Tag: Methods

COMMUNICATING COMPLEX PRODUCTS EFFECTIVELY

Especially strongly future-oriented technology companies are often faced with the challenge of communicating their complex products in a comprehensible and striking way. This is all the more true as the economy increasingly relies on software and services instead of classic hardware products. Because new, innovative and software-based products in particular are often more difficult to explain than the old familiar toaster, car or toothpaste. Digitally transformed products, platform economies and individual solutions are also changing marketing and press relations. Added to this: More and more decision-makers inform themselves first via digital channels. Their attention is also a scarce commodity on the web that first has to be won. That is why concise and memorable communication is particularly important in online marketing and in the B2B sector. Nothing is more memorable than powerful messages and good visualisations that are consistently geared to the target group.

People can only absorb a limited amount of information. That’s why the simplest arguments are often the strongest. In fact, research suggests that intuitive decisions about complex products often work better based on a few criteria than with a large amount of information and a lot of brainpower. But not everything can be so easily reduced to a few statements or a picture. How can you nevertheless communicate products and services that are difficult to explain in a striking and comprehensible way? By concentrating on the essentials, that is, consciously reducing complexity and filtering a lot of information.

Sculptural exhibits: The systems’ operating and functional principles become visible by leaving out superfluous details.

OUR ANSWER: ELEGANT SIMPLEXITY

Simplify complex content in such a way that it becomes catchy and understandable for the target groups, but no further. It is precisely at this point that the opportunity for successful communication and good design arises, without important information being lost. At design hoch drei, this principle is called Elegant Simplexity. For us, it is the key to explaining abstract solutions and problems. Especially the products and services of technology companies, which often require explanation to outsiders, can be made comprehensible in an elegant way. The principle deliberately sets itself apart from gimmicky advertising and focuses on relevance and benefit for the end customer. It creates an oasis for the eye and invites intensive engagement.

THE CASE: NEW BRAND DESIGN BOSCH MOBILITY SOLUTIONS

The fine art of reduction has been applied by design hoch drei, for example, to the extremely broad and complex technology and service portfolio of Bosch Mobility Solutions, bringing new clarity and fascination to the external image of one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers and providers of mobility solutions. It all began in 2013 with sculptural engine exhibits. These provided an impressive stage for the Bosch components by pushing the abstraction of the unimportant to the white model as far as was just possible and at the same time necessary for easy understanding. Only the Bosch technology itself remained as a tangibly real element.

The effect: Bosch technology, which is usually almost invisible but absolutely relevant to the system, was made visible and its complex interplay clear. It was a short leap from engines to entire motorcycle and car sculptures, which, for example, made safety technology or systems for autonomous driving tangible at the booth. The visual principle of the white projection surface for innovative technology was thus proven in the trade show area and was rolled out in all Bosch Mobility Solutions communication media in the following years – from key visuals and numerous print products to moving images, the newly launched web portal, and interactive applications. An approach that led to success: in 2019, Bosch Mobility Solutions’ new brand design was awarded the special Best of Best award of the Automotive Brand Contest.

WHY ELEGANT SIMPLEXITY?

Achieving simple elegance is hard work, but it’s worth it. Because an elegantly designed appearance is more effective, more distinctive and thus more distinguishable from the competition. Simplicity also brings great advantages. Simplified communication is easier for others to connect with, because it is easier to understand than complex information and can therefore be communicated more effectively – both within the company and to the outside world. This does not require elaborate campaigns. Instead, the method of elegance leads to sensible solutions that do not reinvent everything and at the same time create a solid platform for further developments. But how does it all work now?

Complex systems and comprehensible forms of representation


5 STEPS TO ELEGANT SIMPLEXITY

STEP 1: CUT IT INTO PIECES

Everything begins with immersion in the topic at hand. A complex subject should always first be broken down into its individual parts so that it can be understood and then communicated well. If the topic is available in printed form, then one could also cut everything with scissors into (meaningful) small snippets, rearrange them, glue them on and mark discovered connections. The result is comparable to a mind map, only a bit more detailed. No matter what the exact procedure looks like in the end, the same questions always have to be answered. Which elements are there and what are they for? What belongs to what or is related to something else?

STEP 2: SIMPLIFY TO THE CORE

Things become complex by themselves. Making them simple again is the real art. That’s why we leave out everything that is not really important or would be too complex for the attention span of the target group. We always have to ask how much time the user is willing to invest. Depending on the channel, this can be quite different. Online, it often takes just a few seconds to decide whether someone will “stay tuned.” With films, too, the decisive messages should come across within the first 20 to 30 seconds. That’s why, at first, only what belongs to the actual core of a product or topic remains.

STEP 3: REBUILD THE RELEVANT

Now what is really important has to be reassembled. The key here is to find an information structure that correctly reflects the content and at the same time is easy to follow and always remains consistent in itself. Once again, priorities have to be set. What should the user learn and when, what needs to be made clear particularly quickly? What information is a prerequisite for what comes next? What value propositions can we make and how can we prove them with convincing cases? Technical details should be avoided unless the audience consists of experts with a lot of time on their hands, which is unlikely to be the case.

STEP 4: ADD SOME ELEGANCE

Design-oriented communication is more attractive and more memorable. This is also reflected in the fact that design-oriented companies are more successful than their competitors. Design and beauty are therefore not just pretty shells, but a hard-hitting economic factor because they create real value. Used as a strategic tool, they can make brands successful. That’s why, for Elegant Simplexity, we combine good content with elegant design to create an aesthetically functional presence that clearly stands out from the competition and is a pleasure to look at.

STEP 5: Gain Attention

Elegant design and clear messaging are a promising way to attract people to a product, but often more is needed. A product website, no matter how beautifully designed, is useless if no one sees it. An innovative solution at the trade show booth is of little interest if it can only be found in the fine print. In order to attract the desired attention, it is imperative that the staging and advertising are not only tailored to the target group, but also optimally adapted to the channel on which it takes place. However, the following applies across the board: Nothing attracts attention more easily and is better remembered than a good visualization that gets to the heart of a complex topic and at the same time is open for further thoughts and conversations.

tl,dr: Elegant Simplexity is a method that combines design, clear messages and comprehensible visualization of innovations. For Bosch Mobility Solutions, this has resulted in a unique communications presence. This was also confirmed by the “Best of Best” special award presented by the German Design Council at the ABC Awards. Here you can find more details about the communication appearance of Bosch Mobility Solutions.

THE TRADE FAIR IN THE DIGITAL AGE

BEST CONNECTIONS AT THE TRADE FAIR

The trade fair is and remains an outstanding means of communication for sales and marketing. Meeting in person at trade shows is more important than ever in the digital age. This may no longer be quite so true in the consumer goods sector, where online channels such as web stores are taking on greater importance. But for industrial goods, the trade show is still considered a leading medium. Anyone who spends a lot of money on a machine does not want to find out about it exclusively on the web. The exchange, the experience and the experience are still the great strength of trade fairs. The trade show is an emotional event that brings customers and companies together and strengthens customer loyalty. A web presence cannot fully replace this.

CREATING TRADE SHOW CONCEPTS WITH DIGITAL THINKING

However, a trade show booth can benefit from a digital mindset. In every digital project, the focus is on user centricity. That means everything is geared to the needs of the customer: the usability, the information architecture, the preparation of the content. When designing a trade show booth, tools such as user journey, persona and prototyping can be used in the same way to create the most user-friendly experience possible for the trade show visitor. Design thinking workshops can be the basis for the concept. Here, representatives from different company departments can be brought together to contribute their perspectives and experience with customer needs.

DIGITAL TOOLS HELP TO DESIGN A TRADE SHOW APPEARANCE FROM A VISITOR’S POINT OF VIEW.

From this information, intermediate results are developed and then tested to see if they stand up to the previously defined specifications. In our experience, the end result is always convincing. The user-centered design process leads to much greater attention being paid to factors such as usability, experience and interaction. Functionality, design and emotion come together harmoniously to create a multi-sensory trade show experience. In addition, marketing before and after the trade show can also be planned much better through design thinking.

DIGITAL POTENTIAL AT THE TRADE SHOW BOOTH

The trade show booth becomes a success not only with a digital way of working, but also with digital means of communication. It is true that trade fair visitors primarily want to hold technical discussions and get their hands on the products themselves. But in B2B, there is enormous potential in the digital presentation of products and services. After all, most machines and services are becoming increasingly complex and their functions cannot be fully grasped and understood by “laying hands” on them. Augmented reality and touch applications are particularly suitable for presenting this sophisticated content in digital form in an elegant, emotional and comprehensible way.

THINK HOLISTICALLY AND PLAN FOR DIGITAL FROM THE OUTSET.

However, digital applications often feel like foreign bodies on the trade show stand. Either they are relegated to a secluded corner or they are additionally superimposed on the actual booth concept. Another disruptive factor is different design guidelines, which cause a break between the analog and digital worlds and thus destroy the immersion, i.e. reduce the customer experience. It is therefore important to never view digital and analog separately. Digital applications must fit into the booth concept in terms of content and design. This is how a trade show appearance can be successful in a digital age.

Herrenknecht multimedia trade fair presence at bauma 2019: explorative digital applications, haptic models, moving images and striking walls in editorial design

tl;dr: A B2B trade show booth cannot be replaced by a digital channel. But it does benefit from digital tools and digital applications. Herrenknecht’s trade fair presence at bauma 2019 is an example of how this can be achieved.