Both style and functionality make good products

Aesthetics are an important consideration for manufacturers that are looking to successfully introduce next generation products to the market or move them from the commercial to the consumer sector.

In the evolutionary cycle of technology-based products the initial focus is firmly on the technology itself rather than its 'packaging'.

Not that design is unimportant, but on the whole, those keen to explore the latest technology are far more interested in what the technology can do rather than how it looks.

However, when a new technology begins to standardise and the threat from low cost competition intensifies, the importance of aesthetics for manufacturers looking to successfully position their product into profitable markets and differentiate from competition gains in significance.

The mobile phone with the sexiest look becomes a 'must have'.

The chunky hard drive box that sat happily in an office takes on a sleek styling to move into the home.

Computer equipment is expected to enhance the office decor as well as ease the workload.

Also, in markets where technology upgrades arrive thick and fast, as is typical in both the commercial and consumer electronics sectors, manufacturers need to continuously find other ways of refreshing their appeal.

Addressing the aesthetics is an ideal solution for manufacturers looking to successfully introduce next generation products to the market or when they are looking to move them from the commercial to the consumer market.

Making them look smarter will differentiate them, both from their own previous version and from competitive products.

At this stage, in any new high-tech product launch industrial design embraces aesthetics to meet the expectations of the market place.

Among those components that can help OEMs ring the changes and improve the look and feel of their products are the access products, yet the specification of latch, handle or any user interface hardware often features very low down on the design process list and is almost treated as an afterthought.

However, these 'touch point' applications - as Southco succinctly describes them - are the very first things any customer puts their hands on.

They are the initial points of interaction - both physical and emotional - that any product owner experiences.

In a market place where first impressions count more than most, they must impress far beyond their immediate function.

Amedeo Aversa, Industry Manager of Southco explained: "Particularly with electrical, industrial and electronic enclosures or computer modules, access hardware is sometimes the only opportunity to increase product differentiation in the eyes of the users and to enhance a user's experience of the product".

"Stylish, well designed, branded components can help refresh and restyle existing products and often an improved ergonomically designed access solution can provide an additional benefit in terms of user friendliness".

"And they can even be engineered as perfect replacements to previous components or as standard platforms capable of future upgrading which reduces the cost of product development, offering benefits to industrial designers, engineers and marketers alike".

Aversa continued: "First impressions count".

"And with many products - not just in the electronics arena - a customer's first tactile experience will be with a touch point".

"Think of a car: if you are assessing a new model and on grasping the door latch you encounter something that appears cheap and flimsy, that is likely to influence your whole perception".

"Touch points are directly linked to the perception of brand values in the mind of the user".

"A touch point can convey not only its own quality, but also the quality, reliability, availability and serviceability of the part of the technology that cannot be seen".

Reliability, availability, and serviceability are key to strategic relationships with OEMs.

For the OEM using a specialist supplier who offers this essential combination of qualities along with an already established platform mechanism that can be customised and styled to a specific application has many advantages.

Obviously it will reduce the time needed for the design process and the OEM can be confident that the product is already well proven.

Aversa explained: "Southco works in a number of industries such as marine and automotive which are highly driven by aesthetics and ergonomics and we have both the expertise and resources worldwide to transfer this experience across to other sectors".

"Most of our products have a proven platform mechanism which gives us a sound basis for customising to specific design requirements".

An example of this is Southco's slide latch - a standard popular mechanism that is used across a wide variety of industries.

A typical problem for the enclosure manufacturer is the number of components required to latch or lock cabinet panels which increases both time and cost of production.

For example, a common solution in the industry for the side panel of an enclosure usually involves two slide latches and a quad latch.

Southco has produced a stylish lockable version of the product which integrates the function of a slide latch and a lock into one, thus reducing not only the component count but also installation time, while at the same time offering manufacturers the opportunity to improve the industrial design content of their product.

As electronic equipment manufacturers work to transform the staid office machine into a sleek entertainment hub for the home, many of the giants of the computer industry are teaming up with industrial designers to increase the market appeal of their products.

Southco itself has an internal industrial design capability that perfectly complements the technological design process.

Aversa explained: "Technology is designed from the inside out, concentrating on functionality, whereas industrial designers work from the outside in".

"Their focus is on what the customer will like to see".

"They will look at how tactile something is, its visual appeal, as well as its functionality".

"Bring the two together, which is what we are able to do with our customers, and you can combine functionality and style to enhance customer appeal".

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