Product Design is one of the trickiest jobs because, at the same time, we have to think as a customer; on the other hand, we have to deliver the brand's main aim. It gets tougher when the canvas space is small, and the market competition is huge. In this blog, we will understand how today's designers are coping with this tricky confusion of how to impress the people or brands or follow up with the trendy feels ruling out the market in both digital and printed arenas.
First, we will understand what a product designer must deliver and which segments. As a product designer, the customer is the king we are all aware of, but at the same time, our brand and its identity are the rulers that set it apart from the rest of the competitors. The main objective that recently occurred in 5-6 years is 'Being Trendy is Must'. So, these three are the main ingredients needed in a product design or product campaign.
Earlier Concept
If you shed some light on earlier times when people had no gadgets and print media ruled the world, people used to ask for 'Colgate.' When the shopkeeper gave any other brands like Pepsodent or Closeup, customers needed to be aware that the products had different ingredients. Still, the customer knows that all 'Colgate comes in the Red package, and so does the Pepsodent and closeup. And this ideology goes around with Gadi, the detergent powder aligned with 'Neerma.' Back then, 'product is the king,' and product designing mattered less because there wasn't little competition in the market. Hardly there are 2-3 dominating brands of the same product, and some used to compete in high-end marketing, too.
Mid-Level Concept
So this era comes where people are getting preferable towards their 'favorite' product from 2-3 brands ruling the market, and here people are getting aware that there are other new products exist in the market which somewhere better aspect of packaging, ingredient vise and the most important quantity wise. At this time, online trends are quite impressive to the audience with effective taglines and moto of the brands in the digital market, which basically the television and somewhere you can add excessive radio advertisements. Facebook is the new friend of customers and brands, too. And then other social media platforms give a larger audience to their products. Here, people know,' OK, we want Peposdent, which comes in bright red, not dull red and white background.'
New Gen Concept
Now we know how brands and marketing are building our mindset, and the major part is their marketing tools and approach is 'OK, so this is your problem, but we have a solution. And the best campaign that goes with this is Loreal Shampoo Product 5 Problems 1 solution. Fancy models and an attractive atmosphere are other aspects of buying particular products today. And if you are talking about the marketing tricks, Zomato is the top as the tricks these guys are using are expectational, where there are offers, notification pop-ups, or their last-minute app that is Blinkit.
So, in these three sections, we have divided our facts, and now we will discover which approach today's designers use to dominate the market.
People VS Product
We have all heard that the 'customer is the utmost king' in all types of marketing, whether in the 1990s or 2024. Customers can mold the market in any curve, make any brand a big hit, and drop any big bull into a big blaster. Now, the critical part is what is more important still, the people or the product, because selling any article or piece is important to the brand, and purchasing the right product with correct and justified value with super amazing quantity is the eye of the customer. And here where the designer got stuck into 3 roller ride
- To go with a brand outline
- People Pleasure
- Follow Trends to Be in Active Market
There are many brands who don't believe in actively changing the packaging of their product, as it can create confusion among the audience whether it is the same product or not. So what they do is they keep their color theme and visual appearance the same but add a slight change in the back side of the packaging product, which only some notice.
But as told, New Genz is smarter, so they want to try out every brand curated by big or small-scale companies.
For example, Colgate is an American brand used for oral hygiene products such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwashes, and dental floss. Manufactured by Colgate-Palmolive, Colgate's oral hygiene products were first sold by the company in 1873, sixteen years after the founder's death, William Colgate. We understand that Colgate is a toothpaste, but at the same time, there are new toothpaste products like Perform, an innovative oral care brand with products that will make oral care easy, inviting, and enjoyable!
Suppose you look at the visual aspect of both brands. In that case, Colgate has a simpler and direct focus on the major ingredient, which sets it apart from the other brands in the local market. In contrast, Perfora's visual focuses on why it is beneficial for daily use, and its competition is other medium-scale businesses with the same product. Still, at the same time, they have authenticity at a higher level and major customer satisfaction with today's youngsters' problems as nowadays people are more concerned about 'physical appearance and representation, so it helps them to overcome it.
What A designer Choose?
A trick question: what would a product designer choose for a brand, people, or trend? So, the answer lies in the concept of adding a personal and emotional touch to the visuals. So here it comes: The Theory of Three Pillars of NeuroDesign.
Visceral Design
First, a designer chooses and their best to represent the best functionality of the motive via Visceral Design.
A visceral reaction is our immediate response to a sensory experience, setting the tone and first impression that guides our exploration.
- Focuses on initial impact and aesthetic appeal.
- Evokes an immediate emotional response based on looks.
Key benefits of strong, positive first impressions:
- Users are more forgiving of later issues.
- Lay a positive groundwork for future interactions.
- Spark immediate affection & ignite a passion for spreading the word.
Behavioral Design
Behavioral reactions encompass our emotions during product use, focusing on our responses to interactions and the value we gain.
- Centers on usability and the experience of using the product.
- Creates satisfaction through effective functionality.
Key benefits of positive behavioral responses:
- Users feel empowered.
- Personalization leads to increased satisfaction.
- Trust and reliability through predictable outcomes.
- Higher engagement rates due to the desire for consistent delight
Reflective Design
Reflective reactions focus on our feelings and memories after engaging with an experience. It shapes our lasting impressions and influences our desire to revisit or avoid the experience in the future.
- Involves personal significance and the meaning behind the experience.
- Encourages deeper thought, evoking long-term emotional connections.
Key benefits of positive reflections:
- Instill a strong sense of belonging and identity.
- Generate a buzz through user satisfaction.
- Encourage users to spread the word.
- Always remember that different products across industries need a unique approach. Consider what key emotions you want to evoke. For example:
- Personal Banking App: Safety, Trust.
- Fitness App: Motivation, Reward.
- Educational App: Curiosity, Achievement.
When designing an experience, you should ask yourself:
- What emotions do I want the user to experience?
- What do they want to see at this stage?
- What will make them feel satisfied?
- How do I make the user feel special?
The best part is that when you study people, you will:
- Improve stickiness and engagement
- Boost your conversion rates
- Reduce the cognitive load
- Breed love for your brand
The best examples to look at are
1.Monaco Biscuit product packaging around Rakhi, where they just added a minor section about the Rakhi festival at the backside of the product.
2. Another example is Kitkat; during Valentine's Day, they came up with new flavors in their product list, which helped the audience know that these were new editions for a short period.
3. The 'Padhe Bharat' campaign was launched to improve the learning levels of students. It marks a significant step in improving learning levels because it develops creativity, critical thinking, vocabulary, and expression in writing and verbal forms. 'Padhe Bharat' will help children relate to their surroundings and real-life situations.
Bottom Line
The bottom line and the end of this blog would be to please ensure the target audience of your product and the brand. Another main thing is that you can also look for the main trends that you can use or add to your campaign will maintain-hamper your brand or company image; then, you are good to go to explore the marketing tools and your creativity.