E-Commerce Product Design – Working with an Industrial Designer

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Podcast (10k-podcast): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:53 — 23.7MB)

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Ecommerce is a constantly changing landscape. Learning the basics of product design can help you keep up with the latest trends and techniques. Getting a custom design is one of the most exciting opportunities in ecommerce.  The biggest reason is making a differentiated product. Plus it’s more creative. 

Timestamps for Podcast

[02:24:59] Why Go Custom Product?
[03:27:88] Isn’t It Too Expensive?
[06:10:26] Which is the Hardest Part of the Process? Isn’t it Manufacturing?
[06:38:98] Innovate within Your Space and Create Excitement
[07:14:43] Getting Focus Group Feedback
[13:32:04] From Product Design To Manufacturing
[14:51:22] Industrial Designer or Product Design?
[19:28:66] A Good Industrial Designer

About our Guests- Jason Byer and Crowd Spring

Are the  99 Designs of e-commerce with two tweaks. Firstly, they have a very highly selected set of designers.  Secondly, their designers  include  industrial designers (aka product designers).

• Get Your Free Custom Brand Report Here !
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Why Custom Products are Worth While 

Custom products are worth the cost because of their profitability, uniqueness and usefulness. They can also be more fun for you and your customers. When you work with an industrial designer, they can help you solve a specific problem or create something that is uniquely suited to your customer’s needs.

What’s the difference between an e-commerce industrial designer and an e-commerce product designer?

Who is an industrial designer?

Industrial designers are the ones who are responsible for the look and feel of your product. They specialize in developing products that have an emotional connection with people — they create experiences, not just objects. While their work includes technical aspects, it also involves creating positive emotions, like joy or nostalgia.

What’s the Difference Between an e-commerce Industrial Designer and a Product Designer?

The main difference between these two roles is their focus: An e-commerce industrial designer focuses on how products will look online. An e-commerce product designer usually creates physical objects that you can touch, see, or feel in person (like furniture).

Creating industrial design with great utility.

Your first goal should be to define the problem. Don’t start with a solution. A great industrial designer will ask you questions and get you thinking about why you are doing what you’re doing and how it affects people’s lives. I don’t know anyone who would happily use a product they hate, so if the answer is “because that’s what we do,” then that’s not good enough! You need to think about how your product fits into people’s lives, what their goals are when interacting with it, how it can improve those interactions for them (and for other people who interact with them as well).

There are two things here: 1) have an idea of what kind of person is going to use this thing; 2) know where they’re coming from in terms of their experiences using other products before this one—what was okay? What wasn’t? How could some of those things be changed?

That sounds like a lot–but really all those questions boil down into one thing: make sure users have an experience worth investing time into!

Finding the best form for your e-commerce product.

When it comes to e-commerce products, form is everything.

It’s tempting to think of form as something that just “looks nice,” but in the world of industrial design and product development, form and function are inseparable. If a product doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do (like make coffee), then any attention paid to its appearance is wasted effort—or worse, it may even hinder its performance.

So what makes good product form?

Products with good form are ones that work well, and they look good while doing so. A classic example of this is the iMac computer: not only does the product fulfil its primary function (computing), but thanks to some clever industrial design work by one Jony Ive (who later became chief design officer at Apple) it looks fantastic too!

Merging Form and Function : e-commerce Product Design 

Form and function should be in harmony.

Form, the physical structure of your product, should be based on its function. The experience of using your product should be in line with what it is meant to do—and vice versa.

The form of your e-commerce product depends on user needs and how you want people to interact with it (e.g., by touch) as well as on where it will be used (e.g., inside or outside).

How do I Communicate with my Industrial Designer?

One of the most important things you can do when working with an industrial designer is communicate clearly and often. If you’re not getting what you want, there are two reasons why: either your designer doesn’t understand what it is that you want (and they will be happy to explain), or you haven’t been specific enough with your feedback.

As much as we love using email, it’s not always ideal for communicating product design ideas and concepts. If possible, get on Skype or Zoom video calls and use screen sharing to show exactly what problems need solving, or how a new feature would function in context. Visuals have always been the best way for me to understand other people’s ideas—so if I’m struggling with a concept myself, try putting together some rough sketches first before explaining them verbally over Skype!

Innovate A Design within Your Existing Space 

If your brand is a little more conservative, you can still innovate within the confines of your existing space. Just ask yourself: how can I make the most of this? Is there anything more we can do with this? Don’t be afraid to try new things, even if they don’t work out. And don’t be afraid to fail; it’s how we learn! If you need help with something related to e-commerce product design, reach out to an industrial designer for advice and insight on how to improve your offerings.

Getting User Feedback in a Focus Group 

What is a focus group? A lot of people think focus groups are just for companies to get feedback on their products, but there’s another way they can be used. You can run a focus group where you just talk about your product and the design decisions you made. That’s what we did! We did one in person and another online, with five participants each time. It was really useful because we got very honest feedback from people who weren’t friends or family members, so it was much less biased than asking people I knew well if they liked something or not.

Linking Design and Easy Manufacturing : eCommerce Product Design 

We have previously talked about how to make your product easy to manufacture, but there are other factors that you need to consider when designing your product. You should also make the process of shipping and assembly as simple as possible.

Make it a priority to consult with a packaging expert early on during the design process, so they can help you decide on the best way to package your item. If you’re selling a delicate piece of glassware, for example, this person will be able to tell you exactly what kind of box you’ll need in order for it not break during transit (and save everyone from having a bad day). Similarly, an industrial designer can help figure out whether or not adding handles would help make assembly easier for customers who may not be able to lift large pieces easily on their own; also keep in mind that even if someone doesn’t plan on buying anything heavy at all—like say if they’re just browsing around—they still might appreciate some extra support when holding onto something precious like glassware or electronics which could break easily if dropped accidentally onto hard surfaces!

If possible try thinking outside-the-box (pun intended). For example: maybe instead having traditional cardboard boxes made up using standard dimensions used throughout our industry – what if we were able replace them with something different? Maybe something more environmentally friendly ? Or maybe even just smaller packages altogether  ; after all: space is limited when living within apartments/condos these days so reducing waste makes sense from both cost savings perspective along with being environmentally conscious.”

Intellectual Property and eCommerce Product Design 

There are many ways for a designer to protect their intellectual property, but it all comes down to how much time and money you want to spend. In general, there are two types of protections:

Patent protection: This is the most expensive option, as it involves registering your design with the US Patent Office. Aside from the initial cost of filing (around $1,000), every year that you want to renew your patent you must pay an additional renewal fee.

Copyright protection: Copyright protection is less expensive than patenting because there’s no need for registration at the government level and copyright law allows one-off creations like drawings or photos rather than just manufactured products. However, there will be ongoing costs associated with maintaining ownership over any designs created while working with an industrial designer; this means paying licensing fees every time they’re used by third parties (e.g., if someone else wants them on their website too).

It’s also important to note that it isn’t enough just having some form of legal protection—you need someone who knows what they’re doing! It would be prudent not only doing research on potential attorneys beforehand but also meeting in person before signing anything legally binding so as not risk being taken advantage of later down road due

Ultimately, your e-commerce industrial designer is there to help you create the best product possible. You’re probably not thinking about the intellectual property issues at this stage in the process, but they are something you should consider as soon as possible. Your designer will be able to recommend a good lawyer who can help with this process, so don’t wait until it’s too late!

What is Crowd Spring?

They are like the 99 Designs of e-commerce with two important additional values. Firstly, they have a highly curated set of designers on the platform. That means you can trust the quality. Secondly, their designers have skills including industrial design (aka product design), meaning they can help you create the actual product.