Have you ever wondered how there is a wide variety of products with many features that address our daily life problems? It all comes from the imagination of one mind to make valuable products available to people. Creative designs make it easier for people to identify what they need. Technology has improved a lot through the years, and our lives have become much more suited thanks to the products we use today. The core concept for any idea comes as an answer to certain user groups awaiting in the market. Inspiration for designing these concepts can come from anywhere and anytime. These concepts are sketches initially, later sculpted, developed, and considered by the creative artist or often even a group of them, who document the process for further advancement. Problem-solving is the main objective behind all products and how it would be an effective change for the user.
Inspiration to Design
Young designers may face issues to suddenly jet-start a design, clearly because they are inexperienced and are still unaware of most of the technologies present today. Experts also face similar problems. Social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, traveling, walking short distances, communicating with nature, museum and art visits, etc are some ways designers find their work inspiration from. The arrangement and constant work on the ideas gained from these visits can be developed from these visual breaks. Constant working also results in idea block, hence mental and physical breaks are also very necessary to refresh the mind.
They overcome it by working on, consulting others, and questioning their design process. Design inspiration is skillful thinking and may be obtained from 3D forms, online resources, and philosophies of themselves or others. It could emerge from inquisitive deep thinking or group discussions which can result in the making of the most preferred choice of the users. A product inspiration may have various options which can later be developed in its conceptual and construction stages. The idea is to visualize the core concept, its usefulness once executed, and how long it runs in the market.
Any designer comes up with ideas to address pertaining issues to a user group or an individual. A designer must understand the troubles or difficulties that the industry faces to create a solution. The initial inspiration and concept is the quick simple response to the client.
The creative solution helps in increasing and improving the quality of the product. Later, taken up by the customers since it turns out exactly how they intend it to work out. The initial idea for any product may start as a sketch or even a question by the client. Shaping up the design may involve the expertise of people working in various fields to create a concrete solution for the target user group.
Design and product quality
Fashion, Architecture, Construction, Technology, Science, etc. are fields that have developed over the years, tackling the issues and aiding in the overall comfortable living of humans. We have come a long way from understanding our problems to acknowledging them fully. Good designs are born when the designers put themselves in the shoes of the customers to understand their point of view, giving them a clear idea of how to address the issue caused.
There are an infinite number of products out in the market that keep on developing since the competitors bring out better quality and options for the end user. This wide range of options poses challenges to the developer or designer to create a modified option for the product. Therefore, what once started as an inspiration for solving a problem, becomes a never-ending process. Collecting various references and suggestions from the market and users is important for evaluating product quality. The quality of a design is defined by its economical value, functionality and usability, and visual and aesthetic appeal to the customer. Although the most important point is to satisfy the customers’ needs.
What defines a good product
An ideal product satisfies the need and provides a great user experience. The market brings feedback to the developers who can change it to create a unique product true to its value and has the best strategy to solve the issue. The number of iterations to the prototype signals the overall quality of the product. A great design is always human-centered. Currently, the parameters of products are expected to be environmentally friendly and sustainable. Original ideas for a product set a milestone for the designer and a challenge for the competitors since it pressures them to stretch the maximum possibilities of making it valuable.
Designer to End-user | Inspiration for Designing
“Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the customer gets out of it” -Peter Drucker.
Every product we see in the market was once on paper and is fine-tuned to be what it is now. Communicating the solution to the customer is as important as devising and planning the remedy to the problem. Oftentimes, designers may encounter people who lack technical knowledge and creative minds. Inspiration-turned-design concepts have to be presented in the most simple, crisp manner to convince the user that it is the best possible solution out there.
There might be great designs in the market, which some of us may consider the best, but criticized for various reasons, which implies that not all users are always satisfied with all products. It is impossible to satisfy everyone and every need, yet, if it passes the industry standards and the majority accepts it, we consider the product as the one for all. However, inspirations and innovations are what move the world forward.
References and citations:
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Count, P.T. (2018). The Five Elements of Product Design. [online] Products That Count. Available at: https://productsthatcount.com/the-five-elements-of-product-design-2/ [Accessed 7 Oct. 2022].
The Balance. (n.d.). What Are Problem-Solving Skills? [online] Available at: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/problem-solving-skills-with-examples-2063764.
www.eleken.co. (n.d.). What Is Product Design? Guide for Non-Designers. [online] Available at: https://www.eleken.co/blog-posts/what-is-product-design-and-why-it-matters.
www.eichholtz.com. (n.d.). The definition of design – Inspiration. [online] Available at: https://www.eichholtz.com/en/inspirations/the-definition-of-design.html [Accessed 7 Oct. 2022].
- Images:
GlobalGyan (2020). Five Super-easy Questions Leaders Ask To Create A
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August 5th, B.D. 12th S. 2019 and 2022 (2019). The difference between product design and industrial design. [online] Available at: https://bluefrogdesign.co.uk/2019/09/the-difference-between-product-design-and-industrial-design/ [Accessed 7 Oct. 2022].
