Principles of Product Design

 Empathy: Who is using the product?

Pragmatism: Is the product useful? Is it practical?

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      Passion: Does it require creativity?

According to innovator, Gianfranco Zaccai, in an interview by CNN, empathy, pragmatism, and passion are the three principles of good product design.  People have great ideas and want to change the world with their inventions. However, building something practical and useful is difficult. Successful products like the Apple Ipod, take a vast amount of time and effort to be designed so that it meets the needs of its target market.

In addition, the process of design is not just in the mechanics of the product, its in the people that design the product.  The best innovators are truly talented and are smart. They have to think how the product will be carried, where it will be used, and how long will it last.

Take a look at “The 12 best designs from the past 100 years”

As Heinz College students, in a Public Policy school how can we become innovative? What ideas have you had that could become a useful product? Also, do you think that product design requires the best talent?