Classification of Products : : Design

How you will classify the products scenario/ company with respect to design?

I organize them as under

First level
Satisfying functional requirement
Basic ergonomics
(examples………….)

Second level
Design - functional, ergonomics
Entry level emotional
(examples………….)

Third level
Design – strong characteristics
Emotional products
Personal products/ personal characteristic products, lifestyle products
Products with metaphor
(examples………….)

Fourth Level
Brand design
Products emerge as a trend
New experience
Design – future styled/ sculptural products like automobile
Products associated with Designer name – Designer brand
(examples………….)

Fifth Level???

Note: Any up scale level will have all characters of the lower level

I am just adding few examples here

Cups in cafeteria……….: First level

Microsoft mouse……….: Second level

Fossil watch, Nokia Mobile, Okley Eyewear……………: Third level

Ipod,… Zaha Hadid, Karim Rashid,… Renault, BMW………… : Forth level

Etc….

Can we really classify this product spectrum into these levels…?
Can we add more character to these each level?

ADD

function …to… product… to… fashion
First level…to …Second level… to…Third level.

Many products are shifting from one level to next level.

By acquiring the characteristic of next level, may be one can shift product/design to that level.

eh…? what’s this all about

This is the general path followed by products/product design

In the past …we were looking… for products that functions properly.
Then …better… ergonomics…
Then … design.
When… all products…started having more or less same level of design…
voila …Emotional design…metaphor styling….
When they achieved all theses characteristics….
Moved further …more emotional design…lifestyle product …
Creating new experiences……concept design…

But there are lots of products which are on lesser level.
It is also associated with whether that product is primary (personal)
Secondary or tertiary in nature.

For example: tabletop telephone
Over the period it has been shifted to max level 2 or mid way between 2 & 3
How this product will grow or move further?
May be adding some personal characteristics or adding metaphor… experience…
(Assumption: all competitors’ table top telephone has more or less similar functionality)

I realize that we as a designer never account for level change.

Another example Gillette shavers…
They are on level 3… i.e. shifted from personal product…to lifestyle product.
& on the way to level 4 …through branding techniques…giving sense of belonging to product which was so for none prevalent.