How do you know whether cars will appeal to future customers? With a Product Clinic

By the time cars reach the dealership, they have already gone through several processes that determine whether they will be well received by future buyers. First, the design table screens them, reworking what emerged in that initial process so it can meet the real world. Then come the various material and construction tests that produce the first prototypes. After many more tests, the version that could be the final one is reached, and it is then that they face the opinion of potential buyers.

These tests are carried out with the collaboration of between 300 and 500 people, who spend their time observing every last detail of what has been assembled on the model. There are several teams of people who go over every element of the car and make assessments of what they have experienced through their observations. All of them are equipped with a tablet, where they record notes and score according to their perceptions.

The observations are made by opening and closing doors, checking that it is easy to do and that it is done well; another person may linger over the smell given off by the seat upholstery, another looks at the size of the boot and how easy it is to access. Each person has a different criterion and is interested in different things, so it is the sum of all of them that gives a good sample of what the “testers” have perceived.

Throughout the development process of a new model, three Product Clinics are held. The first serves to study the feasibility of the project, while the second focuses on the product. Finally, the third Clinic scores its market positioning. Thanks to these tests, several problems found in the design can be corrected, such as the driver’s position or the comfort of some fabric used in the original design.

Source | Seat