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Understanding Customer Needs in

Product Development
Understanding Customer Needs
The core of successful product development lies in understanding customer needs.
Before manufacturing begins, a product concept must be developed. This concept
encompasses the product's form, function, features, and specifications.

Product Concept: A comprehensive description of a product, including its

form, function, features, and specifications.

Concept Development Activities

Concept development involves a series of steps:

1. Identifying Customer Needs: This is the crucial first step.

2. Establishing Broad Target Specifications: Defining general parameters for the
product.
3. Generating Product Concepts: Brainstorming multiple potential product
designs. A team approach, with each member developing an independent
concept, is beneficial.
4. Choosing the Best Concept: Selecting the most promising design through
brainstorming and evaluation.
5. Testing the Product Concept: Creating a prototype (model) and conducting
tests in a laboratory setting. Modifications to the concept or specifications may
be necessary based on testing results.
6. Setting Final Specifications: Once testing is complete and modifications are
made (if necessary), the final product specifications are set and frozen.
7. Downstream Development: The finalized design and specifications are used to
proceed with further product development.

Identifying Customer Needs

To effectively identify customer needs, the following steps are recommended:

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1. Gathering Raw Data: Collecting information directly from customers.

2. Interpreting Raw Data: Translating customer language and understanding
their underlying needs. This involves transforming customer needs into
product needs.
3. Organizing Needs: Categorizing needs into primary, secondary, and tertiary
levels.
4. Establishing Relative Importance: Determining the priority of each need to
guide design choices, especially when constraints exist (production, cost,
material availability, etc.).

Gathering Raw Data

Methods for gathering raw data include:

Interview Method: Conducting at least 10 customer interviews to gather

diverse perspectives on needs. It's important to avoid influencing the customer's
responses by suggesting what they should need.
Observing Product in Use: Observing how customers actually use the product
can reveal crucial insights. This can involve taking photographs or videos and
analyzing them for patterns of use and stress points. Example: Studying
firefighters using their uniforms to identify areas of improvement in design.
Experiential Approach: Design team members could use the product to gain
first-hand experience and insight.

Customer Interaction and Needs

Analysis in Product Design
Gathering Customer Feedback
Several methods exist for understanding customer needs:

Verbal Question & Answer: Directly asking customers about their experiences
with similar products.
Observation: Observing customers using a product during a typical session.

When conducting interviews, consider these questions:

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When and why do you use this type of product?

Show us a typical session using the product.
What do you like about the existing product?
What do you dislike about the existing product?
What issues do you consider when purchasing this product? (Cost, color, feel,
etc.)
What influenced your purchasing decision among competing brands?
What improvements would you make to the product?

Documenting Interactions
Maintaining detailed records of customer interactions is crucial. Methods include:

Audio Recording: Using mobile phones for easy recording (consider customer
comfort levels).
Handwritten Notes: A colleague can take notes during the conversation.
Video Recording: Provides comprehensive visual and auditory data (ensure
customer permission).
Still Photography: Capturing specific moments or details.

Interpreting Raw Data

Transforming customer statements into actionable product needs is key. Customer
needs statements must be translated into product needs statements.

Guidelines for Interpreting Customer Needs:

Express needs in terms of what the product must do, not how it will do it. The
solution should be left to the design team.
Use positive phrasing; avoid negative language (e.g., avoid "not").
Express needs as attributes of the product whenever possible.
Minimize the use of words like "must" and "should," as they imply levels of
importance.

Example: Car Mechanic Uniform

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Customer Statement Interpreted Product Need

I need to bend under the car for repair

Uniform stretches well.
work.
Knee and buttock areas are abrasion-
I often need to sit on the floor for repairs.
resistant.
I like that the pockets are the right size. Pocket sizes are appropriate.
The fabric of the pockets tears
Pocket fabric is strong and durable.
frequently.

Organizing Needs into a Hierarchy

Needs can be categorized hierarchically:

Primary Needs: Broad, most important general needs.

Secondary Needs: Provide more detail on primary needs.
Tertiary Needs: Further detail and refinement of secondary needs (if
necessary).

Primary needs are high-level requirements, while secondary and tertiary

needs progressively break them down into more specific aspects.

Needs Analysis in Product Design

Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Needs
The prioritization of needs in design isn't about inherent importance but about a
tiered approach to detail. We start with primary needs, then expand upon those to
define secondary needs, and if necessary, further expand into tertiary needs.

Example: For a winter jacket, the primary need is protection from cold.
This leads to secondary needs such as:
Non-wetting: A wet jacket loses insulation, compromising the
primary need.
Insulation: This is crucial for maintaining warmth.
Wind resistance: Prevents cold wind penetration.

Establishing Relative Importance of Needs

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Once primary needs are defined, we assign relative importance to each. This is done
through:

Team member suggestions: Based on their experience and customer

interaction.
Customer feedback: Direct input is crucial for understanding priorities.
Marketing department input: They maintain close contact with customers.

Importance is quantified using numerical values (e.g., 10, 8, 6, etc.). This allows for
objective comparison and prioritization. However, it's important to consider trade-
offs among needs, considering the cost and purchasing power of customers. A
highly desirable feature might be too expensive to implement.

Example: Firefighter Suit

Let's analyze the needs of a firefighter suit:

Primary need: Comfort

Secondary needs:
Thermal-related physiological load: How the suit manages heat
and sweat.
Tactile comfort: The feel of the suit against the skin.

Tactile comfort refers to the sensory experience of

touching or wearing a fabric. It considers factors like
texture, softness, and overall feel.

Ergonomics: Fit, weight, stretch, and bulkiness all impact comfort.

Primary need: Protection from heat

Secondary needs:
Thermal resistance: The suit's ability to block heat transfer.
Openings: Minimizing openings reduces heat penetration.

Determining Physiological Load

To assess the suit's performance, relevant questions need to be asked:

Question 1: Warmth Sensation

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Use a scale to rate warmth at different body parts.

Body Part Scale (1-8)

Feet
Legs
Arms
Back
Shoulders

1 = Normal, 2 = Comfortably Hot, 8 = Very Hot

Question 2: Sweating

How sweaty were your palms and feet?

Were there any movement-related difficulties besides heat and sweating?

This data helps identify thermal insulation deficiencies. Sweat accumulation wets the
garment, negatively affecting insulation and tactile comfort. A wet garment against
the skin is generally uncomfortable, as it creates an unpleasant sensation.

Firefighter Uniform Design: User

Feedback and Needs Analysis
Freedom of Movement and Fit
The design of a firefighter uniform must prioritize freedom of movement. The
uniform should not restrict movement during various activities such as running,
bending, twisting, and jumping. The material's impact on mobility is crucial,
especially in stressful situations.

The uniform's design should minimize restrictions on movement to ensure

optimal performance in high-stress situations.

Water Resistance and Insulation

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The uniform's ability to maintain insulation when wet is critical. Firefighters may
become wet due to external factors (e.g., using hoses) or internal factors (e.g.,
sweating due to thermal load). Water is a good conductor of heat, making it essential
for the uniform to retain its insulation properties even when wet.

Water can compromise the insulation of the uniform. The material should
be designed to minimize heat transfer when wet.

Ergonomics and Comfort: User Feedback

Gathering user feedback is vital to understand the needs and requirements of
firefighters. This involves asking specific questions about fit, comfort, and mobility:

Question Response Options

How does the suit fit you? Too small, Good, Too large
How well can you bend forward? Badly, Acceptable, Good
How easy is it to lift your legs? Badly, Acceptable, Good
How easy is it to lift your arms? Badly, Acceptable, Good
Do you find the suit too baggy? Yes, No
Does the suit appear too heavy? Yes, No

Additional open-ended questions can be used to gather more detailed feedback on

freedom of movement and any limitations experienced. For example:

How is the freedom of movement in the suit?

If any limitations are present, could you describe them?

Next Steps: Needs and Specifications

Following the feedback collection, the next steps involve analyzing customer needs,
prioritizing them, and developing detailed specifications for the uniform design.

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