The Most Devastating
Industrial Design Mistakes

Bringing a new physical product to market comes with many potential pitfalls that can doom a launch or even destroy your brand.
1. Not researching the target market and competition

Failing to survey potential customers and analyze competitors means developing products that people don't actually want or need. Do the upfront work to validate demand before investing lots of time and money in an idea.

2. Designing without ongoing user input

Users don't always know what they want until they see it, so get your concepts in front of them early and incorporate feedback often. Don't just trust your gut.

3. Valuing style over emotional connection

Make sure the aesthetic design also forges an emotional bond and deeper meaning for the user beyond just looking stylish. For some users, simple and minimal style will be more in line with their values.

4. Overlooking engineering considerations

Technical aspects like materials, mechanics, and manufacturing processes have huge implications for product function. Don't gloss over viability. While engineering is not something to get hung up on during early product development, future limitations should be considered early on.

5. Forgetting ease of use

If using your product feels complicated or confusing, adoption will suffer. Iteratively refine for intuitive, seamless interaction. Consider ergonomics and storyboarding use cases for the best designs.

6. DIYing your brand

A weak visual identity will undermine the quality perception of your offer. Partner with professional designers for branding assets. This includes product branding like recurring form details, packaging, and colors and graphics used within your products.

7. Skimping on visual presentation

Eye-catching renders, assembly views, and animations tell a compelling story and make strong first impressions. Invest in professionally produced assets once that drive consumer interest forever.

8. Writing boring product copy

Generic, bland messaging won't differentiate you. Craft compelling copywriting that gets customers excited and convinces them to buy. Oftentimes, "an ounce of marketing is worth a pound of engineering".

9. Inadequate prototyping and testing

Rushing to market without iterating, testing, and refining your prototype can have disastrous results. Take the time upfront to get it right.

10. Launching without a post-sales strategy

Optimization shouldn't stop at launch. Continually gather data, test, and enhance your product over time to drive growth.

Check your inbox over the coming days for more detailed actionable guidance and improve your chances for a successful launch.