Product Design and Use Testing: Key Concepts
Key Concepts in Product Design
Defining Design and its Role in Innovation
1. How can design be defined? Design has been defined as “the synthesis of technology and human needs into manufacturable products.“
2. What is the role of design in technology-driven innovation? The role of design is to modify the product so it can accommodate the performance characteristics.
3. What is the role of design in market-driven innovation? Design modifies the product so that it meets customer expectations.
Different Purposes for Product Design
4. What are the different purposes for which a product can be designed?
- Design for Speed to Market
- Design for Ease of Manufacture
- Design for Differentiation
- Design to Meet Customer Needs
- Design to Build or Support Corporate Identity
- Design for the Environment
Product Architecture and Prototypes
5. What is a product architecture? The process by which a customer need is developed into a product design.
6. At what step of the product architecture process do you define the “chunks” or “modules”? At Step 2 – Cluster the Schematic Elements.
7. What are “derivative products”? If chunks or modules can be replaced easily within the product architecture, “derivative products” can be made from the same basic platform as technology, market tastes, or manufacturing skills change.
8. What are the 2 types of prototypes?
- Comprehensive Prototype: Complete, fully-functioning, full-size product ready to be examined by customers (necessary to determine how well all the components fit together).
- Focused Prototype: Not fully functioning or developed, but designed to examine a limited number of performance attributes or features.
Industrial Designers vs. Design Engineers
9. What is the difference between industrial designers and design engineers? Industrial designers are trained to develop aesthetics, structural integrity, and function. Design engineers are technical people who convert styling into product dimensions or specifications.
10. What is co-location? Co-location means putting the various individuals or functional areas in close proximity (face-to-face).
Product Use Testing
Defining Product Use Testing
1. What is product use testing? Product use testing (also called field testing or user testing) consists of testing the end user’s experience with the new item under normal operating conditions.
Types of Use Testing
2. What are some types of use testing and their characteristics?
- Alpha testing: Done in-house with employees.
- Beta testing: Short-term, done at the customer’s site.
- Gamma testing: Long-term, the item is thoroughly evaluated by the end user. Done if beta testing doesn’t meet the developer’s needs.
Marketing’s Role in the “I Think We’ve Got It” Phase
3. What happens to Marketing’s role when the “I Think We’ve Got It” phase is reached? Now, Marketing’s role increases as marketing people “rev up” their operations.
Beta Testing vs. Gamma Testing
4. Why do firms many times go with beta testing instead of gamma testing? Cost and time considerations; Keeping ahead of competitors.
Methods of Conducting User Tests
5. What are the different ways in which a user test can be conducted?
- Monadic test: The respondent tests a single product for a period of time.
- Sequential monadic test: Back-to-back monadic tests with the same respondent.
- Paired comparison test: Use of the test product is mixed with a competitive product.
- Triangular comparison: Similar to paired comparison, but with two competitive products versus one test product.