Most of the designs in the contemporary world cater to that very specific 10%. This is especially relevant in context with product design in general. Understanding the class position of the target user is extremely important, especially if you want your product to be successfully marketed. If you’re marketing your product to a specific class, then you need to rethink either your product or your strategy. Designs aimed for the high class tend to be refined in a subtle yet understated sort of way. However, if your design is streamlined, then it can cater to a wider public. It will improve the branding strategy while attracting a more massive public response. Further, let’s look at some of the ways you could make your designs more suitable for the other 90 percent.

The Aesthetic Of The Other 90 Percent

Designers tend to think in extremes when it comes to designing for that 10% – either too clean or minimal, and sometimes too brocaded and traditionally extravagant. The running theme of the contemporary school of thought objectifies high class products as elegant and understated. However, it should be noted that this aesthetic could definitely be streamlined and made available for the other 90 percent without having any direct correlation with the price or the implicitness of the design. These designs could be just as easily be catered for the general public.

The Difference Between High Class And ‘Better’

Every designer should understand that designing your product around the higher class would not make it ‘better’ in any way. Often times, ‘high class’ objects could be completely off putting to the middle and lower class people. The design needs to be adequately attractive, marketed appropriately and streamlined in order to attract this specific customer base. Many of the residents that fall under the other 90 percent category tend to refuse what they were refused, so always keep that in mind.

Attracting With ‘Exclusive’ At A Reasonable Price

When you market your design as ‘exclusive’ but add in the bonus of a ‘reasonable’ price, your product will automatically start to become a hit. Exclusivity tends to be marketed towards the elite, so when the product is adequately and strategically branded for the other 90 percent, then the customer base would be attracted towards the product like moths to a flame. Even when the ‘originality’ of the concept is replicated for a mass production, it will never truly lose its distinction.

Circular Design

One completely distinctive method of designing for the other 90 percent is by using the ‘circular design’ method. This refers to the industrial system that uses regenerative design techniques in the products by using bio-cycled and techno-cycle resources; which, by design are restorative. This produces sustainable and higher quality products with exclusivity as a lure.

Conclusion

Designing successfully for the other 90 percent is a fine culmination of the right design with a favorable aesthetic combined with appropriate marketing strategies. One could define the other and vice versa. It’s always best to have the best of both worlds in order to attract the right customer base.

References:

www.tudelft.nl/io/over-de-faculteit/afdelingen/design-engineering/research-areas/circular-product-design

www.c2ccertified.org/education/design-for-the-circular-economy

designresearch.wordpress.com/2007/07/11/what-designers-need-to-know-about-economic-class

Photo Cover: Mine Kafon by Massoud Hassani