The Strategy Of Product Identity

The strategy of product identity (PI) belongs to brand identification. It is a theory that all kinds of products produced by enterprise should be designed in unison by system aspect. After making a general survey of design history, we find that some world-famous brand products such as Benz, BMW and BRAUN formed a style in the 1970's. On the other hand the concept of Product Identity was proposed in Japan in the 1980's. The above-mentioned is closely related with the strategy of PI. But PI doesn't cause the society and enterprise enough attention all the time. Even product design is still in the scattered situation at present. So I propose the strategy of PI and study it specially. I emphasize that all products of enterprise should be designed according to the principle of unified style systematically in order to set up unique product image and brand image for enterprise in terms of industrial design.Through the research on cognitive course of product, I find that PI is not the simple objective reality but formed in the cognitive course of product. My issue is that the factors influencing PI are noumenal attribute (form factors) of product and extension attribute (brand, advertising, etc.). Then I analyze the factors influencing PI one by one. The main method is case study.In the latter half of the article, I make some progress to the general method ofstructuring identity and propose "network type" structure as following. Firstly, weseek the demands especially potential demands of consumer through market survey;Secondly, we position brand style on base of satisfying consumer demand; Thirdly,we determine form style according to brand style and product characteristic; Fourthly,we describe this kind of style through some typical form images; Fifthly, we abstractkey form elements from form images and regard it as the reference of designingactivity; Sixthly, we enter the phase of concept design; Finally, we examine theachievement of concept design through SD experiment. It is worth paying specialattention to that there is only a logic order among every step of structuring PI. Duringactually operating these steps should be taken as each other in coordination with andshould keep good exchange. At last I probe into some undetermined factorsinfluencing PI. For example, the style what enterprise have had; the special use ofproduct; the question of engaging new designers, etc. All of the questions are worthpaying attention to in the follow-up study.Keywords: Corporate identity;Brand identification;Product identity;Product design;Form;Style...