Next-Gen CMF Design Insights: Decoding Consumer Preferences for Smartphone Aesthetics in India

Client

A premium smartphone brand

Objective

The client sought to strengthen its position in India’s competitive mid-premium smartphone market by launching a product line that resonates deeply with emerging lifestyle trends and consumer aesthetics.
The goal of this CMF (Color, Material, Finish & texture preference) study was to:

• Understand color delight factors and the triggers that influence preference.

• Explore color switching behavior among current smartphone users.

• Benchmark against key competitors (Samsung A-series/S-FE).

• Decode Smartphone design differentiation study in India

• Validate design concepts through consumer-centric CMF testing before launch.

This was not just about mobile aesthetics but was about aligning product design strategy with consumer aspirations and lifestyle signals to create a stronger emotional connection.

Approach

Our experts at Market Xcel designed a multi-phase qualitative research framework combining in-context observation, sequential design evaluation, and in-depth interviews.

Key steps included:

1. Consumer Lifestyle Profiling

   • Identified and recruited participants based on age, gender, brand usage, and purchase intent.

   • Profiled lifestyle aspirations to connect CMF choices with personality traits.

2. Central Location Tests (CLT) & In-home Evaluations

   • Conducted CLTs in high-footfall urban locations.

   • Followed up with in-home evaluations to understand how lighting, surroundings, and personal environments influence CMF perception.

3. Sequential Mockup Evaluation

   • Presented physical mock-ups of various CMF prototypes.

   • Captured first impressions, tactile feedback, and aesthetic appeal.

4. Contextual Competitive Mapping

   • Placed client’s prototypes alongside key competitor models to assess perceived premium-ness and design differentiation.

Sampling & Audience

Cities Covered: Lucknow (Gomti Nagar)
Audience Split:

• Gender: 50% Male / 50% Female

• Age Brackets: 22–30 years, 31–40 years

• Brand Segmentation: Existing users of client’s brand, Switchers from Samsung, and First-time premium buyers.

By covering both loyalists and potential switchers, the study ensured holistic CMF feedback across user loyalty spectrums.

Execution & Deliverables

Market Xcel delivered actionable insights in an interactive format:

• CMF Preference Heatmap — Visual mapping of high-appeal vs. low design appeal elements.

• Color Switching Triggers Report — Identified top motivators for switching colors (e.g., peer influence, seasonal demand and fashion trend influence on smartphone purchases).

• Competitive Benchmarking Dashboard — Side-by-side competitive smartphone design perception study and comparisons with Samsung A-series and S-FE models.

• Lifestyle–Design Alignment Framework — Linking each CMF choice to target consumer personas.

• Recommendations for Go-to-Market — Including messaging cues for premium perception and aspirational branding.

Conclusion

The research empowered the client to:

• Select high-conversion CMF options backed by consumer data.

• Refine design communication to align with urban and aspirational positioning.

• Confidently differentiate the Gomti Next Gen CMF line against its competitors.

• Anticipate seasonal design preferences to optimize launch timing.

Testimonial from client

"By going beyond surface-level design feedback and deeply connecting lifestyle-based smartphone design strategy, Market Xcel gave us not just a product style direction, but a consumer-backed design strategy. This ensured that our next launch is not just visually appealing — but personally relevant to the buyer." — Client

Bring Your Product Vision to Life with Consumer-Backed Insights. At Market Xcel, we go beyond consumer-driven smartphone aesthetic preferences, to decode what truly resonates with your audience. Whether it’s premium smartphone design trend analysis in India, brand positioning, or product innovation, our insights help you create offerings that are visually striking, emotionally engaging, and market-ready.