Making it simple
Corinna Proctor / TrendsWith so much discussion of economics and the future, practitioners in the design and human factors disciplines have all taken a step back to reflect and look at trends in our industries. No doubt, all industries have been impacted and everyone is affected.
Yet, in spite of the downturn, our day-to-day interactions with the world might seem somewhat unchanged.
If you are one of the few still opening their quarterly investment statements, then you know the gravity of the situation. Right now, companies are taking stock of their offerings. Asking themselves – what products and systems are essential to our consumers? When push comes to shove, what products and price points can still lure a steady following?
Well, amazingly, there are many. So many products in the consumer sector continue to do well. Mobile phones. MP3 players. Entertainment apps. They all continue to provide the hits of the future. They are sometimes the big, obvious winners, but more and more often, apps that are smaller and lighter and less expensive are the darkhorses to the industry. You might see tons of sales for the device that is priced just south of $200 or the app that is $0.99. As an OEM of these devices, you might wonder – where do you fit into the landscape? Look through the forest of news and you’ll hear that people are more discretionary than ever with their money. When it comes time to plunk down your cash, something usable and enjoyable will be in 1st place. Slam dunk. Blue ribbon. It’s seemingly so easy, but what’s the big idea?
The problem is simple. Competition. So much demand on the market for the average household to open their wallets and take a chance. When you are the average consumer, you hear every day, 5 times a day, to be conservative with your money. Save it. Stash it. Yet the age-old desire to acquire new shiny objects can’t be squashed just because the news anchor tells you to do so! When you take those hard-earned dollars and pair that with a desire to consume and acquire, you might just be a bit more careful in your purchases. You want the latest gadget? Well, then – won’t you do a bit of homework and find the one that is the best for the money? Won’t you tend toward something safe, reliable and that does what it is supposed to?
You’d think that we always approach decisions with this in mind, and maybe so, but in today’s economy, people are going to be more overt about the decision to purchase. And what will weigh in heavily? Our friends: compelling design, usability, and accommodation of all of our human factors.
Don’t stop now, OEMs, now more than ever, your consumers will scrutinize the competition and may decide to award their purchase to the company that met all of their needs, not just some. When it comes down to it, all things being equal, why choose something that simply doesn’t do what it is supposed to do? Why choose a product that requires a master’s in engineering to assemble? Why spend a even one minute on a website that doesn’t make sense? You won’t. You don’t have to. And neither do your customers. Now more than ever – it’s time to get it together, trash crappy design and get serious about making things stand apart.
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