Does product design for electronics influence your purchase at all?

[yoda313]

So does the look of a product influence your purchase decision at all? How much is 'coolness' a factor? Is it all functionality to you?

I'd say style has some influence over me. But given equal prices I'd pick the product with more features then whether or not it looks good.

Now ergonomics are different. Say a camera or something. Those types of products do tend to need a good form design for user interaction. Sometimes a less sophisticated model might be better if the controls are more intuitive. What about you?

[JohnnyMalaria]

Yes, the look does influence my decision. However, not for "coolness" but rather to avoid the rampant "fugliness" that is everywhere. Please, simple and functional....

[Bjs]

Looks don't count much , so long as it dose the job it was intended for in the first place .

Now if they made them huge , and ugly ... I doubt people would have issues with things being stolen .

As they say , you cant flog an ugly stick ... but you can point with it all you like .

[dadrab]

In the end, I really don't give a damn what it looks like if it works correctly. Of course, looking good and working well are optimum. But, if it looks great and works crumby, I don't want it.

[JimboS]

This is an "odd" poll in my opinion..
An electronic device can be most anything..
An external dvd burner is a box about 6x4x2 (inches ..more or less)
How can a company "make it better looking"????????????
A cell phone is also personal choice..
A camcorder would be ergonomics...IMOP
A TV is a TV ??????????
A pager is a pager..........
What can a company do to make a 32" TV more attractive.??????????
Put flowers on the ends??????????
What do you buy thats electronic that appereance matters is the question?????
How about an answering machine that blends with your surroundings???
I just don't understand....
Maybe 'cause I'm USA and the question was from Merry "ol England??????

[freebird73717]

Looks don't count much , so long as it does the job it was intended for in the first place .

Couldn't agree more!

[Heywould3]

looks dont matter to me at all. BUT i has to be good quality and strong construction. if it has all the features i want i dont care if it comes in the form of a hairy ass if it works great.

(this is not my opinion of women btw)

[dphirschler]

It's not exactly "looks" that get me. It has to be well designed. Some things looks great and have sucky design. For instance, the PS3 looks good, but I have a problem with the design of the case. I tend to stack games on top of it. Since it is rounded, I cannot do that and therefore I hate it.

On the other hand, something can be very functional, but look very ugly. That's okay with me as long as it is functional. For instance, having to open a door to get to a well used function. Or the eject button where the stop button should be.

Sometimes, an attempt at making something pretty can ruin an otherwise great design. An example is a light up button that you have to cover up in order to read what it does (because the light it too bright).

The design of the remote is extremely important to me. I can't stand having to turn on a lamp in order to find the "mute" button on the remote amongst the grid of other small rectangular buttons. It should be right near the volume buttons. And for a remote it is doubly important to get it right since that is the piece I will be using and interacting with the most.

If the location and design of the controls is well thought out, then that, to me, is beautiful. I don't care what color they are.


Darryl

[Richard_G]

What can a company do to make a 32" TV more attractive.??????????
Put flowers on the ends??????????
What do you buy thats electronic that appereance matters is the question?????

Well, they could try something like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/images/B000HD0XUC/sr=8-8/qid=1187733641/ref=dp_imag...7733641&sr=8-8

or even this http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/images/B000JLO5QU/sr=8-6/qid=1187733807/ref=dp_imag...7733807&sr=8-6

Seriously, ergonomics are important. I received an upgraded mobile phone. Latest model Nokia, every feature known to man, very cool, very sort after. What did I do? I sent it back and changed it for a lesser model. It may have had all the features (most of which I would never have used) but the buttons were too small for my bloke sized fingers! I couldn't answer a call because I pressed 3 buttons at once, I couldn't send a text without having to use the back of a pen to poke the buttons with. It was a classic example of design over practicability.

So, design may have an influence, but ergonomics win hands down.

[SingSing]

Hey, those TVs are overboard.

Electronics products do have to look good, because a lot of people think Bestbuy or Apple store is a toy store for guy. Toys do have to look cool. Imagine you get a simpson doll or paddington bear in single tone dull greyish brown !

[TooLFooL]

you see, according to the votes, looks DO matter for many people.. this is why Apple does so well with it's products.