Industrial Design & Marketing Synergy

Posted by Michael Paloian on 11 June 2010

 

Is good design important to your bottom line? Can it really increase sales and profitability or is just a luxury that is limited to large corporations? All of you already know the answers to these questions. You are living testaments to the simple truth that good design is inseparable with growth, sales and profitability. Every time any of us shops, we make decisions based on our individual perceptions of quality, aesthetics, function and value. A product’s design can be thought of as a symbol for a company and its values. In today’s impersonal internet based economy where billions of dollars are exchanged each day based on images and descriptions, perception is everything. There is no salesman to pitch a product. The product must speak to the buyer through its appearance by stimulating an emotional desire to be purchased. This magical connection can only be achieved with good design and marketing. There are countless products and companies who manufacture them, which have seamlessly integrated highly sophisticated marketing programs with design to maximize sales. Most of these companies have become household names as a result of their efforts. We know them as General Motors, Nabisco, Coca Cola, Shell, Rolex, Tiffany and Apple Computer. They have all benefited from industrial designers who understand the market and how the product should be designed for the targeted customer. 

 

The success of a company’s product launch is highly dependent upon the interrelationship between industrial design and market strategy. Market planning defines product features, selling price, appearance, forecasted sales, introduction date and many other factors affecting those magical qualities that will entice a potential buyer. These abstract parameters must be creatively interpreted into a physical product that can be easily manufactured by a design team. World class product design requires exceptional imagination, extensive technical knowledge and extraordinary artistry to intelligently weave these desires into a functional product. This is typically initiated by industrial designers.  

 

Marketing and industrial design are inseparably integrated at the genesis of a product development project. Industrial designers are the craftsmen who create the initial design concepts for a new product. They must add that magical quality to a product’s appearance and architecture which attracts buyers. This attraction is difficult to describe, but it is present in all products which have become icons throughout the world. The image must be socially relevant to the society and market for which it is intended. That image must be reinforced with the advertising, photography and personalities promoting the product. This is how marketing and design can synergistically propel a product launch to stratospheric heights. Good design must properly express a product with an appropriate character for its intended user. For example, a power tool should project an image of ruggedness, masculinity, quality and versatility. Simple geometric forms, primary colors, tight seams and bold proportions will project these images to a customer. Conversely, organic shapes with flowing surfaces, pastel colors, smooth surfaces and softer materials will project a more feminine quality to a product. Imagine how well a pale pink, soft shaped circular power saw would sell at Home Depot!  

 

So the next time you’re thinking of introducing a new product think of how you can integrate design into your marketing strategy to attain that synergy for success. Define your objectives, focus on your customers needs and consider retaining the services of an industrial design firm to translate these product requirements into your next success story. 

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