Matthew White works as a freelance design consultant based in Balcombe, West Sussex. The majority of his work is contracted to B&Q plc and Kingfisher plc, continuing with user centered design in the power tool, hand tool and marketing areas within both companies. Matthew also works for Daka Research on consumer-focused products.
Here he offers some tips for new designers who want to work with commercial clients...
He says...
- It’s not about the product. It’s about the market.
- Try to get industrial as well as research experience. I worked with B&Q three days a week and with Daka Research UK, which runs a huge Chinese manufacturing business, the rest of the time. Through Daka I experienced the real world of manufacturing, seeing products through from start to finish, making mistakes and gaining confidence in my own abilities.
- Understand that design isn’t precious. You have to accept that other people have good ideas, and that businesses are often looking at different things in a potential new product than the person who designed it (like whether it will make money rather than whether it looks nice).
- User research and commercial success should go hand in hand. If you get the research right, and really use it to focus on design for all, it should be possible to make products that are better and have universal appeal, without necessarily being more expensive.
- Competitor products are not the answer. You can easily fall into the trap of just creating cheaper, slightly worse products than those which already exist. Use good design and user research to create better products that are easy to use. They will be more competitive anyway.
- Ask ‘how can this product be better?’ and then make it so. Don’t add ‘improvements’ first and then ask users what they think.
