When Design Doesn’t Match Usage

This project is based on a real-world classroom case involving a U.S.-based pet supplement brand entering the Taiwan market. It examines why strong product design does not always translate into repeat purchase.

Focusing on actual consumer behavior, the analysis highlights a gap between how products are intended to be used and how they are used in everyday life.

Rather than treating low repurchase as a product quality issue, this project reframes it as a usage problem. Factors such as dosage format, environmental conditions, and user habits create friction in daily consumption, leading to inconsistent usage and slower repurchase cycles.

Building on this insight, the project proposes a shift from a purely functional product to an emotionally driven daily routine. By redesigning supplements into more accessible formats, such as powder sachets and functional treats, the product becomes easier to use and more naturally integrated into everyday interactions between pets and owners.

In this way, the product is no longer just delivering nutritional value — it also creates small, repeatable bonding moments. This approach demonstrates how aligning product design with real usage behavior can improve both adoption and long-term customer engagement.

This analysis was developed independently based on a classroom discussion.