INDUSTRIAL DESIGN: value is not always in the product itself

Rory Sutherland has a great story about cheese. It all used to come with a rind. At one point, rindless cheddar became the premium option because people felt they were getting only the useful part. No waste, no rind, just the cheese.

Slowly all cheese became rindless, so the advantage disappeared. Later, the rind came back as a premium signal because it suggested craft, authenticity, and something less industrial. Same material, different meaning.

That is the part that product leaders often underestimate. Value does not only come from new features, better specs, or more technical capability. Sometimes value comes from helping people see an overlooked detail differently.

A seam can feel cheap or honest. Weight can feel clumsy or substantial. Texture can feel unfinished or tactile.

Industrial design sits right in that tension between physical reality and perceived meaning. And if you don’t pay close attention, you will get left behind.