The look of a product is becoming ever more important to consumers. Obviously consumers are first and foremost interested in products that actually work, but the importance of aesthetics should not be underestimated. Big square external hard drives, gray dull routers - just a few of the products that people avoid if they can get a better looking equivalent. And they are willing to pay for the extra decoration according to market research.
Just like furniture, gadgets now need to complement the interior. Look at the exterior differences of televisions over the years for example - you can clearly see how important design has become. Even Cisco (well known for its networking equipment) feels the pressure to design more aesthetically pleasing hardware. Take a look at their Linksys Ultra Range router. Buyers associate poor design with poor performance. Bad design is no longer tolerated.
Fed up with ugly routers and clunky hard drives, a growing number of consumers are looking for well-designed gadgets that complement decor instead of cluttering desktops and clashing with furniture.
Many credit Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) Latest News about Apple iPhone, with its strikingly simple forms, for raising the bar on expectations for good design in consumer electronics.
And while art and design professionals say that gadgets like mobile phones and personal computers are becoming increasingly well-designed, they also say many electronic products still need to work on their appearance.
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