Apple Inc - Product and Service Design - Case Study Example

Product and Service Design Name: Course: Institution: Date: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Executive summary 3 Introduction 4 Literature review 4 Case study- Apple Inc 10 Conclusion 12 References 13 Product and Service Design Executive summary Changes and development in the technological world, competitive advantage, market opportunities, economic and demographic alterations are some of the factors that businesses must always consider in the process of engaging in product and service design. Embracing technology and the development of innovative ideas is essential in proving a business enterprise with the most effective advantage when integrated in the design process. The design theory asserts that it is the responsibility of product designers to ensure that they are engaged in the conceptualization and evaluation of themes and ideas that they consider profitable. The process of product design covers all other aspects involved in the life cycle of the product from the initiation of the idea to manufacturing, testing and launching of the product to the target market. The success of Apple Company in product design is based on the understanding that the company does not often focus on the financial capabilities of its customers but on the desire to produce high quality products that can provide the greatest satisfaction to the customers. Introduction When a business engages in a process producing a new product and or a service, one of the essential factors is the product and service design. For designs to be successful in any business enterprise there are basic principles that will define the process. These include the ability to translate the demands and needs of the target customers, refining existing products and services, developing new products and services, formulation of quality goals, construction and testing of prototypes and the translation of products and services specifications into process specifications (Guide & Jayaraman 2010, p. 46). The objective of the process of product and service design is therefore aimed at meeting the needs of the customers and improving on the competitive advantage of the business in its market. The realization of these objectives is a way through which a business will be able to increase on its market share, customer base, sales and profit margins. The main objective of these assessments is to engage in an in-depth analysis of the concept of product and service design. This will be through an elaborate literature review process a case study analysis on Apple Inc. Literature review Changes and development in the technological world, competitive advantage, market opportunities, economic and demographic alterations are some of the factors that businesses must always consider in the process of engaging in product and service design (Guide & Jayaraman 2010, p. 48). This will enable such businesses to develop products and services that are relevant to the market and those that meet the needs of the customers. Computer aided manufacturing (CAM) and computer aided design (CAD) are some of the most essential tools in the design process. This is because they can be used in anticipating the design that will be successful and those that will allow better manufacturing processes. In addition, it is also important for businesses to consider the legal, environmental and safety concerns in the process of designing a product or a service (McAloone & Andreasen 2011, p. 78). According to the product development theory, the design of product d services must always be informed with the prevailing conditions in the market. This can be perceived as a pragmatic approach to understanding product and service design. Through this approach a business must assess the possibility that a product or service will sell prior to its design and production. The ability of the business to forecast can help in planning and ensuring that the design process targets a specific niche within the market (Furuhjelm 2011, p. 56- 59). This theoretical approach is also founded on the understanding that an effective product design and development process begins with the ability of the management to embrace the idea and rally the best of the organization throughout the process. The amount of financial resources spent in research and development should help in informing the management and all the departments involved in the expectations of the market (McAloone & Andreasen 2011, p. 102). The business then gives the responsibility of designing and producing the new product to a relatively new manager considering that other managers will be involved in managing the process of designing and the production of the existing products (McAloone & Andreasen 2011, p. 102). While agreeing with the tenets of the product development theory the experience design theory introduces the input of the user as an essential aspect in product and service design. According to this approach users are an integral part of any business initiative. This is based on the understanding that they purchase the products and services that a business offers (Morelli 2010, p. 79). Their experiences form the subjective value that is perceived in a product or service. These include the ability of a product to convey a sense of extreme comfort, satisfaction of needs and intellectual excitement. The designers in any business process have the responsibility of understanding customer expectations before choosing on the most appropriate design for their products (Morelli 2010, p. 80). The experience theory argues that for a business to improve on its product and design process, it is often important to consider the prevailing factors and the needs of the customers. Embracing technology and the development of innovative ideas is essential in proving a business enterprise with the most effective advantage when integrated in the design process. Such initiatives aim at improving on customer experiences while at the same time improving on the competitive advantage of the said business (Morelli 2010, p. 84). According to this theory there are three elements that are fundamental in product and service design. They include human centered design process, creating a scenario for the future and workshop for the development and visualization of creative ideas. The human centered design process aims at providing the end user with valuable experience when they use products or services from a business (Morelli 2010, p. 86). One away by which this approach can be made satisfactory is by ensuring that the designers listen to the needs of the users in the planning phase to ensure that the design of their product and services is highly appropriate. This can only be realized by gathering data in the form of complaints form users and determining the source of dissatisfaction. This data can be used as source of inspiration in the subsequent activities that involve product and service design (Morelli 2010, p. 89). Workshops for the development and visualization of creative ideas make it possible for businesses to realize the development of designs that can enhance the experiences of users. The only that this approach can be realized is through effective channels of communication between the user and the designer (Sundin et al 2008, p. 61). Through communication it will be easier to identify the concerns of the user and to design products and services that overcome these challenges and provide the user with a satisfactory experience. Through workshops, businesses can review and share ideas from different perspectives. In addition, these workshops often include the concept of visualization (Sundin et al 2010, p. 64). This concept provides businesses with methodologies that can be used in generating ideas. The chronological understanding of the experiences of the user can be used as the background in the development of the most appropriate designs of any service or product. In addition, through their involvement in creative workshops, businesses ensure that they engage in flexible ways of thought to ensure that every product and service design initiative is focused on the implementation of customer demands (Sundin et al 2010, p. 66). Designing scenario for the future is also an aspect of experienced design theory. According to this approach, it is always important for businesses to enrage in the design of products that can help in the realization of the objective of the company in the ling terms. Through this approach the company can be said to have a guaranteed future (Sundin et al 2010, p. 63). This does not mean that the company will cease to produce its products or services instead it means that the company will be engaged in product and service design that has a lasting impression on the users. In addition, through this approach it will also be easier for a business to subject its products and services to the market assess the views of the users and the areas of value addition. Value addition helps in propelling a product by ensuring that its design is in accordance with the prevailing conditions in the market (Sundin et al 2010, p. 70). Design theory is also one of the approaches that are integral in the development of an effective understanding of the process of product and service design. This theoretical approach asserts that companies use various methodologies in designing their products and services (Sundin et al 2010, p. 70). This is because of differences in terms of their target markets, and the type of product and services that they offer. Despite these differences every company has an important role to play in the determination of varies aspects that are integral in product and service design (Sundin et al 2010, p. 70). They include standardization, delayed differentiation, mass customization, robust and modular designs. The decision of which methodology to use is often important in determining the success of a product or service within the target market. The decision on the right method makes it easier to ensure effective productivity and effect ways of operation. In service design the two most essential issues according to the design theory include the degree of variation and the degree of customer contact (Sundin et al 2008, p. 42). While the former is based on the requirements the latter derives it motivation from its ability to determine the level of standardization of a service. The design theory argues that the greater the degree of customer contact, the higher the probability that a business will get more opportunities of selling. Furthermore, concepts and ideas that are generated must be captured in service prototypes. This will ensure that the business engaged in processes that define its operations in the future (Sundin et al 2008, p. 45). Product design according to the design theory involves a combination of ergonomics with products and business knowledge. This is often used in the generation of concepts and ideas and to convert them into usable objects or services (Weissenberger-Eibl 2009, p. 10). The process of product design covers all other aspects involved in the life cycle of the product from the initiation of the idea to manufacturing, testing and launching of the product to the target market. The design theory asserts that it is the responsibility of product designers to ensure that they are engaged in the conceptualization and evaluation of themes and ideas that they consider profitable. The designers can only make the end product tangible through a systematic approach in the design process (Weissenberger-Eibl 2009, p. 14). During their useful life, products and services undergo four essential stages. This is because the demand if these products and services vary in terms of demand at every stage. This means that it would be important for businesses to involve different strategies that they can apply to realize the optimum product or service performance (Östlinet al 2009, p. 56). The first stage is the introduction stage where the product is introduced to the market. The design of the product or service is based on the extensive research and forecasting that informed the initial design of the product in relation to the demands of customers in the market. The second stage is the growth stage. At this stage there is an increase in demand of the product. Product reputation grows and there is need for the company to focus on demand of the product by increasing supply (Östlinet al 2009, p. 57). The third stage is the maturity stage where the product is at the peak of its demand. During this stage a business can introduce minimal changes to create more demand for the product. Failure to make these changes may lead to lower demand especially in a competitive market causing the death of the product. The last stage is the decline stage when the business chooses to discontinue the design of the product of the product or service. This can be because of the introduction of a new product or service in the target market (Östlinet al 2009, p. 59). Case study- Apple Inc Apple is considered as one of the most successful fortune 500 companies in the world today. This is because of its ability to produce quality products in the telecommunication, technology, entertainments and computer industry (Scanlon 2011, 1). The success of the company has also been associated with among other factors its ability to engage in effective product and service design process (Walters 2011, p. 1). Since the production of its first iPhone in 2007, Apple has continued to experience exponential growth in its sales. This is based on the company’s understanding that successful product and service design requires the development of solutions that meet customer needs and at the same time they must be flexible enough to anticipate future customer needs (Walters 2011, p. 1). The company embraces the systems approach to the design of its products and tailor making its services to meet the demands of its customers. This approach involves a process where every designer within the company is motivated to develop a specific design towards a specific product. This enables the development of numerous alternatives that allows the company to make choices and develop the best design in relation to the demand of the market (Walters 2011, p. 1). In addition through a systematic approach it is has been possible for Apple Inc. to engage in gradual development of its devices. For instance, iPod is one of the successful portable music deices developed by Apple. Through numerous processes and technological developments the company has been able to develop a more sophisticated design of iPod 5.5G which does not only serve the purpose of playing and storing music, the device is also integrated with among other features a camera, touch screen, internet and the ability to transfer photographs and music from one device to another. In addition, the design of this product also allows the company to engage competitively with other businesses in the market such as Samsung and Techno (Scanlon 2011, 1). Technological relevance has been at the core of the product design at Apple Company. This is one that the company ensures that it provides its customers with up-to-date technology. the company does not only embrace existing technology but is actively involved in the innovation of the best ways that can be used in the development of the best approaches that facilitate its ability to establish a competitive advantage in the market (Scanlon 2011, 1). iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 are both mobile phone devices from Apple Inc. the former is less developed compared to the later since Apple often endeavors to ensure that is subsequent products are better in terms of their memory capacity, size, the strength of the camera and ability to embrace latest technological improvements in its operations (Walters 2011, p. 1). It is important to note the design of Apple products such as the iPod, iPhone, iPad and Mackintosh has been perceived to be of high quality. This is because much of the designs are inspired by the need to establish a standard of quality within the market. The company does not often focus on the financial capabilities of its customers but on the desire to produce high quality products that can provide the greatest satisfaction to the customers (Scanlon 2011, 1). The products may be highly priced by they provide the best products in the market. According to the design team at Apple, the desires to top create opportunities while solving problems forms the basis of product design at Apple. Rather than actually responding to an individual problem, the company also focuses on how to revolutionize the technological and mobile phone market (Scanlon 2011, 1). Conclusion The objective of the process of product and service design is therefore aimed at meeting the needs of the customers and improving on the competitive advantage of the business in its market. The realization of these objectives is the way through which a business will be able to increase on its market share, customer base, sales and profit margins. The success of Apple Company in product design is based on the understanding that the company does not often focus on the financial capabilities of its customers but on the desire to produce high quality products that can provide the greatest satisfaction to the customers. The products may be highly priced by they provide the best products in the market. References Guide Jr., V.D.R., Jayaraman, V. 2010. Product acquisition management: current industry practice and a proposed framework. Int. J. Prod. Res. 38(16): 3779-3800. Furuhjelm, J. 2011. Incorporating the end-of-life aspect into product development: Analysis and a systematic approach. Linköping studies in Science and Technology, dissertation No. 642, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden McAloone, T. C., Andreasen, M. M., 2011. Design for utility, sustainability and social virtues, developing product service systems. In: Proceedings of International Design Conference – (Design-04), Dubrovnik, Croatia, . Morelli, N. 2010, Product-service systems, a perspective shift for designers: A case study: the design of a telecentre. Design Studies. 24 (No. 1) p. 73-99. Walters, Helen, 2011. Apple’s Design Process. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge Östlin, J., Sundin, E., Björkman, M. 2009. Product Life-cycle Implications for Remanufacturing Strategies. J. Clean. Prod. 17: 999-1009. Scanlon, Jessie. 2011. Apple Sets the Design Standard. Oxford University Press: Oxford Sundin, E., Bras, B., 2010. Making functional sales environmentally and economically beneficial through product remanufacturing. J. Clean. Prod. 13 (Issue. 9) 913-925. Sundin, E., Lindahl, M., Comstock, M., Shimomura, Y., Sakao, T. 2008. Integrated product and service engineering enabling mass customization. In: Proceedings of International Conference on Production Research (ICPR-07), Valparaiso, Chile. Weissenberger-Eibl, M., Biege, S. (2009). Design for Product-Service Systems – A Literature Review. In: proceedings of QUIS 11 Moving Forward with Service Quality, p. 724-733, J une 11-14, 2009. Wolfsburg, Germany Read More