Many products fall flat upon being introduced to the market, often because of avoidable mistakes made well beforehand. Approaching the process of product creation strategically will always make such failures less likely.
Fortunately, there is an established pipeline that can be used to create any type of product and move it successfully to market. Work carefully through the following six stages of product creation and you will be sure of avoiding all the most common pitfalls.
1. Brainstorming
Most truly innovative and distinctive products arise from plenty of in-depth thinking about what particular markets need. While inspiration sometimes strikes unexpectedly, product creation becomes a lot more manageable and predictable for those who commit to plenty of brainstorming.
Even so, creative thinking about what type of product to create should always be guided by reality. That means learning about how participants in a targeted market feel about the existing offerings and plenty of other details.
Becoming familiar with the available options makes it easier to conceive of new ways to cater to demand. Many successful products, for instance, combine functionality provided by existing goods that are already popular. In any case, it will almost always be best to come up with a number of ideas that can then be assessed and compared to each other.
2. Research
Once a general idea for a product has been settled on, it will be wise to start researching the particulars. This most often means commissioning studies that can be tailored to reflect the characteristics of the proposed or contemplated product.
Fortunately, this has become a lot easier than in the past, with study groups including everything from informed beauty product testers to experienced industrial mechanics being easy to assemble. Engaging in properly targeted types of research will always make a product’s eventual success a lot more likely.
3. Design
Once research has been used to firm up ideas arrived at through brainstorming, the difficult work of product design can begin. It will generally be best to focus on making progress instead of trying to perfect every detail along the way.
This is because even the most apparently judicious of product design decisions often end up being abandoned or reversed later on. Trying to get everything right from the beginning will bog down the design process to the point that it can end up being threatened.
4. Refinement
With a generally complete design for a product having been produced, it will then be possible to begin refining it. Working with an established, comprehensive design means being able to assess proposed changes in a realistic context.
It will normally take at least a few passes to develop a product design to the point where all of its original flaws get addressed. In some cases, refinement work will even suggest the need to engage in additional research or go back to the drawing board.
5. Costing
A product that is overly expensive to produce will never realize its potential. Figuring out how to make a product competitive with regard to cost can be one of the most imposing tasks of all. Even in cases where a product will be targeted at the high end of the market, costing work needs to be taken seriously.
6. Production
With a product’s design and financial details in order, it will then be possible to start making arrangements for its production. Choosing the right manufacturer and other partners will always boost a product’s odds of success.
Work through these six steps, and your own product creation process should proceed smoothly. Being strategic about product creation will always pay off in the end.
