| Posted by Ken Ramsley , Nov 14,2002,13:51 | Forum |
And as I consider this, I can not help but remember one of history’s most infamous design failures. In so far as I can tell, the detailed design of the Ford Edsel was flawlessly executed, and the car rolled off the assembly line built exactly as specified by the styling department.
The reason it did not sell was not due to a poor design implementation, but rather, a misdirected concept. The stylists who concepted the design failed to realize the limited appeal of excessively strange new forms (a character flaw notable at Ford right down to the present day).
A design concept must address the audience, whether it is a car, a toaster or a summer evening dress. The intent may be elegant or bold or practical, but unless that is what the audience wants or understands, and unless it represents something for which people are willing to pay, the finished design won’t sell.
Or said another way, you can’t design your way past a bad concept.