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“Why do we need design research?”
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This is a question we get asked by a lot of clients when we walk them through our design process. From our perspectives, it can be difficult to have a well designed product without good research, as we create products and services that directly respond to user needs based on design research. Some questions we ask during our design research phase include (but are not limited to):
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- Who is this for?
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- Exactly what problem are we trying to solve?
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- What are the existing solutions to the problem?
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- Who are the competitors?
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- What problems do competitor products have?
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- How can we stand out from the competition?
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- What real world constraints need to be considered?
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These questions help us better understand the problem, the market, and most importantly, the people who will be using the products we design.
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Who is the product for?
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Without users, there is no product. To create a product experience that users would love, a designer must first define the users to gain attitudinal and behavioral insights. As clients and designers would both bring their respective knowledge and assumptions in the subject, there will be a chaotic amount of factual and fictitious information. Methodical user research allows us to examine this information critically to understand how to truly engage the users.
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Design Research vs. Market Research
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Not to be confused with market research, design research places a heavy emphasis on user needs instead of market demand. The goal for design research is to build a foundation for design strategy and a clear direction for product development. While market research seeks value engineering for the business entity, design research aims to generate utilitarian value for the users. The combination of design and market research is conducive to a successful startup, as a great product is built on the harmonious dichotomy between empathy and logic.
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Exactly what problem are we trying to solve?
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It is important to understand the context of the design problem before one attempts to solve it. A comprehensive understanding of how the existing problem affects target users is a solid foundation for potential design solutions. Establishing a hierarchy of problems based on their importance enables designers to generate a priority list for design features that would address these problems. Once the problems are defined and articulated, it will be easier to solve them.
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What are the existing solutions to the problem?
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The intuition for an ambitious startup facing a problem is sometimes to seek an innovative solution. Nevertheless, innovative products need a lot of research and validations before they can enter the market to create a social impact. It is crucial for innovative product developers to examine existing solutions so that they can identify pain points early on and innovate efficiently and methodically. Studying existing or similar solutions also allows the proposed product to address the problem precisely. Features are not added just for the sake of adding, but implemented selectively to enhance specific experiences.
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Who are the competitors and how can we stand out?
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Assessing existing competitors is key to creating product competitive advantage. By looking at what works for the users and what does not from similar products, we are able to come up with long-term design strategies accurately. Competitors are also a very accessible resource to help analyze user interaction patterns, which can be used to accelerate the design process.
For hardware startups, it is imperative to make a strong first impression in the market. Oftentimes an appealing and contextually powerful visual language is needed to create a market impact. Of course, the product aesthetics must be matched with intuitive usability that efficiently and effectively addresses the pain points. Consumer facing products especially have fierce competition, therefore it is more important for them to conduct in-depth design research to truly engage the users. Being subject to rigorous regulations, medical/industrial products on the other hand, also require heavy design research to excel in a complex system.
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What real world constraints need to be considered?
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A hardware product faces numerous practical constraints in its product development life span. Design research makes sure that the product quality and user experience are not compromised by manufacturing and cost limitations. The sustainability of a product is very much determined by designers’ assiduous research efforts, as an experienced design team could pinpoint the optimum manufacturing techniques and cost-saving strategies that can be integrated into the overall design planning.
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Prioritize design research to make your product truly great
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As product market participants get more and more familiarized with the benefits of human-centered design, most start-ups are starting to approach their products holistically with thorough design research. Good research provides designers and clients with nuanced insights in user behavior and needs, which are essential to create a great product that users love. With the correct design team asking the right questions, an innovative idea would indubitably be transformed into a great, functional product.
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