Month: June 2024

  • Prototyping

    Prototyping

    What is prototyping?

    The word originates from the Greek prtotupos meaning first example.  Our definition is an idea communicated to others and tested

    The best way to create successful products whether it’s a smart phone app or a gadget is by user testing and prototyping. 

    Creating prototypes throughout the process can get you valuable feedback from end users to improve products.  This process allows you to engage with real people and observe how they interact with your product.  Interaction with your prototypes will help you understand your end users pain point and allows you to improve the many aspects of a product such as product design, interface, experience and feel. 

    Prototyping can be applied to many stages of the product development to test unfinished ideas with users to get the best results. To be successful you must be open to feedback.

    Incorporating feedback into your design, the result is long term benefits in the success of your projects.

    Show your users flow to your business, stakeholders and coworkers to get their critique on the design. User test low to high fidelity design with end users as there can be a better improved version.

    Low fidelity prototypes are best for catching problems before they get too big to fix.  For example, story boards, wireframes, mood boards, sketching.

    Mid fidelity involves the visual design and interactivity, function and the final product. For example, clickable prototypes, style tiles, coded prototypes.

  • Analyzing Consumer     Behavior

    Analyzing Consumer Behavior

    An organization must develop a marketing strategy and plan for understanding the customer behavior.  A customer analysis is essential in the market.

    The customer analysis should address

    •  Who are the current customers?
    •   Why do they buy?
    •   Why do they make purchasing decisions?
    •   Where do they purchase the product or services and what channel of
        distribution are used?
    •  When do they buy?

    The object of these questions is to develop a complete picture of the customer behavior in the product category or market.

    By analyzing competitors customers help you understand  why they are buying competitors product instead of yours and helps with brand switching and  weaknesses in your product or service.

    Also analyzing people who have never purchased your product  helps you to expand the market and get sales.

    Who are your customers?

    A key principle in marketing is market segmentation and understanding the customer.  Market segmentation breaks markets into segments that have different buying habits.  By grouping customers this way customers are treated differently through their buying power and you target them with products tailored to their needs.  Less money is spent on customers with low buying power.

  • Packaging

    Packaging

    Package designs are functional as well as strategic and tend to evoke aspirations of lifestyle.  For example the box milk packaging enables you to pore from it, open it and reclose it. Others provide safety restrictions, other purposes and functions.

     Packaging comes in different shapes, sizes, and purposes with information of its merits, dangers, quality or value of the product they contain.  Some packaging are designed to be discarded immediately after purchase while others are integral to the life of their content.

    The package designer task is to prepare an attention grabbing packaging item that promotes quality of the product and take into account all legal requirements, trading rules and environmental concerns specific to the industry. Also the project parameters such as using preapproved text and images, prescribed materials and formats, producing the product on schedule and within production  budget.