According to the Harvard Business School, tens of thousands of products are launched every year, but 95 percent of them fail. So, why do so many products miss the mark?
In this article, we’ll go over some of the most common product design mistakes and how to avoid them:
#1 Focusing on Appearance
One of the most common mistakes that product developers make is over-designing products. While a product has to be visually appealing, it doesn’t have to be your primary concern. Your product should be able to perform its specific purpose.
Customers buy products because they want to address a problem. If your product fails to perform, you will lose your customers’ loyalty. They won’t come back for more, plus, they’ll tell other people not to, either.
Think about it this way -- would you rather use a product that’s aesthetically pleasing but doesn’t work, or a product that works but doesn’t have aesthetic appeal? Chances are, you choose the latter. As a product designer, you should learn how to strike the balance between aesthetics and usability.
#2 Not Asking for Feedback
How do you know you’re creating something that customers actually want? The answer is simple: by asking for feedback.
Collecting feedback is a crucial step in the product design process as it offers you a unique point of view. By getting your customers involved, you’ll be able to improve your product in ways you never would’ve thought of.
Remember, you’re not designing the product for yourself. Ask for feedback as early as possible, ideally during concept development. This will give you an idea of the product’s potential -- and if you should even be creating it in the first place.
#3 Forgetting About Intellectual Property
Amateur product engineers and designers tend to forget about intellectual property. In a nutshell, intellectual property (IP) refers to the “creations of the mind” such as inventions, compositions, and computer programs. There are different types of IP, such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights, so be sure to do your research.
IP matters because you can’t create a product if someone has already patented it. Simply put, someone beat you to it. But don’t despair -- if the patent has expired, there’s still hope for your product. Similarly, if the patent holder isn’t actively using the patent, you can explore licensing or you can consider purchasing the patent.
#4 Making an “All-in-One” Product
Don’t give in to the pressure of making “one product to rule them all”. When designing a product, it can be tempting to explore every possibility. It’s easy to get carried away, but the truth is that cramming in countless features is a recipe for failure.
Just because a product can do everything under the sun doesn’t mean it’s a good product. If you attempt to do this, you’ll likely end up with something that will overwhelm your users. Plus, imagine having to pitch that product!
Instead, focus on two or three features that will make your product stand out. Do those things perfectly and forget about the rest.
#5 Rushing to Meet Deadlines
Product development companies work under pressure but they don’t procrastinate. If you procrastinate, you’ll end up with a poorly executed project. This is because you will be focused on meeting the deadline instead of doing a good job.
That’s why it’s important to set specific deadlines. By doing so, you can ensure that you’ll complete the project on time. Take into account the amount of time it takes to complete each step in the design process, from concept development to prototype design.
#6 Striving for Perfection
No product is perfect. No matter how hard you try, your product will still have imperfections. Want proof? Read the reviews on Amazon and you’ll find that even high-end products have received their fair share of criticism.
The truth is, there will always be customers who will pinpoint your product’s faults, but there will also be customers who will love your product. You can’t please everyone. If you strive for perfection, you’ll never be able to release your product. You’ll end up wasting time and money.
#7 Ignoring User Experience
So, your product works. The question is, “How well does it work?”.
Even if your product excels in terms of performance, you can’t ignore user experience. End-users (aka your customers) expect your product to offer the full experience. This means that it not only has to fulfil its function, but it also has to tick the boxes of utility, ease of use, and more.
Consider how your customers will be interacting with it. You may want to circle back to collecting feedback to ensure that your users have the best possible experience.
The Bottom Line
When designing a product, it can be easy to get carried away with excitement. However, you should always try to avoid making mistakes during your product design process.
There are plenty of other product design pitfalls that you need to be careful of. That’s why you might want to work with a product design consultancy like Design2Market. By doing so, you’ll have a dedicated team that will make sure that your product is exactly what people want (and need), and that your design process goes smoothly.
