Think like a consumer… Analysis of customer needs

Think like a consumer…

Analysis of customer needs.

When you go shopping for a product such as a personal stereo, a bike, a new pair of jeans or ‘convenience food’, you are faced with a huge range to choose from.

How do you decide which to buy?

When you go shopping for a product such as a personal stereo, a bike, a new pair of jeans or ‘convenience food’, you are faced with a huge range to choose from.

How do you decide which to buy?

Customer need

Now think like a Designer…

Task 1: Analysis of customer needs.

There are different factors that affect customer choice…

Price factors, Technical factors, Service Factors.

Price factors:

•Price•Life cycle costs•Running costs•Servicing/cleaning costs•Breakdown costs•Costs of spare parts•Depreciation•Costs of disposal•Value for money

Technical factors:

•Ease and convenience•Flexibility of use •Performance•Reliability•Ergonomics•Maintenance•Safety•Appearance•Packaging and presentation•Disposal•Clarity of the instructions for use

Service factors:

•After sales service quality•Delivery•Availability•Instructions for servicing

Customer need

This information could be expressed as a brainstorm

Price factors:

•Price•Life cycle costs•Running costs•Servicing/cleaning costs•Breakdown costs•Costs of spare parts•Depreciation•Costs of disposal•Value for money

Technical factors:

•Ease and convenience•Flexibility of use •Performance•Reliability•Ergonomics•Maintenance•Safety•Appearance•Packaging and presentation•Disposal•Clarity of the instructions for use

Service factors:

•After sales service quality•Delivery•Availability•Instructions for servicing

Conclusion:It is important for manufacturers to develop and maintain a close relationship with their customers.This will:

• Help to establish the design criteria for the product

• Help to establish the best balance between the price of the product and its performance

• Allow improvements to be made to the product.

How does the design of a product affect the customers view of it?…

Purchase(Showroom Characteristics)

Before purchase(Brochure characteristics)

Long term Use(Performance Characteristics)

Initial Use(Performance Characteristics)

How does the design of a product affect the customers view of it?…

Purchase(Showroom Characteristics)

• purchase price• quality of design and manufacture • special features

first impressions:emotional response, appearance, function, your need

Before purchase(Brochure characteristics)

• manufacturers' specification • test results• advertised performance and appearance• image of the company and its products• list price

How does the design of a product affect the customers view of it?…

Long term Use(Performance Characteristics)

• Reliability, durability• Ease of maintenance• Life expectancy • Running/servicing costs• New products come onto the market• Changes in fashion

Initial Use(Performance Characteristics)

• Ease of use• Actual performance• Safety

Task 1: Produce a sheet Analysing customer needs…

Task 1: Analysis of customer needs.

Purchase(Showroom Characteristics)

Before purchase(Brochure characteristics)

Long term Use(Performance Characteristics)

Initial Use(Performance Characteristics)

How does the design of a product affect the customers view of it?…

Customer need

How my clients needs will affect my design:

Analysis of client needs:When people shop they are faced with a huge range to choose from…

Social, moral and cultural issues.

Moral Issues…

Social Issues…

Cultural Issues…

Task 2: Moral, social and cultural issues.

When specifying the requirements for a mass produced product, designers need to consider a wide range of moral, economic, social, cultural and environmental issues. These often produce conflicts which can be hard to resolve…

Moral Issues.

In certain situations a product may have the capacity to injure or harm someone - either the user or a bystander.

Cigarettes and alcohol are obvious examples.

Bull-bars on cars may look good and help improve sales, but they are likely to increase the severity of injury to a pedestrian in an accident.

Social Issues.

Some products can have a major impact on the way in which large groups of people live their lives.

Convenience foods, for example, mean that there is less likelihood of the family sitting down together to eat a meal. Promotion and packaging can help counter this by providing two-person portions and using images of family meals.

Information and communication technologies are in the process of making a major impact on society, as work and shopping can be increasingly undertaken at home. Advanced automation reduces the number of people needed to produce and distribute goods - causing unemployment.

Cultural Issues.

The particular beliefs, ways of life and traditions of different groups of people have a major effect on the way they live their lives what they do, where they live and the things they buy.

Food and clothing and the symbolism of certain shapes and colours all play highly significant roles in maintaining the identity of particular cultures when a product is intended for use by a range of cultures it is important to identify and recognise such needs.

Design Issues.

Moral Issues Social Issues Cultural Issues