I believe there are many facets to a wise consumer but for me, the wisest things to spend money on are experiences, things that have a long lifetime, and things that pay for themselves. Experiences could be travel, concerts, attractions (amusement parks, hikes etc.).
Another reason I believe people are more likely to consider buying a product is if it serves some sort of purpose/ brings ease to their daily life. Things such as appliances, everyday things that some people wouldn’t consider “extras” such as washing machines, a bathtub, dishwasher. These items are staples in ay houses because make habits easier to manage.
I thought a couple of ideas in the article/survey were compelling, the idea of budgeting is something that hits close to home. I started budgeting at the beginning of this academic year, and it has helped relieve some stress I had in terms of spending money, and it has allowed me to splurge on things that I really enjoy and will retain memories from, such as concerts with my friends or visiting my sister, instead of buying yet another hoodie.
Which brings up another example of second-hand clothing stores. Besides the fact that most of the clothing industry is incredibly wasteful and the resources consumed to not only make the clothing but to package, transport and sell the clothing, is astronomical, thrift stores are just smart. It provides fashion at a lower cost, which caters to many more demographics than a traditional department store (+++), it allows clothing to get more than one lifetime of use by upcycling, and it can create a community. William & Mary takes advantage of this economic niche, and has a whole Facebook page dedicated to people selling clothing they don’t want to students on campus at discounted prices. Especially with my generation, this is a really brilliant capitalization on a market.
Here are some design principles to cater to the ‘wise consumer’ and their love of meaningful and intentional experiences with a product or service:
- If the product is second-hand, what was the lifetime of that product? (or if it was upcycled/recycled, what is the product make-up? what other things are in this particular product?)
- The potential memories gained from a certain service/experience? What will be the takeaway (mentally or physically)??
- The energy sustainability, for things like appliances, I think that is compelling for people trying to cut back on an energy bill, or for people who are energy conscious.
- Anything that hits close to home, whether that be some sentimentality of a product, reminiscent of something (childhood memories …?).