In our digital society, software updates are now a regular feature of daily life. Whether it’s our phones, computers or tablets, we can now expect daily automatic notifications of new versions of applications and operating systems designed to enhance functionality and address user limitations.
But what if hardware worked in a similar way? For instance when purchasing a suitcase – if you’re unhappy with the product, you’re left either returning it, purchasing a different brand, or relying on an uncomfortable product every time you travel. Unlike software, companies can’t press a button and update, refresh and refine physical products.
This is the conundrum facing many hardware manufacturers. The rapid iteration we see in software updates is too expensive and complex when attempted with physical products. But modern consumers — now spoiled by the regularity of software updates to digital products — expect solutions sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, releasing multiple iterations can lead to more product waste, especially if the update fails to get it right again.
But there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Advancements in AI technology now present ways for businesses to address this conundrum. New developments in this technology can enable businesses to reimagine how they design and continuously improve physical products.
Going back to the drawing board
We’ve all heard the adage ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, but in product development this approach can be complacent. Instead, recognising when a functioning product fails to serve consumer needs is key for businesses committed to long-term relevance and sustained profitability.
There are a number of factors that trigger product re-evaluation. Customer feedback that reveals performance gaps is one clear signal. And ever-changing macro trends – such as emerging sustainability regulations that can render existing designs obsolete or non-compliant and relegate them to the past.
But bringing an entire product refresh to market is easier said than done, with product iteration traditionally being risky, expensive, and time-intensive. Most businesses, particularly those already struggling with sales, are hesitant to invest in redesigns. But this is where AI technology presents a huge opportunity.
AI is rethinking the process of product reiteration through providing intelligent, data-driven insights. Designers can use AI assistants that can provide quick, comprehensive analysis of consumer trends and behavioural patterns. Meanwhile, AI assistants can also validate potential features, assess market fit, and suggest ways to integrate user feedback – capabilities that would previously take significant time and resources.
Product designers can also deploy AI assistants in the new product development process. These offer virtual replicas of physical products but enhanced with predictive intelligence. These digital counterparts enable designers to iterate designs across materials, structures, and configurations rapidly. By modelling potential performance scenarios, businesses can refine products quicker and more accurately, cutting out the risk of deploying new physical iterations and ensuring that this always improves on the existing product.
Getting it right the first time
While it may seem obvious, the best approach to product development will always be getting it right the first time and avoiding new iterations. While this isn’t always possible, AI technology can help ensure that hardware doesn’t need the same refresh and repeat cycle of software products.
AI assistants can generate new product ideas and features, drawing on data from existing products to suggest how products can be improved. This can help anticipate issues ahead of entering the prototyping stage, and also free up time for design teams by visualising the updated product – including everything from packaging ideas, creative copy and shelf appearance.
And companies could even build AI directly into products, enabling the ability to automatically diagnose problems and suggest solutions that require easy fixes, rather than entire reworks.
AI in the right hands
While the concept of instantly transformable product remains something out of a sci-fi film, AI presents a path to more intelligent and rapid product development. Through data driven insights, digital twins enabling rapid prototyping, and instant idea generation, AI stands to massively strengthen the product design industry’s capabilities for addressing customer needs. This will help ensure companies are fully prepared for product reiterations if and when they do need to happen.
But implementation is key to getting this right. Harnessing the potential of AI in product design requires partnering with a design team who understands the technology and how this fits into product development. To achieve this, it’s key to find the right partner that will underpin a user centered design approach with a keen knowledge on how to implement AI practically and creatively – all with a focus on producing solutions that are sustainable and created with the planet in mind.
Jo Barnard is the Founder and Creative Director of the product design and innovation consultancy Morrama. From the early strategy through to manufacturing and distribution, Jo works with brands looking to challenge what has come before and make the world better through design.
