The Role of Aesthetic Design
Good design is essential in new product development, as functional, visually and ergonomically attractive products can be clearly differentiated from the competition. Designers usually have clear expectations of what they think needs to be incorporated into new products. However, it is not always easy to integrate design requirements into NPD, as there may be other, conflicting needs and so the aims of designers may be somewhat compromised in the race to market. This research project aims:
- To determine how designers perceive good and bad product design.
- To understand how design issues can be more effectively integrated into NPD.
This research started in May 2006 and is based on interviews with leading companies in Italy and the UK. It is being conducted by researchers from Cranfield School of Management and the Polytecnico di Milano and is already showing that the way designers approach their work is fundamentally different from the way managers view it.