Hey, I’m about to start a marketing class tomorrow, I’ve been reading the textbook, and it seems fascinating. I’m wondering if anybody here has a background or role in marketing. In a way, it is the essence of what we do. Design products that people will buy. From my inexperienced viewpoint, it seems to me that there is way to much of a divide between the marketing and design sectors.
Marketing tells design what they think will sell- “here, make this”. Something is lost in translation. Then design shows marketing all their hard work to get the yes or the no. Something is lost in translation again. It seems like a lot of designers see marketers as empty suits who don’t understand what makes a good product, while marketers can see designers as icing on the cake who don’t know what sells.
Do any of have a background or a role in the “marketing” side of things? Thoughts?
I study marketing as a minor at university, and it is fascinating to learn. The business students don’t really get it I think.
It was funny to see product design mentioned once, on one slide in one lecture, as part of the marketing process. I think a designer’s viewpoint is really good for marketing, and you learn a LOT about what it is we are here to do - capitalism 101. We are all part of a system which is making money for the man.
Try to learn some consumer behaviour stuff if you can - i did a subject on that and it was great to really get into the head of consumers or in other words, people who buy your product.
In my experience, one of the draw backs of SOME product marketing groups is not that they can tell you what will SELL, but instead what has historically SOLD. Helpful information, but only when used to help predict the future of the market landscape. Another issue I have is the focus on the next quarter instead of researching, developing, and sticking to a 5 year plan. Something that turns a quick profit in the next few quarters can kill the brand 5 years from now!
I think great product marketing people realize they are in the business of questions. It is very difficult to form the right question for a product development team to solve for… I see design is in the business of solutions.
I think ID students can learn alot from the marketing classes, i know i did. I can see what epic said about the biz students not getting it. I know in my marketing class everyone’s presentation was basic powerpoint with text and the group i was in, the only one with an ID person, was head and shoulders above the others from a visual and overall concept point of view.
Try and take all those marketing principles and incorporate them into your design thought process, it will help alot, its definitely not a waste of time class like in some curriculum. After taking my marketing class i realized that as much as i loved design i realized that marketing was pretty cool too. Reminds me of a Deion Sanders quote, something to the effect of “Baseball is my wife but football is my girlfriend”.
