Impact of Design on Marketing

I was very intrigued to learn how design became such an integral part of the marketing landscape. In the 1900s it seemed as if the market exploded overnight. With the flood of products, marketing for a new product needed something extra to distinguish one product from any other product. Using a design philosophy in marketing has proven to be very successful because the design of the product determines how it looks and functions. The design of the system that delivers the product or service is important as well, as it will influence the overall experience of the customer. This whole concept illustrated to me how the entire experience of a product can be personally designed to fit the needs of the consumer, down to the last detail. The pioneers of design outlined a fantastic set of guidelines to the design philosophy, all of which hold true for successful products. I especially liked the quote from Eero Saarinen about designing a thing by considering its next larger context.

The incorporation of a design philosophy can be very healthy for a marketing practice, but I wonder if it is always healthy for the market. Does it truly consider the consumer and fill a needed void in marketing? Design can give way to tons of new products and can create a sense of usefulness in these products, but I question how useful some of them actually are. Tons of products are released that claim to make things easier, to make difficult tasks simple, to make your life better. One example that comes to mind is the Roomba, a small circular vacuum that literally vacuums your house for you using computer sensors that detect walls and spaces. Roomba made consumers think its product was essential, boasting so many cool features that everyone just had to run out and buy one. Now it is a huge seller. I’ve seen one in action, and it does its job. Actually, it is a pretty amazing technological design. I suppose it even saves the consumer a little time vacuuming and managing a vacuum cleaner, but is this product a true technological breakthrough? Was this a real problem in America, finding time to vacuum our houses? To me it seems like it is a cool new toy, but its design and the design systems used by its parent company iRobot have made it seem like an essential to life. There are tons of products like these, and design philosophy could allow for even more. The diverge/converge method struck me as a brilliant way of thinking up new ideas and getting creative by stretching your mind. This can and has led to many great products that do serve a purpose. It has also led to the creation of useless things you will probably throw away in a few years, but you take the good with the bad.

My favorite designer that Jeff mentioned was Dieter Rams. His quote, “Good design is as little design as possible” should be a mantra for all designers. Also, his list of 10 principles of good design reads like the 10 commandments of design. It perfectly combines the functional responsibility with the ethical responsibility. Jeff showed how you can tread this fine line by thinking of two problems, creating a product to keep up with competition and creating a product to improve people’s lives. If you consider everyone in the equation, you can’t go wrong.