Advances in manufacturing technology and the global reach of the Internet have leveled the playing field in the product marketplace. It wasn’t long ago that time-to-market was two years, then 18 months, and then 12 months. Now, a competitor can knock off your “innovation” in six months or less. Many businesses understand that being “new” or “different” is no longer a differentiator. Countless companies are elbowing their way to the top with designs that are also “feature-rich” or “patent pending.” Innovation in product design has lost its meaning and, therefore, its value.
There is still one frontier that remains wide open: experience innovation. This is the only type of business innovation that is not imitable, nor can it be commoditized, because it is born from the specific needs and desires of your customers and is a unique expression of your company’s DNA. Yet the design of an experience is often overlooked in the rush to market.
I believe that good design is designed with the complete user experience in mind. The appearance and function of a product should indeed meet the needs and behaviour of the user within a certain context. The interaction between a product and user is influenced by the context in which the interaction will take place.
Read the whole article about meaningful experience design here
2 responses so far ↓
1 Niels // Jun 17, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Dead on. The product experience can change dramatically when the context change.
Thanks for the link!
2 waikit // Jun 18, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Niels, is the Vision in Product Design Book finally out there?
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