The Users Are the Best Product Developers

Author: Peter Nagy, Partnerships Specialist

Previously we elaborated on the couriers’ choice regarding food delivery backpacks. Some of the main factors when choosing a bag, besides the top priorities (proper insulation, durability and comfort), are quality, colour, and ease of use.

Regarding ease of use, side pockets and the top opening function are mentioned as the most practical features for everyday work.

Regularly surveying food delivery couriers is a crucial element of Wear Your Brand's product development processes. It provides an understanding of their preferences and way of working.

Developing new products and improving existing ones is essential to be able to adapt to couriers’ needs and work circumstances.

One of the most important aspects of product development is to acknowledge that not always product developers know the best what a product should look like or what features it has to have.

When it comes to new products at Wear Your Brand, we place high importance on the feedback and opinion of the end users. 

We are continuously improving our delivery backpacks based on couriers’ feedback on usability, and desired or unnecessary features to create the best delivery experience.

As a new product, we are now exploring the market of motorbike boxes.

After collecting samples of similar products, and testing different prototypes, as the next step we started to organize 1-on-1 virtual interviews with motorbike couriers. 

As we first thought, most of the couriers are using motorbike boxes.

This information is, however, not enough for us to create a motorbike box that fits the preferences of the majority of couriers.

During these interviews, we wanted to understand how they use the motorbike boxes. 

- Why did they choose the motorbike box they currently have?

- Do they use a delivery backpack together with the motorbike box?

- Which one do they use? Does it fit the box well?

- What is the price that couriers would be willing to pay for a motorbike box?

Extremely important features of a motorbike box are:

• Lock system

As the couriers cannot bring the motorbike boxes with them (like the backpacks) it is important to have some lock system to keep the things inside the box safe.

For example, if they are delivering multiple orders, they might just pick the order out of the box instead of the whole backpack.

• Attachment system

There are a lot of motorbike box types on the market and there are a lot of motorbike types as well. 

If you are not using the same brand of motorbike and motorbike box, the attachment system might be different. 

Creating a universal attachment system is key in order for couriers to be able to attach the box to their motorbikes.

From the answers, it turned out that couriers would prefer having a branded motorbike box, because of two reasons:

• Bright colours provide more visibility and therefore safety on the road
• Customers identify their courier more easily if they use branded equipment and the order delivery can be quicker and smoother this way

Product development with the help of the end users is a really interesting experience and through that, we can learn a lot about couriers’ habits and preferences. Sometimes the customers are the best source of information, so it is worth exploiting these resources.