Defining ‘User-Friendly’ in Product Design

As a design firm that offers the top industrial design services in North America, there are a lot of different ways that one can build or alter their design to make it more appealing to audiences.

One of the many different ways that people structure their design is to ensure that they focus on simplicity and function at the forefront of their product.

Another way of defining this idea is by calling the product ‘user-friendly.’ If you have spent a lot of time observing the marketplace for different products, you’ll see that a lot of products are labelled user-friendly as a smart way to appeal to audiences and get them interested in the product.

Keep reading to learn more about the term ‘user-friendly’ and how to strategically use it for your product design when working with a top industrial design service like Mako!

Defining User Friendly

Simply put, in product design, a user-friendly product means that it is easy to use, function, and understand. Not only does user-friendly apply to products, but it can be used for functional furniture designs and technology.

An example of how user-friendly design works in product design is observing MAKO’s favorite product design strategy, the MVP method. If the designer or inventor creates a product that focuses more on its function, then you more than likely have a product that can be classified as user-friendly.

Products that emphasize the ease of their function are user-friendly because they emphasize what the product does for the user and the ease with which the user receives their expected outcome.

The top industrial design services will be transparent to let you know that designs that cater too much to details and aesthetics are less likely to be user-friendly since they can be confusing or obstruct the ease that the user has when performing the product function, which is why its best to stick to a user-friendly design!

How Using Top Industrial Design Services Can Make Your Product User Friendly

By creating a user-friendly product, you understand that your product will most likely have a simple and clean design that makes it easy to understand for yourself, the designers and engineers, and, most importantly, your target audiences.

Not only does a user-friendly design guarantee a great product that can easily be made and understood by the designer and engineer, but it also allows for more possibilities later on if you decide to change or alter a certain aspect of your product design.

Working with some of the top industrial design services will appreciate having a more simplistic and users friendly design to work with because it over makes design communication easier and more transparent to understand.

Additionally, one of the most appealing aspects of having a user-friendly design is that it generally tends to perform well to mass audiences, even if your product is targeting a certain group of people or niche.

A product that is known or advertised as easy to use is more likely to be successful than something that looks or is complex to use because more people are looking to make their lives more convenient and save more time by using a product that can help solve a major problem in their hobbies and life.

If you have a great new invention idea and you’d like to learn more about this process, get in touch with MAKO today, and we can set you up on a call with our product strategist!

About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about MAKO Design + Invent!