ple, is rarely part of a designers’
tool kit), designers lifted many
techniques from marketing or
worked with marketing in a new
form of relationship. But did that
bridge prevent design research
from coming into its own? Many
design efforts are funded through
marketing, encouraging polite
interrelationships (in which
marketing needs to understand
or approve every design move)—
with the unfortunate consequence that this may be slowing
the evolution of design research.
January + February 2010
interactions
Three Basic Rules
What separates design research
from marketing research is a core
but elusive principle: There is a
phenomenal distinction between
evaluating a product before it
is finalized, the focus of design
research, and evaluating consumer response after a product
is finalized. Logics and statistical
methods used in studies can be
misapplied—often by prestigious
(and expensive) marketing consultants. They affect even seemingly simple questions that, while
appropriate for finished products,
can be completely inappropriate
for products under development.
While many, many differences
exist, here are three rules outlin-ing basic things to avoid:
1. Never ask people which one they
like best. While this is probably
the most often asked question in
marketing and design, it’s a faulty
question. Not simply because
it’s closed-ended. Putting two or
more items in front of someone
and asking “Which one do you
like the best” can yield a meaningless response.
Surprising? Here’s why. Put
three shapes in front of 100
people—a circle, a hexagon,
and an oval—and ask them to
choose the one they like best. The
results: The circle gets 28 percent
of the votes, the hexagon get 40
percent, and the oval gets 32 per-
cent. Go with the hexagon, right?