The ability to transform their research findings into a series of specifications is a skill that designers must develop to become successful. Being able to express parameters and requirements succinctly allows the designer to develop focused solutions to the design problem and meet a client or the target market’s wants and needs.

Marketing Specifications

Marketing specifications relate to market and user characteristics of the proposed design and details.

Target markets

When determining the target market, market sectors and segments need to be identified.

How market sectors and segments can be used to establish target markets

Ask yourself: Who is most likely to buy this product given its benefits? How can the organization tap into the buying power of these consumers? Where is the target market most likely to find out about the product? Answering these questions helps you to position your product in the correct marketing and distribution channels.

Target audiences

It is important to differentiate between the target market and the target audience. When determining the target audience, characteristics of the users should be established.

How a target audience is used to establish the characteristics of users

Market analysis

An appraisal of economic viability of the proposed design from a market perspective, taking into account fixed and variable costs and pricing, is important. It is typically a summary about potential users and the market.

User need

A marketing specification should identify the essential requirements that the product must satisfy in relation to market and user need.

Competition

A thorough analysis of competing designs is required to establish the market need.

Every product you take to market, even ones that are new inventions or improvements on old products, face competition. This is because customers buy products for many different reasons. Some are interested in the innovation of new products, others care more about price point and clever marketing schemes. Your competition will capitalize on these buyer preferences and seek to edge out your product from the market. Identifying the competition in your marketing specification helps the organization to clarify how it can edge out and respond to the competition.

Research methods

• Consider design contexts for different target markets and audiences
• This will govern the type os research method you will use
• Topic 9.4 has a list of possible research strategies/methods

Design Specifications

A design specification relates to the requirements of a product and details aspects of:

• aesthetic requirements
• cost constraints
• customer requirements
• environmental requirements
• size constraints
• safety considerations
• performance requirements and constraints
• materials requirements
• manufacturing requirements.
• any others that pertain to the design context

 All of the requirements, constraints and considerations must be specific, feasible and measurable.

The design specification must be developed from the design brief and research.

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