Designers' Perspective on Value and User Perception
In today's bustling marketplace, products that meet a blend of user needs and wants are the ones that often capture consumer attention. However, the perception of value can vary significantly from one user to another, and it plays a crucial role in determining a product's success.
According to Peter Doyle's "Value Based Marketing," the overall value perceived in marketing is derived from four key concepts of value: Functional, Financial, Social, and Psychological.
Functional value refers to the practical benefits a product provides, such as performance and problem-solving abilities. Monetary value, on the other hand, is about the product being provided at a reasonable price point. Social value pertains to how a product enhances a user's social standing, while psychological value brings feelings of well-being, security, or pleasure.
The perceived value of a product is not just about its functional or financial aspects. It extends to how it makes the user feel about themselves and how it influences their social interactions. For instance, while both a Skoda and a Ferrari can get you from A to B quickly and efficiently, the Ferrari, with its premium status and emotional appeal, caters to a different set of user wants.
Improving the value-to-cost ratio of a product can encourage adoption and ensure successful products in the long-term. If the perceived value of a product does not meet the criteria of exceeding the perceived value of competing goods and the perceived cost of the product, and if the user does not have a budget for it, market adoption may not occur.
Market research plays a vital role in understanding a user's perception of value. By establishing why users choose a particular product, the attributes and benefits that are appealing, comparisons with competitor products, the importance placed on each attribute or benefit, changes in user perception of value over time, and the value-to-cost ratio, designers and marketers can engage with perceived value effectively.
In conclusion, a holistic approach to understanding and optimizing all dimensions of value delivered to customers, as outlined in Doyle's framework on value-based marketing, is essential for success in today's competitive marketplace. By catering to user needs and wants, and by creating products that offer functional, financial, social, and psychological value, businesses can ensure their products are not just functional, but also desirable and valuable in the eyes of the consumer.
In the realm of marketing, design for user interfaces can aim to enhance a product's functional value by improving performance and problem-solving abilities, and its psychological value by triggering feelings of well-being, security, or pleasure – thus aligning with the user's lifestyle and personal development. For example, a home-and-garden app with an engaging, intuitive UI design could cater to a user interested in sustainable living, offering a socially valuable product that promotes eco-friendly practices.
Moreover, by conducting market research and understanding the user's perception of value, UI designers can augment the value-to-cost ratio of their products, ensuring that they not only function optimally but also resonate emotionally with the target audience – ultimately securing a place in their homes-and-gardens, lifestyles, and hearts.
