The Importance of Your Product’s Design and Appearance
For the success of your product appearance is paramount, but it seems like many companies are not aware of how important this factor is. New trends in technology have pulled the focus away from aesthetics and more toward automation, analytics and technical solutions. Managers seem more intent in finding the latest solutions that provide greater efficiency and production speed.
In all this hype over new technologies like machine learning and business intelligence, it’s easy to overlook how the appearance of a product can affect how likeable the product is to customers. Businesses should be more concerned with how their brand image fits their core messages about competence and value. They should understand how design aesthetics convey a sense of professionalism and superior quality.
Appearance is not just about packaging. It’s also relevant in realms such as social media, customer service, and web content. Aesthetics and wording used to be the primary focus of business marketing, but the rapid advancements have eclipsed it in tech solutions that have revolutionized business strategy. For companies to create better branding for their products, they need to understand the importance of appearance throughout all areas of business and marketing operations.
Packaging appearance and design
First impressions are everything. People are more likely to buy if their first impression (the packaging) is positive. Packaging is also essential nowadays due to the growing prominence of online purchasing.
Some customers think packaging quality as their primary reason for rating a product either high or low quality. Packaging that is convenient and free of frustration when opening it is a critical factor in product satisfaction. Efficiency is also essential because consumers appreciate the importance of reducing the use of materials toward lowering the carbon footprint. The fact that homes are becoming smaller due to urbanization also makes smaller package size a desirable quality for people who have limited space.
Six roles that appearance plays toward influencing consumers
Product design and presentation affects people’s evaluation of product quality and has a significant impact on their ultimate choice of what they buy. Based on a recent study, the appearance of products influenced consumers’ evaluations of them in six different ways.
- Conveying aesthetic appeal
- Symbolic
- Function
- Ergonomics
- Drawing attention
- Categorization
The qualities of shape, color, and size of a product influence customers’ perceptions of value, and these qualities can be symbolic of specific ideas that are congruent with customer ideas about what a product should look like. Customers also make evaluations about the ergonomics and efficiency of the design.
A product with a bright color might draw attention, but this type of color could also be associated with cheaper products and harm the brand image. It’s beneficial to conduct tests that evaluate how customers react to a product design on these six points to get an overall sense of the brand image that is conveyed by the look of the product.
Appearance influences emotion
Effective branding stimulates emotion, which affects consumer behavior and choices. The most significant factor that affects emotion is color. Each color is associated with specific feelings, and research has shown that it accounts for 90% of quick judgments about the product. This means that color has a significant impact on people’s buying behaviors. The choice of color for a brand can affect its recognition by up to 80%. Many consumers say that they decide not to revisit a website if it has an unappealing aesthetic.
Branding should focus on the consumer, not you
Branding isn’t about the company; it’s about making a connection with the audience. Through branding, you can convey truths, universal ideas, observations, and trends visually. When this is done effectively, people will agree with the message and understand it. The real value of collecting data and customer feedback is when it is fed back to them through words and imagery. When the signal goes beyond reciting the benefits and price information, it can touch the hearts of consumers.
The best brand imaging campaigns have a clear message about what their company stands for. They know how to create a compelling presentation that incorporates all the core offerings, service, and all the values in a way that is pleasing to the eye and easy to understand. This is especially important online because a few seconds is a long time for someone surfing the web. If your message doesn’t make an impact within ten seconds, you have lost your opportunity to promote your business.
A new design can revitalize your brand image
The well-known computer peripherals company, Logitech, is doing a major overhaul on their brand image. They are changing their name to “Logi,” which means they’re cutting the word “tech” out of their image. However, they feel that the techy sounding name lacks a certain “sex appeal” that appeals to a more mainstream consumer. They have been well-respected by niche consumers who are computer enthusiasts, but their market share in other demographics has left something to be desired.
The company president, Bracken Darrell, is a progressive-minded individual who understands what brand imaging means to a product. As times change, the progressing image of the Logitech brand can make or break its success in a very competitive marketplace.
Cohesiveness builds loyalty
In order to keep customers loyal to your brand, it’s essential to employ cohesive branding in all phases of media both online and in physical store locations. Every place that people see your products, they need to recognize them. This is accomplished by consistently using the same color schemes, fonts, images and messaging. Business cards and signage should match the design and aesthetics of the website. This also comes into play with invoice designs and employee apparel aesthetics.
Every time you repeat the message on a different media channel or platform, you are reinforcing the brand image and creating more customer loyalty. This is similar to how a new couple can form a closer bond each time they go out to a different type of venue for a romantic date. If the first impression about your brand is about convenience and cost savings, then this message needs to be repeated each time the customer encounters the company in various scenarios and locations.
Branding builds relationships
Whether people realize it or not, brand image communication is forming a relationship with them. It doesn’t matter what type of product you’re offering. When a person is inundated with a message, they feel more of familiarity toward it, and they will naturally gravitate toward it on the store shelf.
Appearance is crucial online
A critical factor in clinching sales online is the appearance of the product in the photo images. This also comes into play with the design of the website. If the plan is poorly executed, the customer might have a frustrating time understanding the procedure to check out and purchase the items. Delivering a timely brand message can also reel a customer back in when they’re on the verge of exiting the shopping cart.
Appearance goes beyond aesthetics
Aesthetics entails all the visual aspects of a product including font, text size, color, and images. However, there is more to branding than those physical attributes. The voice of the brand speaks through customer service style, blog posts, marketing emails, and social media posts. Branding is a multi-faceted experience that immerses customers in many ways. Companies need to look appealing, but they also need to convey professionalism, trustworthiness, and values.