What does it take to create a product in business? This is the first question that should run through your mind when thinking of starting a business. The answer is product design. In this post, we will look at everything that you need to know about product design in Singapore for success in business.
What is Product Design?
Product design is the whole journey of imagining, creating products, and repeating the process to help solve the targeted client’s problems. At this point, it is important to note that a “product” does not just mean something tangible, such as vehicles and food items, but also includes non-tangibles, such as websites and apps.
When designing a product, you need to appreciate that it is not simple, and you should consider having an expert helping you wade through the lengthy and complex process. So, here are the main steps that you should follow when designing a product.
Step One: Idea Generation
The design of any product commences with understanding the needs of your customers. Good ideas can come from diverse sources, including inside and outside your company. Internally, the source of product ideas can be employees, reverse engineering, and market research sales force.
External sources of product ideas include the environment, customers, legislation, and the strategic position of the company. Even competitors can be a source of ideas about what to develop.
When considering an idea, it is important to go for something that falls within your company's purpose. So, go back to the beginning and revisit the question, "why did you start your business?" For example, a fitness organization might consider it appropriate to work on “fitness related apps” that can help the targeted clients measure their heart rate, count steps, and help them to shed weight.
Stage Two: product Feasibility
Once you are through with the idea generation, the product design process advances to the feasibility stage. Here, you determine whether the product can actually be manufactured and released into the market profitably. Here, your company’s research and development team will come in handy to help establish the products that can be created. The goal is to come up with a product that your target clients want to satisfy a specific need, and that is better than what competitors have.
Stage Three: Preliminary Design
The next step after determining which product design ideas are feasible is preliminary design, which involves translating the idea into technical specifications. At this stage, your product engineers build a prototype, test it, and retest until they come up with the best option that can be released into the market.
At the preliminary product design stage, key attributes of the product, such as shape, color, size, and styling, among others, will be determined. Furthermore, the aesthetic aspects, including market appeal, image, finishing, and special identification, will also be defined.
Step Four: Testing and Pilot Runs
In the preliminary product development stage, multiple prototypes are designed, tested, and adjustments made before the final product is released into the market. In addition to progressive testing to determine the product performance, you will also need to run market tests, which help to assess acceptability. Pre-market testing helps you to know whether the targeted customers will accept the product and purchase it.
The last part of testing the product involves detailed drawings and specifications for the product before releasing it into the market. This involves getting the detailed specifications, including instructions for manufacturing tools/ equipment and work instructions. Depending on the nature of the project, experts in product design Singapore will tell you that it might also include defining the programs for computer-assisted machines.
Step Five: New Product Launch
Finally, your product is ready to hit the market. The final step is launching and reaching the market so that your targeted clients can start using it. Note that the production, in most cases, starts at a relatively low volume as more clients learn about the product and start making more orders.
Remember that although launching is largely seen as the event that ushers the products out there, it is characterized by intensive marketing. When working with professionals in product design Singapore, they will tell you that launching marks the start of an intense process of persuading the targeted clients to buy from you. So, you need to include the following:
· Using paid ads to reach more clients in the market.
· Giving special offers to your clients, such as the first 100 clients or 1000, to drive interest in the product.
· Using landing pages to optimize conversions.
· Creating marketing videos and using them on your website.
· Running social media campaigns to inform more people about the brand.
Product design is way broader and takes a more strategically central role than most people think. Well, it is not just about making your product look better; it is the entire process, from conceptualization to customer experience and progressive improvement. Because of this complexity involved, the best way to get it right is by working with experts in product design in Singapore.