If a survey were conducted amongst engineers and rotational molders requesting them to list the most important qualifications for a good designer, most would limit the list to technical knowledge. Few would include artistic skills, graphics, styling and marketing knowledge. Yet, when we become consumers looking for a TV, car, piece of furniture or any other personal item, how do we make our selection if price and performance are comparable? That’s right, by how the product looks! We look for a product that reflects our personal tastes and represents who we are. Products are designed with character, whether it is intentional or not. If a product looks cheap, it probably is. If a product is expensive, it is usually expensive for a reason.
Consumers are attracted to products based on appearance and frequently make their purchasing decisions accordingly. How many of you have purchased a power hand tool and made your decision based on how rugged the tool looked? When you purchase a car, do you care about the finite element analysis results of the dashboard? Do you care about the density of the seat cushion? Do you care about the alloy composition of the chassis? The answer is no. You can’t possibly comprehend all the information, even if it were available. What you care about is the appearance, cost, ride, reliability and other factors which are dictated by design.
Unfortunately most rotational molders haven’t learned how to include design as an effective marketing tool when they interact with their customers. They often focus their attention on the practical aspects of their business which includes cost, production and delivery. Molders fail to realize that better designed products typically demand higher prices, greater sales and improved profits. These benefits are typically transferred to the molders who can sell their products at a higher price and profit. Some progressive molders are beginning to understand this symbiotic relationship and have included designers in their strategy of building long lasting relationships with key clients. These molders are forging partnerships with their customers by sharing in the development of key products, making it virtually impossible for their competitors to effectively compete.
Specifically how does design influence product marketing? Product design typically accounts for marketing considerations such as appearance, color, graphics, user interface, quality, reliability and safety, as well as the overall embodiment (concept) of the product itself. The last factor is often underestimated or overlooked by most people. It pertains to the overall architecture of the product and how it is presented to the consumer. A good example is a vacuum cleaner, which comes in all sizes, orientations and shapes. Vacuum cleaners are classified as uprights and canisters. Within each classification, there are dozens of styles, shapes and levels of quality. These varieties have emerged based on a combination of innovation, customer need and technological advances. The Dyson vacuum cleaner is an excellent example of how an innovative design concept made it’s inventor a billionaire by literally turning an otherwise mundane industry on its head. Other examples include products like roller blades which evolved from roller skates, rotationally molded kayaks which evolved from traditional construction methods and playground equipment which was traditionally constructed from wood or steel.
The product concept is critical to the market to which it is targeted. If the basic concept is ill conceived, the product is destined for failure, no matter what price it has. Good design requires a careful examination of marketing considerations. Designers who typically specialize bridging marketing and engineering disciplines are called industrial designers. They are taught to think in a multidisciplinary manner and provide solutions by creatively interpreting a wide range of factors that will affect the overall outcome of a design. Typically industrial designers think of the end user and those factors which will influence that person’s purchasing decisions. These considerations must be consistent with marketing requirements as well as engineering and manufacturing concerns. Marketing requirements can be subtle or obvious. They can be practical or frivolous. The important fact is that the product’s design is consistent with the marketing strategy. If the two are not properly integrated, the product will not sell. Examples of such issues other then appearance include cost, quality, number of parts, shipping, ease of assembly, performance, color, branding etc.
Next time you are involved in the development of a product as an OEM or as a molder, consider partnering with an industrial designer. A qualified individual or firm will provide you with design solutions that include marketing as well as engineering parameters. The results should provide you with the competitive advantage you need to successfully grow you business.