2025 industry data: what matters for product development

Message summary

What happened

The National Bureau of Statistics disclosed in the 2025 Statistical Bulletin released on February 28, 2026: Among the industries above designated size throughout the year, the added value of the computer, communications and other electronic equipment manufacturing industries increased by 10.6% compared with the previous year. This indicator is the year-on-year change in the added value of the industry, not the sales growth of a certain product category, nor the growth of orders received by the company.

Co-creator observation: From a large industry back to a specific need

Industry data can help us determine the direction of attention, but it cannot replace user research. A desktop device, a pair of smart glasses and a portable speaker, even if they are the same hardware products, have different reasons for buying them. When starting a project, you should first confirm who will use it, where it will be used, and what inconveniences it will solve before discussing the appearance style.

We are more concerned about whether the needs can be clearly stated: is it portable, quiet, easy to clean, or can a certain operation be completed faster? The more specific these descriptions are, the more informed the choices made in size, structure, materials, and interactions will be. Just writing "smart" and "high-end" into the requirements document is usually not enough to support design decisions.

Turn market judgment into verifiable prototypes

For projects whose direction is still uncertain, one or two most critical scenarios can be selected first for sample verification. For example, when holding a product, first check the feel and button position, for desktop products, first check the floor space and wiring, and for outdoor products, first clarify the protection and durability requirements. Not all features have to be completed at the same time in the first version.

Requirements, target costs, first batch quantities, and time to market should be placed on the same table. We recommend retaining only adjustments supported by evidence from each review round and documenting which issues remain to be verified. In this way, industry trends can be transformed into real development actions.