When you’re in the business of selling products, one of the hardest steps you’ll ever have to go through is designing a new product. When you go through this process, you have to think of it as you do with art. It takes the right balance of creativity and vision to come up with an innovative product. Remember that you need to present something new to your target market. Else, your product won’t be as successful as you want.
Although designing a new product is difficult, it’s doable with the right tricks. At all times, you must think about the usefulness of the product for the target customers. Always strive to achieve your end goal, which is to get your products out of your shelves and into the possession of your customers.
That said, here are some tips to get you started in designing a new product:
- Consider The Utility Of The Product
When you are thinking of creating new products and how to design them, always consider the potential usefulness. This should always be the topmost factor in new product development. No matter how nice the design is or how well-packaged the product may look, no one will buy it if it’s not useful.
As you think about the utility factor of a product, don’t just consider the product per se. Think of the usefulness of every step of the product design process. That way, every part of the product will have some use in the overall design of the product. You also don’t make the mistake of putting in too many parts or features that don’t have a purpose.
- Study The Different Pain Points Or Areas Of Your Products
In making sure that the products you come up with are useful, it’s very important to study the different pain points or problems of the general public that your product seeks to address and solve.
Don’t be too engulfed in thinking about adding product features without considering whether they solve customer problems.
When you truly understand why you’re creating a product, selling and advertising won’t be that much of a problem. The target customers will easily see the benefits that they can gain by patronizing your products.
- Think Function Vs. Features
While it may be tempting to put out new products with some latest features, always bear in mind the functions of these features. This is especially true when you’re trying to redesign some of your older products. Often, it can be easy to get engrossed with adding features to make your products appeal better. You may design a product with the most high-tech features. However, if these features confuse your buyers, your products won’t be sold.
Think from the perspective of your consumers, particularly those who want simplicity. It doesn’t matter how clever a product is. All they want is something that works for the purpose that it intends to serve. If the product solves a problem, the customer will buy it.
- Factor In The Price Of The Product
Yes, pricing your product starts during the design step. After all, every bit, feature, and design element that you add to a product will increase its price. Especially when your product is relatively new, you need to price it competitively so that your target audience can buy it. Price can be a barrier for customers to try your product. So, you should keep it optimal.
Put yourself in the shoes of the consumers. When you’re looking at a new product, you don’t want to spend too much on it. This is because the product may not turn out to be as good as you initially expected. Your target audience may feel the same way as well. To give them more reasons to patronize your products, the price has to be right. Also, optimal pricing increases affordability and broadens your target market.
If you start with cost-based pricing in designing your product, you can evaluate which features should be included and the ones that can be left out. Lesser features can make the price more attractive for your buyers.
Conclusion
The product design process is challenging. There’s so much for you to consider so that the products you come up with are successful. The true measure of a successful product is how much your customers want it. When your customers have found a good use for the product in their lives, they’ll patronize and recommend it. Keep the above tips in mind to ensure that the product you design is useful and successful.