Diamond ring (Image: Moti Diamonds)

For the past 20 years, huge high tech companies have been fighting over consumers and market share. Apple, a company not connected to the music industry, got its start selling the iPod and managed to capture the hearts and wallets of consumers due to its ease of use and beautiful design, and in subsequent product releases, with the release of the iPad and iPhone which paved the way to Apple becoming a Technology Power house.

Is there a connection between Technology and design?
I believe that the consumer should not allow himself to make a distinction between technology and design during the developmental process. A company that is solely based on technological innovation cannot survive today. The competitive advantage that apple has is due to the strong connection between the design and technology during a products development. Good design happens when the technological development and design is developed together. This doesn’t happen in companies that don’t specialize in design. Dell is a great example of a company with a strong technological department, but when you look at the styling of their computers, you can see that design is not their strong suit.

How much does design affect us?
Products are fashion accessories, and even if we try to ignore this fact, we can’t ignore the reality. Almost every purchase decision that a consumer makes there is a degree of belonging to the brands image, or status level. When a person buys a car, the cars design influences his decision when choosing a model. Every manufacture uses unique designs to create social awareness of their brand. When a person buys a smartphone or clothes he differentiates himself from others, and creates a belonging to a specific group. I see in this natural human behavior. Companies take advantage of this behavior to sell their products. The design is meant to create a desire in the consumer and explain to him how to use this new technology in a friendly manner. The design affects the emotional connection that the consumer develops towards the product, until it reaches the level where the product turns into a status symbol. When a manufacturer chooses to invest in design he grows his market share in the field he is in. In good design there is more to the product than its basic function for example what raw materials it is made out of, Are they environmentally friendly, was child labor involved in the production process.

Are there products whose design does not change?
Luxury watches such as Rolex’s, and diamond jewelry that is set with large diamonds are products that their design almost never changes. This is due to them being expensive items that are out of reach of the average person to purchase, and therefore there is no need to redesign it. On the other hand clothes, including designer labels, can be bought by consumers at shopping centers. There is a need to change the design of clothes to keep consumers purchasing them at a high rate. An expensive product such as a diamond you cannot convince a person to buy frequently, and therefore the design is also classic. That is why a luxury product has clean lines and the manufacturer does his utmost to brand them and turn them into a status symbol.

So what is the difference between an IPhone and a Diamond?

“Diamonds are forever”

Courtesy of Moti Israeli

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