Good product design means that the manufactured goods that a company produces are competitive and remain. They should be appealing to the eyes of the targeted customers. The following characteristics entail a good product design:
Appearance
When given a choice to select between two products, most individuals tend to go for the one that looks more appealing physically. Therefore, the product designer should ensure that the product’s design is such that it can easily capture the consumer’s attention.
Functional efficiency
Aside from physical appeal, a product should fulfill the function for which it was designed to satisfy the customer. If a product does not do what the manufacturer says it can, it will eventually fail due to its poor reputation.
Safety users of products will typically not consider the safety issues associated with a product until an accident happens. Therefore, the product’s designer must ensure the highest levels possible are attained in terms of making a product safe for the user.
Reliability
A good design for a given product should satisfactorily do what it is heralded to do for the entire period in which it is intended to last. This is, however, a trait that can be appreciated only after a complaint regarding the failure of a product before its time. The designers of a product should ensure that they can guarantee a product’s effectiveness for a given amount of time through proper product-development processes.
Maintainability
All manufactured products will at one time or another require maintenance regardless of the amount of effort put in to ensure their reliability. Therefore, the product designers should ensure that it is easy to carry out repairs whenever a failure of some aspects of the development occurs.
Standardization
While making products, particularly replaceable parts, the designers should ensure that standard features can easily fit in place with minimal modification.
Ease of production
The manufacturing process is one step in the business of the product. Bearing in mind that the primary purpose of any business establishment is to make profits, the product should be designed to meet all the criteria stated above at the minimum cost possible.
Other than in monopolistic organizations, some products always compete with those from the company. However, it is believed that superior products should be competitive enough in their industry. Product differentiation comes with product and design improvements to ensure that the products make a notable difference in the market. This will result in increased customer loyalty.