Design so that the product’s price looks low.
If you haven’t already, read the intro & summary which explain why I wrote these thoughts down in the first place.
Good design is most easily associated with the idea of quality. A brand sets a price based on a perception of quality that they’ve established around the product; emphasizing excellent materials, great product design, and a compelling story.
I’d like to be explicit in saying that the key to designing digital experiences is to advance the highest amount of perceived quality to the brand and the product itself. This is not achieved through classic design principles alone, but rather through the total sum of the parts, including copy, navigation, site speed, hover states, motion design, etc. The harmony of these elements constitute quality, much like the elements that comprise the quality of the physical product that we’re selling.
In eCommerce design, there is a perceived value to the total digital experience that legitimizes the price set by the merchant. One of our goals as designers is to make the site look so good that it makes the product look better, and maybe in turn even makes the price seem like a steal.