The PDMA Handbook of New Product Development

24.7. Summary

NOTE

Design strategy involves its own set of considerations—a clear understanding of the situation-strategic design context can vault a firm ahead in the market, whereas a misalignment can be costly in terms of suboptimal or negative design outcomes.

Design, and particularly industrial or "product" design, can be a significant element in the strategic mix for any company wishing to achieve its goals. The task of formulating design strategy involves its own orientation and set of concerns. In addition to taking a company's mission goal(s), target consumer values, brand positioning, and relevant circumstances into consideration, devising design strategy requires an appreciation of the specific challenges associated with the type of design being undertaken (renovative, adaptive, evolutionary, or discontinuous). An appreciation of the specific design strategies and considerations related to the various contextual situations can help firms further clarify their strategic thinking in order to more successfully differentiate and position their products through design. By aligning design context and strategy, firms can more effectively enhance industrial design's contribution to the product development process, the products it produces, the brand equity it builds, and the business it creates.