The Design of Everyday Things

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Motorized Bicycles have Product Identity Issues

Check out this brand new motorized bicycle. Looks like it has a major identity crisis. Is it a bicycle? A scooter? Cruiser? Motocross bike?
 
Lots of design opportunities to define an identity or design language for this hybrid product category.

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Comments (1)

May 28, 2009
jeffzugale said...
That's a bare-bones build based on any number of other designs. Clearly aesthetic design is not a priority for this manufacturer!

Someone's trying to make some relatively quick money starting with a small budget. If there's a high demand for mopeds and scooters (as there is in some places, they can't keep 'em in stock here in Los Angeles) then you can probably do well even with an aesthetically (and perhaps even functionally, to some extent) poor design because the need is there and many people will take whatever's available and within their price range.

Of course, if your product is low-quality, you'll eventually fail because the better-designed, better-made products will last longer and gain the coveted "reliability" reputation.

This one looks like a Yugo to me, but who knows, it might be "bulletproof" reliable. (I doubt it.)

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