this subject, I would like to answer this question with some basic guidelines. Although there are many factors that influence appearance, they can be summarized in the list below:
The major factors of form and proportion provide a product with its character and general impression to a perspective customer. If the overall form is not clearly defined, the product will look overlay complicated, sloppy, and incomprehensible. Products such as these are often referred to as mechanical, functional or practical. If the form is well defined and the proportions of its major features are poorly allocated, the product will look silly, cheap, or unsafe. Proportion and form must be artfully applied to a specific product based on the application. For example farm equipment must project an image of durability, safety, easy maintenance, long life, and quality. These characteristics are typically expressed with masculine bold geometric forms versus softer organic forms. Features within the product should be balanced to visually segment the overall shape into smaller elements which are properly proportioned. A good analogy would be the comparison of a 6’ 4” body builder to a 350 lb. 5’3” man. Choice of colors can also reinforce or diminish the desired image. For example specifying a pastel pink for the main color of the farm equipment just described would project an image of irony versus agricultural use.
Secondary factors such as graphics, details, textures and materials also have a major affect on the overall product appearance. Application of well designed graphics can impart a powerful image to an otherwise generic shape. This point can be effectively made by referring to water tanks which are all basically cylindrical in shape. Application of well designed graphics will reinforce product branding and contribute to product differentiation. Choice of textures could have a major effect on smaller products which are frequently touched and handled. Creative application of textures could alter the perception of a product. Glossy surfaces juxtaposed with heavy stippled areas could provide an interesting pattern on an otherwise bland surface.
These design highlights have been discussed to communicate the powerful influence aesthetics can have on a product and more importantly its perception to the consumer. Good design is essential for all products. Next time you make a purchase take a moment and think about why you made that selection.