Basic Principles of Digital Product Design

Digital product design is the discipline that manages usability flows and user experience for intangible solutions. Unlike aesthetic design for hardware products, digital product design can be dynamically transformed over time and, in fact, must evolve based on trends and insights gained from how end users interact with these products.

Both the aesthetic design of physical products and the aesthetic design of digital products play a key role in the commercial positioning of products, convey brand values, and above all, shape the user experience. The main difference lies in the ability to evolve instantly. Changing the experiential design of a mobile app can be done in a matter of hours, instantly altering the experience of thousands of users. In contrast, changing the aesthetic design of a physical product is a costly process that requires industrial modifications and makes it impossible to update the units already sold.

diseñar productos digitales

Useful Steps for Designing Digital Products

Step 1 – Defining Inspiration Points

Creativity in design is a fundamental skill or capability. However, when it comes to designing digital products, it’s essential to gather references that reduce the learning curve for potential users. Introducing users to digital products with entirely unfamiliar or novel designs can lead to frustration and limit the product’s chances of success. For example, we all now associate the gear icon with the settings or menu button in a mobile app, or the four parallel lines as a gateway to a collapsible menu with additional options.

The first step to designing a digital product is to identify the core problem it solves, in order to define the most visible and accessible actions or functions within the user interface. Likewise, understanding the behavior of potential users is essential, as it helps us find sources of inspiration in other products that our target users already engage with regularly.

Step 2 – Create the User Flow or Logical Relationship of Functions

After defining the list of possible functions or operations within the digital product, it is essential to classify them based on their relevance to the user. This information stems from Step 1 of digital product design. Using this as a reference, the next step is to proceed with the documentation of the design logic, which consists of a diagram that represents the possible usage sequences of the digital product. This flow diagram will be a key element before developing any visual aspects.

Step 3 – Development of the Product Identity Manual

The product identity manual defines mandatory design principles, regardless of future updates to the interface. In a digital product design identity manual, parameters are established such as: brand usage alternatives depending on space and background, definition of areas where the brand must not appear, corporate color codes aligned with intended brand values, option limits per screen area to avoid user confusion, icon and shape guidelines, definitions and visual examples, the tone of voice to be used, among other elements that make up the conceptual framework of digital product design. 

Step 4 – Primary Design of Digital Products Based on the Platform

The platforms for digital products are the environments where users access these solutions—for example, a mobile phone, a computer, a vending machine, among others. It is essential to understand the characteristics of each platform: screen sizes, physical button controls or touch surfaces, digital buttons, touchscreens, and more. This information enables the proper design of user interfaces, ensuring accessibility to all functions. It is crucial to verify the consistency between the functional flow diagram and the resulting digital product interface design.

Step 5 – Testing Digital Product Designs

There are various tools available to validate digital product design. These are no-code environments that allow for the simulation of digital product functionality without fully developing all features. Additionally, these platforms for conceptual development of digital product designs enable presentations and the study of potential customer behavior before investing in full software development.

Different Uses of Digital Products

At Let’s Prototype, we design digital products for various types of prototypes. For example, we work on the layout and appearance of screens for wearable products, informational interfaces for vending machines, interfaces for industrial-use robots, and even control interfaces for medical devices.

If you need help with product design, we can support you through a dedicated R&D&I consulting process specifically tailored to these needs.

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