The 4 points of niche product success

I have decided that a niche or design product must be really excellent in 4 areas in order to be successful:

1. novelty: must be different than anything out there
2. utility: must serve an existing need (rather than invent a new problem that we don't have)
3. quality: must be luxurious, durable, nice looking, tasteful
4. narrative: must have an engaging creation story (or mythology :)

The scrap lights by graypants are an example of a product that is very strong on all 4 points.

1. the idea seems obvious yet it had not been done (at least in the public realm).
2. very useful. everybody needs light.
3. they are stunning yet subtle
4. great story: 3 photogenic designers search for trash boxes in Seattle so that they can transform them with the help of modern technology.

Here's another product that is very strong on all 4 points: my UM bags. Yes, I brag, but these bags were good enough to start a business and pull me away from architecture.

1. the zipper-form idea had been done, but not in the same way.
2. very useful. everybody needs bags.
3. they are beautiful yet subtle.
4. great story: when an architect designs handbags this is what you get.










Unfortunately, it's very very difficult to design a successful niche product. Most don't pull it off twice. I don't think the rest of graypants line comes close to the lamps. And I will painfully admit that nothing else in my line hits the 4 points of niche product success as well as the UM bags. After the bags became successful, suddenly I was busy running a business rather than designing: I spent 16 months designing the UM bags, and 16 hours on some later products. It's that simple.

I now aim to design nothing that is not strong on all 4 points, and to let the quality of my design work lead whatever commerce may arise. I will (attempt to) ignore commercial concerns such as trade show deadlines, holiday seasons, corporate gifting clients, etc.