Examples of good product design

In high-competitive businesses, a product's design can be the defining factor for its success. 

An exceptional design goes beyond mere aesthetics; it encapsulates functionality, user-friendliness, and an outstanding user experience. 

Understanding how to develop a design system is also crucial in achieving this.

When you care about your business, ensuring your product exemplifies these qualities is a game-changer.

This article will guide you through the key elements that contribute to superior product design. We’ll also dive into some real-world case studies to highlight examples of outstanding design in action.

Stay with us, and you'll discover why a user-centric approach is important and how it significantly boosts user satisfaction.

Want to have an efficient, business-oriented design?

View a recorded webinar with Pavel Tseluyko on how design adds value to your business.

Watch now

Key elements of good product design

Diving into the world of product design, you'll quickly realize certain elements consistently stand out. Let's explore what makes a design truly shine.

User-friendliness

User-friendliness implies the ease with which a user can navigate and utilize a product. It's about making a product intuitive. 

A great example is the Google search interface. With a simple input bar and minimalistic design, users can swiftly navigate and get results. 

Techniques to enhance user-friendliness include clear labeling, consistent design patterns, and responsive feedback. For businesses, ensuring user-friendliness can lead to increased user retention and reduced support costs.

Functionality

Functionality is the backbone of a product. It addresses the primary needs for which the product was developed. 

For instance, Dropbox excels in its core function—cloud storage. Users can easily upload, store, and share files. 

The underlying technique is ensuring a robust architecture, avoiding feature bloat, and regularly testing for performance. When a product nails its core functionality, it not only meets but often exceeds user expectations, solidifying its place in the market.

Aesthetic appeal

A product's aesthetic appeal goes beyond just "looking good." It communicates a brand's identity. 

Take Danish company Bang & Olufsen's audio products; their modern design combined with premium materials exude luxury. 

Techniques to enhance aesthetic appeal include understanding market trends, color theory, and material finishes. A product's visual design must align with its brand voice and resonate with its target audience, ensuring it stands out in the market.

Great user experience

User experience (UX) encompasses all interactions someone has with a product. It's the overarching feel derived from its user-friendliness, functionality, and aesthetic appeal. 

Spotify, for example, delivers an exceptional UX by offering personalized playlists, easy-to-use interfaces, and seamless cross-device functionality. 

To achieve great UX, designers must adopt a holistic approach—understanding user needs, iterating based on feedback, and staying updated with UX trends. A stellar user experience can turn casual users into brand advocates, boosting a product's market standing.

Case studies: Examples of good product design 

The journey of a digital product design company such as Merge often reveals the importance of transformative designs, as we'll see in the following example. 

From edtech to crypto, these case studies illuminate how good design choices drive success, resonate with users, and set brands apart in a crowded marketplace.

TelQ

TelQ, a leading SMS quality assurance provider, had a platform that didn’t align with modern design aesthetics. At Merge, we focused on product design to improve TelQ’s user interface. 

Taking user feedback, we streamlined the text creation process and data table design, emphasizing user-friendliness. The most significant design shift was the optimized menu, especially for the platform's Admin section. 

The design transformation reinforced TelQ's commitment to an intuitive product experience.

WeFight

WeFight, an innovative healthtech firm, sought a product design that would bridge their digital ally with its user base more effectively. 

At Merge, our product design approach centered on integrating disease-related quizzes within articles to engage diverse user groups. 

By restructuring article layouts, we created a design conducive to user navigation, all while echoing WeFight’s core principles.

Alta

While Alta stood tall in the securities exchange arena, their product design didn’t mirror their industry heft. 

At Merge, we undertook a product-centric design revamp. Our approach began with a UX audit, followed by restructuring information layouts for a seamless user journey. 

The introduction of modern visuals simplified complex investment concepts, and our choice of Webflow ensured that the design was both adaptive and user-focused.

LiveSchool

LiveSchool’s ambition was to stand out in the Edtech sector with a product design that resonated with its audience. 

Our Merge team started with user research, tailoring the design to reflect LiveSchool's innovative spirit. 

The product was enhanced with interactive features, including animations, ensuring a memorable user experience. 

Our design approach ensured that LiveSchool's digital product was not only functional but also aesthetically engaging. 

RelayPay

RelayPay's mission to meld cryptocurrency with conventional finance needed a product design overhaul. 

Our collaboration at Merge started with understanding user behaviors. We then focused on a design that emphasized simplicity, making crypto accessible to both novices and experts. 

The product also incorporated an educational segment, elevating users' understanding of crypto.

The result was a cohesive product design experience across platforms, seamlessly linking traditional finance and crypto for users.

Importance of user experience in product design

User Experience is more than just a buzzword in the world of product design. It is a fundamental driver that determines the overall perception, efficiency, and success of a product. 

The essence of UX lies in its ability to shape how a user feels about every interaction they have with a product. It moves beyond just the surface; it’s about ensuring that a product not only meets its functional objectives but also delivers joy, satisfaction, and value to its users. 

User-centered design for creating successful products

User-centered design (UCD) is a design philosophy and product design process that places the user at the core of the design and development stages. 

User-centered design revolves around understanding and addressing the needs, preferences, and behaviors of the end-users.

A classic real-world application of UCD is Airbnb. Their platform was designed with the traveler in mind. The intuitive interface, easy booking process, and detailed listing information all cater to ensuring the user feels confident and informed when making a booking. 

Techniques involved in user-centered design often encompass user research, usability testing, and iterative design, all of which aim to refine and perfect the product based on real user feedback.

By adopting a UCD approach, businesses can ensure that their products resonate deeply with their target audience, leading to higher user adoption rates, reduced churn, and increased brand loyalty.

How good user experience enhances user satisfaction 

A product's UX plays a pivotal role in influencing user satisfaction. A well-thought-out UX not only ensures that users can achieve their desired tasks efficiently but also ensures they enjoy the process.

Take the example of the mobile payment app, Venmo. Its success can be largely attributed to its superior UX. Sending or receiving money, which could be a cumbersome task with traditional methods, is simplified to just a few taps. 

Moreover, the social feed, where users can see and comment on transactions (with privacy settings), adds an element of fun and community to the experience. Techniques to ensure such a high level of user satisfaction through UX include regular user feedback loops, A/B testing, and prototyping.

When users find a product easy to use, visually appealing, and efficient, their overall satisfaction increases.

This not only leads to higher retention rates but also transforms users into brand advocates, often promoting the product through word-of-mouth, which is invaluable for businesses. 

Want to have an efficient, business-oriented design?

View a recorded webinar with Pavel Tseluyko on how design adds value to your business.

Watch now

Conclusion

The journey through the world of product design has demonstrated its profound impact on business success. Exceptional design not only enhances user satisfaction but also fosters brand loyalty. 

As you venture to make your product stand out, remember the power of thoughtful design. And remember that our team at Merge is here to guide and support you, ensuring your product leaves a lasting impression.