Product Design (Product life cycle)

4 stages in the life cycle:

- Introduction

- Growth

- Maturity

- Decline

Introduction

- When it is released onto the market

- Initial sales will be slow

- Consumers unsure about it’s benefits

Growth

- As advertising takes effect sales rise

- Consumers become more confident about benefits

- Competitors introduce their brands

Maturity –

- Sales level off

- Market becomes saturated

- Competitors produce different / improved models

- Major companies monitor the market & have new designs ready to keep their market share

Decline

- New technology makes products obsolete

- Consumer Pull contributes to the new generation

- Marketing makes the old product obsolete

Planned Obsolescence

Some products have a limited life

Is this due to technological advancements?

OR

Built in obsolescence?

Some disposable products have planned obsolescence for safety reasons

Some products would last longer with better materials

The Influence of Fashion

- Consumer fashions & trends, consumer demand for the latest technology

- Agencies are employed to predict trends

- Fashion is influenced by changes in society

- Manufacturers have to keep up with these forces

- 'Technology push' means technology has been developed and the 'need' must be created.

- 'Market pull' means business has a need for a product and technology develops to fill that need.