New Product Design: Concept, Measurement, and Consequences

Abstract

Product design is a source of competitive advantage for companies and is an important driver of company performance. Drawing on an extensive literature review and consumer interviews, the authors define product design and its dimensions. Using data from three samples (6,418 U.S. consumers and 1,083 and 583 European consumers), the authors develop and validate a new scale to measure product design along the dimensions of aesthetics, functionality, and symbolism. In addition, they investigate the impact of these design dimensions on purchase intention, word of mouth, and willingness to pay. The results indicate that the design dimensions positively influence willingness to pay and also have a positive effect on purchase intention and word of mouth, both directly and indirectly through brand attitude.

A Study on the Correlations among Product Design, Statistics Education, and Purchase Intention – A Case of Toy Industry

“…Napoli et al (2014) divided the specific functions of design as product properties, human-factors engineering, and appearance aesthetics delivery. Homburg et al (2015) stated that product design played an important role in the communication of product use and operation procedure with consumers as it was the mutual arrangement and match of product configuration and elements to enhance the functional and economic pleasure of products. Accordingly, the idea of human-factors design is introduced to product design to emphasize the interaction between people and products and is a critical factor in consumers' operation and use.…”

Design, consumption and marketing: outcomes, process, philosophy and future directions

“…Bloch, 2011;Homburg, Schwemmle, & Kuehnl, 2015). As regards to the symbolic dimension, it has been noted that design can allow persons to express their self-image (e.g.…”

“…As regards to the symbolic dimension, it has been noted that design can allow persons to express their self-image (e.g. Bloch, 2011;Homburg et al, 2015;Verganti, 2008;Tabeau, Gemser, Hutink, & Wijnberg, 2017). Gruen (2017), for example, highlights the centrality of design as providing sign value helping customers with self-expression and to shape their 'identity(ies)'.…”

“…The recently proposed three-dimensional construct to measure design outcome includes, next to the aesthetics and symbolism, also functionality (Bloch, 2011;Homburg et al, 2015). Functionality relates to the functions that an offering can perform, the utilitarian goal of a product.…”

“…Thus, functionality and usability are two different concepts (Bloch, 1995), and both deserve to be included as separate design outcomes in future marketing research on design outcomes rather than being heaped together as one and the same concept (see, e.g. Homburg et al, 2015). In fact, usability is the central concept of user-centred design, in which the quality of users' relation or interaction with the offering is a key (Desmet & Hekkert, 2007).…”