Good research is the foundation of any successful design project but “good” (or more accurately appropriate) research can take many different forms depending on the scope and goals of a project.

At Prime Studio we employ many different techniques and here is a snapshot of some of them.

For a well-defined project in a mature market sometimes all that is needed is competitive landscape analysis and testing to uncover desired specification definition and areas of opportunity. For every project we always conduct a basic landscape survey but sometimes we need to dig down on the details in order to define project parameters. This was the approach we took for Harry’s to better understand what were the parameters that lead to a better shaving experience.

For an innovation project a targeted online survey can be a quick and inexpensive way to gather and easily analyze data which leads to feature definition etc... We used this approach for Smart Things as we were working with them to develop concepts for an automatic cat feeder. Sometimes, however, in-home or in-use observation and videography are needed to uncover nuances in behavior and preferences and to see how a product could fit into someone's lifestyle. For the Axe Detailer, we worked in tandem with Unilever’s consumer insights team to better understand young men’s shower and personal care routines.

Good Research = Good Insights = Good Design

In-person focus groups with stimuli can also be an effective way to uncover nuances in behavior or cultural preferences and to stress test a project's direction in the early stages. We employed this technique during the development of the Hanni women’s razor. 

Qualitative testing with prototypes can often be required when considering ergonomics and interactions. This is especially important when developing designs such as new child resistant closures which will require 3rd party testing and certification.

For projects with a potential large capital investment quantitative testing using a large number of participants can be used as a disaster check of final designs before tooling start or to unlock project charter gates and get senior leadership sign-off at some of the CPG and healthcare companies.

It’s important to note though that whichever approach you utilize research is meaningless if you don’t translate the insights from it into actionable features and guidelines for your product, packaging, or brand design.