Creative marketing and innovative consumer

product des ign- some case

studies

Mary Alexander

Institute of Advanced Studies, Manchester Polytechnic, All Saints, Manchester M15 6BH, UK

This paper uses three case studies to discuss the importance of a total integration between marketing research and design at the concept stages of new consumer product development and throughout the design

development and marketing process of the product

Keywords: qualitative market research, design and marketing integration, diversification opportunities and design, product visual identity and consumer recognition

The Institute of Marketing defines marketing as 'the management function responsible for identifying, anti- cipating and satisfying customer requirements profit- ably'. This defmition, however, raises important ques- tions concerning the role of design (or its absence) in relation to the marketing function within new consumer product development programmes. In 1982, Sir Kenneth Corfield identified the common practice of separating design and marketing in British industry as a major contributory factor to the country's poor achievement in commercially successful, innovative product design, by asking: 'How many of those responsible for the future of industry would include design as a basic cornerstone of business, and how many more would describe manufac- turing and sales as the key activities? All too often design would be seen as the tool of manufacturing rather than the partner of marketing '~.

This management perception of market research as an activity carried out within marketing and sales depart- ments, and therefore distinct from the designing of products, is reflected in an extensive conventional marketing literature. Research work in this area has been concerned with market performance evaluation models,

and with market research methods and techniques 2 which attempt to measure current consumer attitudes to existing products or to examine previous patterns of consumer behaviour for future prediction purposes 3'4.

Many designers have expressed scepticism of such techniques which are based on consumer responses to existing product concepts and which, when handled insensitively, will merely serve to feedback 'historical' information in the assessment of new products 5. In particular, designer Kenneth Grange of Pentagram has argued for the importance of a design sensitive approach to market research which explores people's attitudes to new product concepts, and which will effectively 'research a proposition '6.

More recently however, some market researchers involved in new product development programmes have questioned the uncritical use of unimaginative, quantita- tive consumer surveys that seek to find 'everything there is to know '7. It is argued that a 'quantitative' approach is too often used automatically by a cautious management to delay inhouse decisions about a new product concept. In contrast, 'qualitative' researchers, usually working in conjunction with designers at the concept stage prior to

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formulating the product design brief, recommend the use of smaller informal group discussions including the designer, which provide scope to explore people's wider perceptions of a product and what form it could take, or how it might be used 8'9.

A combined design and marketing strategy at the initial market survey and concept stage opens up new areas of design and business opportunities, and if handled skilfully by design sensitive researchers, poten- tial areas of 'innovation receptiveness' can be tested.

The following three case studies are examples of innovative consumer product designs based on previous- ly identified consumer requirements. In each case, design and marketing staff used this information to move beyond existing product concepts and translate these requirements into innovative design solutions and new uses of materials. At the same time, considerable cost reductions were made in comparison with conventional materials and methods of manufacture. Case studies 2 and 3, the Inhome Cassette Hose and the Redring Autoboil jug kettle, presented new visual forms to the British consumer at the time of product launch, and therefore raise interesting issues concerning the visual identity of a product, consumer recognition and the role of communication design and marketing in this process.

CASE STUDY 1--SERVIS QUARTZ 600 WASHING MACHINE

Background

During the 1960s Servis Domestic Appliances, based in Wednesbury in the Midlands, had established a reputa- tion for the design of top-loading, twin-tub washing machines but by the 1970s the market was moving towards front-loading, automatic machines. By 1980 three-quarters of all washing machines sold in Britain were automatics and two-fifths of these were imported, mainly from Italy. Although there was strong brand loyalty to the Servis twin-tub machine in Britain, the market in general continued to decline to under 20 per cent in 1980. At that time, the design of the company's standard automatic machine did not enable it to compete effectively against strong selling brand names such as Hoover and Hotpoint.

Design as 'added value'

Servis launched the innovative microprocessor controlled Quartz 600 washing machine in 1981, and within twelve months the product had doubled the company's share of the UK market (Figure 1). This was widely commented on in the fmancial press because Servis was making a profit and commercial recovery on the strength of the Quartz, whereas the Wilkins Mitchell group (of which Servis was a division) continued to incur heavy losses 1°.

From the initial concept discussions in 1978, manage- ment had decided that the design of the Quartz would be aimed at the upper quartile of the market and would offer

the consumer a 'value for money' quality product with distinctive design features. Microelectronics would be used to offer the consumer improved washing facilities performing different tasks from standard automatics, and the design of the product was to be better than competitors but within the same price areas as the standard automatic. Management perceived this as an opportunity for the company to break out of the vicious price-cutting spiral in the domestic white goods market, and thereby avoid competition from cheap imported products at the lower end of the market.

Design potential of microelectronics

The use of microelectronics offered the company con- siderable cost-saving advantages at a time when the price of electrical mechanical timers was increasing and sources of supply in Europe were becoming more limited. This had been one of the major reasons for Servis' earlier acquisition of ICC, an electronics company based in Cumbria, and in 1973 the Servis Selectronic 301 was launched, the world's first microprocessor contzolled washing machine. But the technical brief for the Selectronic had been restricted to copying and replacing the functions of a conventional timer in order to find a cheaper form of control system, and to increase product reliability by reducing the number of moving parts from fifty-six to one silicon chip.

Wash programmes, however, remained virtually iden- tical to those available on any standard automatic. The

The revolutionary new SERMIS QUARTZ automatic washing machJne with simple pcess -button operation and highly reliable Quartz control.

Figure 1. S ervis Quartz 600 washing machine launched in 1981

42 DESIGN STUDIES

Selectronic was not a commercial success, and its narrow 'engineering-led' development programme neglected the wider industrial design requirements of users. In retros- pect the company viewed this as a 'learning period' for the design, manufacture and use of microclectronics but their full design potential remained largely unexploited.

By contrast, the development programme of the Quartz was designed to move beyond the geometrical design restrictions of the coventional timer and incorpo- rate new wash programmes into the design of the software. Whereas the 360 ° clockface configuration of the electromechanical timer prevented the expansion or addition of new programmes unless at the expense of others, the use of microelectronics permitted a new flexibility of design in the planning of the wash programmes. From the beginning, Servis management decided to exploit this flexibility to the full by working in collaboration with Procter and Gamble, detergent manu- facturers, to obtain detailed consumer information on both existing and required washing methods and habits. A marketing priority at this stage was to identify the design weaknesses of existing automatic machines as perceived by a sample of consumers and analysed with the help of Procter and Gamble's extensive research laboratories in Newcastle and Brussels. Detailed information was pro- vided on the optimum wash programme for each individual type of fabric, ignoring the limitations inhe- rent in conventional machine control systems.

Consumer research f'mdings and the product design brief

Extensive market research on consumer washing patterns revealed two important findings:

• that 80 per cent of users continued to handwash small items because existing programmes were either too lengthy and inconvenient or were too vigorous for many fabrics

• that 60 per cent of users soaked items before washing in the machine

Additional information derived from consumer research discussion led to the following design specification in the product brief:

• that energy saving and economy should be considered in the selection of wash programmes (energy def'med in terms of electricity, detergent, water and time)

• the machine must be simple to operate with uncompli- cated controls 'alternative aesthetics' to be researched and consumer tested before final production

• electronics should use less components than Selectro- nic for increased reliability

• microchip should be controlled by a quartz crystal for reliability and accuracy

• new product would be field-tested for 12 months prior to full production and consumer results to be used when fmalising the design

Design development programme

The design development programme of the Servis Quartz was the first time that the company had used consumer research in order to go back to the drawing board and design a washing machine from scratch. Previously the company, like its competitors, had relied on close observation of other products on the market and had responded with incremental improvements. With the Quartz, creative design interpretation of the marketing data resulted in challenges to traditional design and manufacturing methods, and to consequent design im- provements and reductions in production costs.

For example, consumer dissatisfaction was expressed with the traditional 'cheesegrater' drum which traps buttons and hooks causing excessive wear and tear on the fabrics, and also tends to 'dimple' fabrics in the holes. A smooth surface 'Spin Care' drum was designed and patented for the Quartz, which enables water to be extruded through holes positioned at the sides (Figure 2). In this way the drum itself serves as a pump providing maximum water extraction and also protecting fabrics at high speeds. An additional manufacturing advantage of the new drum design was that it was considerably cheaper to produce than the conventional type.

A consultant industrial designer, Desmond Khan, was contacted at the concept design stage to advise on ergonomics and overall graphics design, to ensure simplicity of operation and effective communication interface between machine and its user. Simple touch- button-panel controls facilitated easy handling in wet soapy conditions. A single touch button was designed to select all programmes and large easy-to-read red LED display lights were used to provide instant communica- tion concerning the selected programme and the stage reached in the wash cycle. Unlike the earlier Selectronic machine, design was interpreted in the widest sense of fully integrated 'industrial' and 'engineering' design.

Effective communication design extended to the re- lated information booklet and advertising literature which used clear, bold graphics to communicate to the consumer the advantages of certain product features. The design of marketing literature emphasised the theme of simplicity, in contrast to competitors' brochures which

Figure 2. On the left, Servis's new drum; on the right, a conventional " cheesegrater' drum

Vol 6 No 1 January 1985 43

tended to stress complexity and 'space age' sophistica- tion. Similarly, the built-in microelectronic self-fault diagnosis was designed to identify simple user errors and eliminate anxieties about calling the service engineer unnecessarily.

The consultant designer also put forward design proposals for new uses of materials and methods of manufacture, although a major design 'given' was the specified use of an existing machine tool producing a basic three-sided box.

A brown pre-coated steel top with radiused corners was designed which provided a strong, chip-resistant kitchen worktop surface that was easy to clean, warm to the touch and was visually attractive. The worktop concept produced positive consumer response in the field trials, and also had potential manufacturing advantages in reducing handling damage in the factory.

Design and commercial success

Better design of other product features such as the detergent dispenser and sump outlet increased operating efficiency and produced economies in electricity, deter- gent and water consumption. The result of considerable financial investment in design development and tooling costs (over £2M) and fully-automated testing equipment (£350 000) was that Servis had a distinctive, well- designed product at a time when the importance of brand names was weakening due to competitive retail price cutting. The Quartz price of £299 compared favourably against a standard automatic at £260 or the equivalent quality West German product at £800.

The commercial success of the Quartz demonstrated that British consumers were willing to pay an initial higher price for a quality product with perceived 'added value' features. This was also true of the financial company which rescued Servis Domestic Appliances in 1982 on the strength of its product design investment, when the remainder of the Wilkins Mitchell group went into receivership l~.

diversification opportunities for the company, and simi- larities were indentified between the weaving technology used in Rufflette curtain tape and the new lay-flal domestic garden hoses which were then gradually becoming available in Britain. After conducting a pre- liminary market appraisal, InHome marketing staff identified the main disadvantages of competitors' pro- ducts (mainly imported) as being:

• very expensive (about £25 compared to £5 for a conventional hose)

• overdesigned or poorly detailed • confined to garden centres and not available in major

retail outlets and DIY stores etc.

The company contacted Buxton Wall McPeake, a Manchester-based design group, for design advice and m the first design brief in April 1981 the design consultants were asked to examine competitors' products and to put forward design proposals for new product concepts. The overall objective in the initial brief was specified as being 'to design a better product'. InHome management decided not to mention target cost price at this stage so as not to restrict the initial scope of design possibilities.

Perceived advantages of lay-flat hoses (based on fireman's hose principle) as opposed to the traditional PVC-ribbed variety were:

• light weight • compactness • ease of winding and unwinding • lack of kinks • durability and storage outside in winter without

cracking

Eva lua t ion and testing o f concepts

The InHome Cassette Hose (Figure 3) is an example of a design development project in which the consultant design group worked closely in conjunction with the

CASE STUDY 2--INHOME CASSETTE HOSE

B a c k g r o u n d

Thomas French and Sons is a Manchester-based com- pany with a worldwide reputation for its expertise in weaving narrow fabric tapes and webbs, in particular its brand name 'Rufflette' curtain tape.

In 1980, two marketing staff were recruited to identify new product diversification and marketing opportunities for InHome Ltd, a recently established division of the company specialising in home improvement and leisure products.

Diversification opportunities

A Market Analysis Survey was carried out on product

Figure 3. InHome Cassette Hose designed by Buxton Wall McPeake, 1982. Outer case is polypropylene, hose consists of an extruded polyurethene inner and a polypropylene filament exterior woven around the inner core

44 DESIGN STUDIES

client company and its in_house design team from concept through to marketing stages. Design and marketing worked together in identifying the problem and explor- ing various design options.

When Buxton Wall McPeake reviewed the range of existing imported lay-fiat hoses, the main four originat- ing from Norway, Italy, Germany and the USA, it was felt that none of the versions exploited the design potential of plastic as a material (Figure 4). Each used large amounts of plastic in a rectangular carrying case containing the hose, and employed numerous additional mouldings. For example, the Hydrolett version consisted of ten mouldings and used a complex series of moving rollers to expel water from the hose, and a threaded nylon washer and screws to fasten together the two main parts of the case. This represented an engineering solution to the problem and necessitated high tooling costs.

From the initial concept sketches, Buxton Wall McPeake decided to exploit the flexibility of plastic and reduce tooling costs by incorporating snap-fit details as part of the design concept. The use of snap-fit construc- tion eliminated the need for the nylon-bearing washer, locking ring and threading device. Tooling costs were also reduced by designing the rollers as fixed guides and

therefore incorporating them into the plastic moulding of the main case (Figure 5).

It is significant that the designers' decision to use three rather than two mouldings for the product was related to packaging design at the early concept stages. The knob of the case was designed as a separate snap-fit moulding in order to reduce the depth of the pack design.

The ergonomics of the hose were explored by con- structing cardboard models with different handle op- tions. The designers found that the use of a hand slot positioned on the side of the product, as used in the compact German version, did not provide sufficient stability during the winding-in operation and tended to wobble from side to side. The design concept for a handle placed in the centre of a basic reel emerged during discussion with marketing staff at InHome. A plywood working prototype and two polycarbonate sheet models were made and these served the dual function of prototypes and appearance models for use in consumer discussion groups.

Consumer research and product recognition

In 1981, lay-flat hoses were not widely available in Britain and the design concept therefore presented an unfamiliar visual form to the consumer. Marketing staff at InHome Ltd were aware of the particular need in this case to obtain qualitative consumer information. It was considered important that interviewers should explore user attitudes to hoses in general, but that responses to the prototype designs should be classified according to real perceived advantages/disadvantages as distinct from those attributable to lack of information or visual unfamiliarity. The company employed a marketing research consultancy to carry out small informal group discussions (8 groups of 8-9 people) which included a member of the InHome marketing staff to provide a continuous link with the design development aspects of the product. The models and illustrational colour charts were used to evaluate consumer responses to the design

Figure 4. Imported competitors did not exploit the properties of plastic, and did not communicate product features on the pack design

Figure 5. Cassette Hose: snap-fit construction was used for the polypropylene body of the case, and fixed guides functioning as rollers were incorporated into the main moulding

Vol 6 No 1 January 1985 45

concept, ergonomics, colour and finish and these were compared with a range of competitors' products.

Responses to the models were extremely positive after initial anticipated problems had been explained--for example, some respondents became disillusioned about the concept when told that the hose had to be taken completely off the reel, but were reassured when they handled the product by its ease of use. Overall responses to its compactness, lightness and simplicity was positive, as was the reaction to its colourful appearance which distinguished, it from conventional hoses. Preferred colour combinations were blue case/green hose for the garden version and black/red for the car version with a matt-textured finish. Response to the name 'Cassette Hose' was tested as one of a list of twenty and was strongly preferred because it referred directly to the product identity as a hose with major benefits.

Visual communication and product launch

Design-sensitive handling of these consumer data by marketing staff reinforced commitment to the innovative product concept and further emphasised the need for strong communication-graphic design at the point of sale. A viewing slot was incorporated into the pack design, enabling the potential purchaser to glimpse the product without taking it out of the pack. Bold clear graphics accompanied by simple text and sequential use of photographs demonstrated the main product features and method of use.

Within a year of product launch in 1982, the Cassette Hose had become market leader and is now widely exported abroad. Innovative design had reduced manu- facturing and tooling costs by 20-30 per cent and had persuaded management to manufacture the product in Britain rather than Taiwan as was originally intended. The creative use of marketing research in conjunction with innovative product design initiated a commercially successful diversification programme for the company, which has since been expanded to other related product designs that are widely marketed through retail chain- store outlets, DIY multiples and car accessories shops.

CASE STUDY 3 - THE REDRING AUTOBOIL J U G K E T T L E

Background

In September 1976, Redring Electric Ltd, a subsidiary of GEC based in Peterborough, was contacted by Action Design consultants with a concept proposal for an electric plastic jug kettle. In his opening letter, designer David Harris described Action Design Ltd as a 'market- oriented product design consultancy which pursues a policy of innovation and speculative design'. Significant- ly, the design group had previously contacted major brand-name manufacturers of traditional kettles in Bri- tain but the design concept had been rejected on the grounds of being 'too far ahead of the British market'.

Redring's expertise was in electrical heating elements, and the company was at that time a major manufacturer of electrical elements for other firms' consumer products such as kettles and immersion heaters.

The Design Concept

The market-analysis survey carried out by Action Design included current and projected sales figures of kettle and coffee makers worldwide, cost comparisons between plastic and metal kettles, and details of prices and models available in Britain. The total number of manufacturers was sixteen, and models totalled eighty-three. The introduction survey therefore began by asking 'Why another kettle, or indeed why a plastic kettle?'

The advantages of plastic as opposed to metal were perceived to be:

• manufacturing cost reductions enabling separate parts to be incorporated into one moulding, thus avoiding the expense of individually soldered components in metal

• plastic's low coefficient of friction (good surface lubricity) prevents build-up of calcium deposits and 'furring'

• durable and easy to clean material, is virtually unbreakable if dropped

• safe to touch when boiling • can be moulded in a variety of colours

The advantages of an upright jug-shaped kettle as opposed to a conventional shape were listed as being:

• Decreased diameter of base enables user to boil minimum amounts of water i.e. a single cup of water. Convenient and energy saving.

• Narrow base is space saving, fits easily on a tray. • Jug handle positions user's hand well away from steam

when pouring. • Can double up as a measuring jug, measured scale

marked inside. • New shape needed to compete in the UK market.

The designers stressed, however, the interrelationship between these design requirements and the properties of plastic as a material in their preliminary report--'to produce the required cost reduction we have chosen to design a plastic, moulded body. It was the basic technology intrinsic in the process that led to a jug shape rather than the shape of a conventional metal kettle, although we realised that this could meet with inertia in the UK marketplace'.

Although some manufacturers had previously used plastics, without exception they had attempted to repro- duce the form of the conventional kettle.

Design development

Redring management invited David Harris of Action

46 DESIGN STUDIES

Design to give a presentation of the design concept work (Figure 6).

The company were interested in the concept because it was related to their allied expertise in electrical heating, and also because its energy-saving and convenience features tied in with the company's recent diversification programme into consumer products including a shower unit and a water heater.

Redring were convinced of the marketing advantages of the jug-kettle concept which was already used widely abroad. The company was also aware of positive market research response to the concept via earlier experiments at Hotpoint, another member of the GEC group.

A further meeting was held to discuss the technical problems connected with the BSI 'boil dry' and the BEAB 'dry destruction' tests. Consideration was given to the selection of a high-melting point plastic material which would also meet requirements of appearance, non-toxicity and corrosion resistance, the type of control systems to be used, and the development of a good element form and safety shield (Figure 7).

Action Design produced a wooden model which slanted forward ergonomically to accommodate the angled, clenched position of the user's hand when lifting and pouring simultaneously. This ergonomic and safety feature was especially suited to elderly and slightly handicapped users. The company's engineering staff expressed reservations about the angle of the slant, which

Figure 6. Concept drawing for the plastic jug-kettle by Action Design, 1976

Figure 7. Redring Autoboil kettle, launched 1979180

was considered to give a misleading visual impression of instability and was therefore modified.

After six months the design development programme was continued entirely inhouse by the company's en- gineering design team. Consultations began with GE Plastics of Holland in connection with the development of a specification using the plastic 'Noryl' to overcome existing cracking problems. Considerable development time was given to the design of an effective steam-control switch.

One ergonomic-design-user requirement which was not given sufficient attention by the inhouse engineering team was the necessity for an indented finger grip in the lid to facilitate removal by wet greasy fingers. The subsequent tooling modification would not have been necessary if a more integrated industrial/engineering design approach had been maintained throughout the development programme.

Product launch and marketing implications

Unfortunately, the initial product launch in late 1979/80 was not supported by the level of committed marketing strategy essential for an innovative product design which was so new and visually unfamiliar to the general public. Following a change of marketing management, the company relaunched the Autoboil kettle with a new pack designed to communicate instantly the consumer benefits of the new design concept. An additional marketing feature was the fitted plug ready for use and the consumer guarantee of automatic return within seven days if faulty.

In 1981 the Redring Autoboil kettle achieved sales in excess of a quarter of a million in Britain and contributed

Vol 6 No 1 January 1985 47

to a company turnover of approximately £ 16M, including substantial export orders from France, Holland, Den- mark, Australia, South Africa and the Middle East. But in 1982 seven plastic jug-kettles were launched by competitors in the UK market, including brand names which were backed by substantial TV advertising cam- paigns. Redring's home market sales were adversely affected by this later development, but the company's export market continued to expand and include the USA.

The Redring Autoboil case study demonstrates that innovative design does not sell itself but that it depends on the creative communication skills and positive corn-

Table 1. Comparison of case studies

mitment of marketing staff working in conjunction with designers to ensure the commercial success of the product j 2.

Discussion

Each of the three case studies discussed above are examples of British companies in which a policy decision was taken by senior management to create new business and market opportunities by. using innovative design. In each case, a member of senior management demonstrated

Issues raised from case studies Case 1 Case 2 Case 3 Comments (case study no.) Servis InHome Redring

1 Management policy commit- ment to design a value-added, ~/ ~ ,,t quality product

Enthusiastic 'product champion' identifiable at senior , I ~ ,1" management level

3 Use of consultant industrial ,.7 ,.t ,l- designer

4 Design consultant as originator of design concept

5 Involvement of designer in initial evaluation of product , / concept

6 Integration of design and v" marketing strategy

7 Company policy of diversification into new market

8 Perceived opportunity to increase sales in existing v" market sector

9 U' e of qualitative 'group discussions' for consumer ~" concept appraisal and proto- type testing

10 New visual identity of product/ problem of consumer recognition

11 Importance attached to consumer communication, v," through product graphics/ packaging/sales literature

12 Requirement of new safety/ testing procedures as result v-" of product innovation

13 Reduction of manufacturing/ assembly costs

14 Increased market share/sales ,i'

J

,./ ¢"

,,I , /"

~/ ' , /

J

,.,t

J ,,t

Marketing Director (1), Marketing Director and New Product Development Manager (2), Managing Director (3). In case 3, product initially rejected by Chairman as 'too inno- vative for UK market'

Only company (2) used design consultancy throughout all stages of project. Company 3 has since employed an inhouse industrial designer

New personnel appointed specifically for this task

Group discussions explored wider issues of consumer 'attitudes' and 'perceptions' of product and its usage patterns

At time of product launch, products 2 and 3 presented total new visual forms to British consumer

Company 2 incorporated within product strategy from outset, company 3 postponed action until product launch

Companies 1 and 3 anticipated potential delays, contacted official testing bodies at design concept stage

20-30% reduction affected the decision to manufacture by company 2 in UK

Good design of product and its commercial success acknowledged as major factor in company l's rescue from receivership

48 DESIGN STUDIES

a positive commitment to produce a better quali!y product by design, concentrating on distinctive 'added-value' features and avoiding competition on the grounds of cheapest cost price. The issues raised in the case studies which relate to a combined innovative design/creative marketing strategy are summarised in Table 1 and discussed below.

Integration of creative design and marketing strategies

It is significant that the marketing managment responsi- ble for the three product development programmes adopted a strategy of 'group discussion' to obtain data which explored consumer attitudes, perceptions and criticisms of product concepts, in preference to a conventional market research quantitative questionnaire survey yielding large volumes of raw data. Each group discussion approach to product concept research elicited information from the 8-9 participants which provided deeper insights into the potential user's psychological perceptions of the product, its potential pattern of use, and anticipated anxieties or enthusiastic responses to detailed design features. A crucial feature of the discus- sion groups was the attendance of a member of the product design development team with detailed know- ledge of the product. For example, the InHome Cassette Hose project could have been terminated at this stage by insensitive handling of the market research data which appeared to confirm negative consumer response to the basic design concept. The presence of the New Product Development manager as an observer at the meetings clarified an important distinction between consumers' apprehension owing to lack of information in this case (which was to become a major feature of the promotional design packaging and point of sale material), rather than a negative rejection of the design concept itself.

In this context, other researchers have identified the importance of treating the consumer market survey at an early stage of the project as part of the product concept evaluation, rather than at the later stage of market launch 13A4. An integrated step-by-step design and marketing strategy at the design-concept stage, especially when carried out in conjunction with a consultant designer, can identify new diversification and business opportunities for the company ~5.

In recognising the usefulness of consumer-group discussions to identify user requirements and complaints concerning existing products, it is also important to recognise that the participants are not usually in a position to actively generate innovative, three-dimen- sional formal solutions to identified requirements I6. Positive steps should be taken to help participants visualise new design concepts by using block models and stimulus boards to explore reactions to colour, shape, texture, environment, etc. An important recent example of a successful design and marketing research strategy in the consumer fashion retail area is Conran Associates' design programme for Hepworths' 'Next' fashion chain shops. Puzzled by the apparent negative consumer

research to the name 'Next', the design group developed the research further, by producing more visual prompt boards, suggesting a graphic style and shop front, and the resulting very positive consumer response was attributed to the provision of more visual stimuli to assist respondents ~7.

There has recently been widespread criticism of British and American companies for planning a market- ing strategy before developing the design of their product--a policy which tends to undermine product quality in the process.

Comparisons are often made with design and new product development practices in Japan* where it is claimed that production decisions are more widely consumer-oriented, rather than being narrowly consumer-data-driven ls'~°. Innovative design alone will not ensure commercial success in the market place, but as the above case studies demonstrate, this success will depend on the creative partnership of design and marketing throughout all stages of the project.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

These design case studies are part of a series which is being compiled at the Institute of Advanced Studies, Manchester Polytechnic, for use in business and manage- ment education. The research is funded by a grant from the Leverhulme Trust.

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*See the article by Bill Evans in this special issue of Design Studies.

Vol 6 No 1 January 1985 49

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50 DESIGN STUDIES