Product Design Starts with Great Strategy

I have been reading Hartmut Esslinger's "A Fine Line". Mr. Esslinger's claim to fame is his design work for Apple, but he has also done meaningful work for large companies in software user interface and industrial design. The book is a must read for anybody whose products directly interface with the consumer and any aspiring designer.

What surprised me about the book is how much insight Esslinger has into developing competitive strategies, which in part explains why he has been so successful a designer. Essentially Mr. Esslinger first develops a strategy for the product or company and then uses that strategy as the guidelines for developing the new design. Reading this point, it probably sounds obvious, but in my experience few companies have a sufficiently well developed and well founded strategy to guide a design process. Think about why it has been so hard to develop a product brochure or website for your company (or product) or why the process is in draft thirteen. You lack a well thought out understanding of your strategy! You lack consensus on the strategy! You do not have a strategy! You do not know what a strategy is! Remember one of Esslinger's most important points. All design starts with strategy!

Esslinger also makes two other important points about developing a strategy.

1. Start with the customer experience 

   Every great strategy starts with the customer and not the economic environment, regulation, competition, etc. (Ignore what you probably learned in business school.) You must have a profound understanding of what need or job the product satisfies, how the customer uses the product, and the value proposition of the customer.
   

   Esslinger believes that design can provide the differential advantage, the sustainable competitive advantage, but if you can not afford world class design work I think there are other alternatives to achieve differential advantage (e.g.customer service). However, as he points out, all great strategy should produce a differential advantage.
   

2. Analyze the data to confirm your findings

Based on the understanding of the customer, Esslinger then formulates his strategy and design hypothesis. Then he confirms the hypothesis based on analysis.This is the experienced, expert approach--hypothesis then confirmation. For the less experienced business person, you may want to start with the analysis and then develop an hypothesis. Such an approach may reduce the risk of a premature hypothesis. Regardless of how you organize the process, Esslinger believes that great strategies come from great analysis of the data. Esslinger's story about designing fashion colored dental chairs illustrates the point about analysis of data brilliantly.

I have been a student of strategy, the process and the techniques for almost thirty years. Looking at strategy from a totally different perspective--design--was very insightful. And don't forget the most fundamental point that Esslinger makes--great design starts with great strategy! Also, before I forget--read the book.

Miami, FL