Attention to detail makes all the difference.
When a potential customer first contacts us with a new product idea, the first question we ask is –
“Has it already been done?”
and
“will it solve your target customers “problem”?
What we have learnt over the years is that the most commercial product ideas usually come from ‘spotting a gap in the market’ ……..identifying a problem that lots of people have day to day – and then fixing it.
We are textile product designers – so most ideas we are asked to design are all about solving customers problems – in a stylish and attractive way.
For instance you might want to make a new kind of Gym bag – so ask yourself does your bag idea solve a problem that lots of people have?
You might think that gym bags get smelly and unhygienic….?
If your idea would solve this common problem you might be onto a winner as lots of people have a stinky gym bag.
Maybe your idea is for a Parenting bag for men? There is space in this marketplace but the bag better be super stylish and be very organised for demanding Gen X.
Or maybe your idea is for a gym bag is for a specific and growing sport……
But even if it’s a growing sport, your bag needs to have some smart ideas in it, because for sure a bigger brand will soon come along and offer something for this market – so your job has to be to ‘make a splash’ with a outstandingly well designed product. This way you get ahead of the competition before competitors start looking into your new market area.
This is where a really smart and knowledgeable professional designer comes in.
But you need somebody who more than just a Designer – you need somebody who thinks like a marketeer and can turn an idea into a real product.
That’s who Design IQ are – we are Designers who think like Marketing people.
When we start with a new customer we ask some simple questions about the market and your intended competitive positioning;
- Does your idea sound attractive to a big enough market? Put simply – is there enough money $/£ /€ in this market for your new business?!
- Does it solve a real problem people have? Do people Google for this problem?!
- Are there competitor products in the market already? What are they ( not) doing?
- If we design you a “better product” than your competition, can you market it better than your competitors? What is it you know about this market that means you can do better than your competitors?
OK Lets assume your idea ticks positively all the key market questions.
So the next thing to do is not to just rush ahead and do some design drawings – but let’s do some serious planning first.
What we recommend doing is a “User Needs” and Market positioning study- here are the key points;
What is your “elevator pitch”?
So what are the problems you are going to solve with this new bag and what is going to be special about it? Why should the customer buy it?
What is the bag going to carry?
Sounds easy does’nt it ? Well now I want you to show us a photo of absolutely everything ( yes everything!) that you might want to carry. When do you want to carry these things, and which items do you need fastest access too?
Which items might you only carry sometimes – and which items are your EDC ( Every Day Carry).
Now we need to design the bag to carry all these different things – some of them may need to be protected from impact ( e.g. a laptop) somethings need to be protected from water and some items need to be found in a hurry!
Comfort and usability:
How heavy are all these things you want to carry and how are we going to make it comfortable to carry the bag?
How big are the things you want to carry and can we ‘group pack’ them into different areas of the bag for ease of packing and organisation?
Basically, we turn the list of things you want to carry – into an analysis of what we pack, where and how- and then turn that into a 3D plan for the layout of packed goods in the bag.
This 3D analysis then directs how we arrange the shape, form and ultimately the style of the bag!
Styling and aesthetics. What does your customer admire and what is trendy in your target marketplace?
So now we know what the key selling points of the bag will be , how the customer will use it and why they would want to buy it.
So when we start a project – after checking the idea sounds like it can make you money! …We think about the practicalities of the bag, how the customer wants to use the bag and the ‘marketing narrative’ – and only then do we start designing a stylish product for you that ‘ticks all the practical boxes’ so it will have a excellent chance of being a commercial success.
Here is the process we recommend using to create your products.
You are welcome to get in touch with us to discuss your own product idea in complete confidence and how we can help you turn your idea and ambitions into a commercial product.
Email: info@design-iq-ltd.com Telephone: 01531-640118. WhatsApp: 07785350538