The pace of technological advancement and the ever-evolving needs of consumers are challenges that companies must continuously navigate in order to remain competitive in today’s market.
Product designers play a crucial role in this process, as they are responsible for creating innovative and attractive designs that meet the demands of the market.
In this article, I will dive deeper into the challenges that product designers face when it comes to dealing with the continuous changes in technology and market needs, and explore strategies that can help them stay ahead of the curve.
Rapidly changing technology
Product designers must always be up-to-date with the latest technological developments, such as mobile devices, the internet of things, AI, etc. They must ensure that designs created can be used well on the latest devices and technologies.
Rapidly changing technology is one of the challenges faced by a product designer in their daily work. Product designers must always be up-to-date with the latest technological developments in order to create designs that are suitable for the devices and technologies used by users.
For example, when mobile devices began to become popular in the market, product designers had to create designs that were suitable for smaller screens and different interactions than desktop devices. They had to create designs that were easy to use and could be accessed with one hand, while also taking into account factors such as screen orientation and navigation.
In addition, currently the development of technology such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) is becoming more popular, so product designers must be able to create designs that can be used well on VR/AR devices and make interactions that are appropriate for the technology.
Rapidly changing trends
Product designers must be able to capture the latest trends in design and user interactions. They must be able to create designs that are in line with these trends without compromising on quality and ease of use.
For example, trends in user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design are constantly changing from year to year. In recent years, the trend of minimalistic design has become popular, so product designers must be able to create simple and easy-to-use designs.
Changing market needs
Product designers must be able to capture changes in market needs and adjust product designs accordingly. They must be able to create designs that meet market needs without sacrificing quality and ease of use.
For example, market needs for mobile products have changed over time. In the early days of mobile devices, market needs were for products that could easily communicate. However, currently, market needs have shifted to products that can be used for various purposes such as work, entertainment, and more. Product designers must be able to adjust product designs to these changing market needs.
In addition, technological advancements have also led to changes in market needs. For example, the need for products that can be easily used by people with disabilities is becoming increasingly important. Product designers must be able to apply accessibility in product design such as providing larger fonts, larger buttons, etc.
Tight competition
Product designers must be able to compete with other products on the market, so they must be able to create innovative and attractive designs. They must be able to create unique and different designs from other products on the market.
In the technology industry, competition among companies is very tight. Each company strives to create a better product than its competitors. Product designers must be able to create innovative and attractive product designs in order to compete with other products on the market.
An example of tight competition can be taken from the music streaming industry such as Spotify. Spotify is a very popular music streaming platform and has many competitors such as Apple Music, Tidal, and others. In this situation, Spotify must be able to compete with its competitors by creating innovative and attractive product designs and providing features that meet the needs of the market and competitive prices.
Another example of tight competition can be taken from the e-commerce industry such as Tokopedia. Tokopedia is a very popular e-commerce platform in Indonesia and has many competitors such as Bukalapak, Lazada, and others. In this situation, Tokopedia must be able to compete with its competitors by creating innovative and attractive product designs and providing features that meet the needs of the market and competitive prices.
Both of these examples show that in the conditions of tight competition, product designers must be able to apply innovative and attractive product designs, as well as provide features that meet the needs of the market and competitive prices in order to compete with other products on the market.
Product Development Speed
Product designers must be able to handle the fast pace of product development. They must be able to quickly respond to changes in market needs and technology and ensure that the product design is completed on time.
In this case, product designers must be able to work quickly and efficiently and be able to keep up with technological advancements and market trends. Product designers must be able to work with other teams to develop products quickly and in line with market needs.
In the e-commerce industry, when a new product comes out on the market, Tokopedia, as one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Indonesia, must be able to quickly respond by developing features that are appropriate for that product, or integrating the product into the Tokopedia platform, to be able to compete with other e-commerce platforms that also provide that product.