Good design looks nice. It’s aesthetically pleasing, even comforting. But is that all it can be? We’ve taken a closer look at how good design for business can not only benefit your bottom line, but can have a huge impact on your customers’ lives too.
Why is good design for business important?
Making good design a goal of your business has been proven to increase sales. In a study by McKinsey & Company, it was found that design-focused firms delivered 32% higher revenue growth on average than their less well-branded peers. The study also showed these design-focused firms had a 56% higher shareholder return on average.
But apart from having an impact on your bottom line, there are other reasons why good design is a benefit for business. When 75% of users say they judge a company by its website design, investing in an original, well-designed brand identity is immensely valuable. Good design creates a strong identity and helps establish you over competitors, positioning your business as an industry influencer.
Effective brand design shows a business is competent, detail orientated and self-aware. It forms the foundation of a brand and should make every product, service and experience better.
Your customers also appreciate good design
However good design isn’t just based on how it works for you and your team. As Steve Jobs once said: “It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
Good design makes the entire brand experience better for your customer. It focuses on making sure everything works and is accessible. Good design uses conversational, simple language that’s easy to follow and understand, so there’s no barriers between customers and your business.
The NHS recently doubled its online traffic following a digital platform refresh. It focused on ensuring it’s website content was accessible through stripping back the design. Now on their public-facing website, copy is written so that eight-year-olds can understand it. People, even extra-clever, high-qualified experts, prefer to read information in simpler terms.
Where should you start?
To start the ball rolling on discovering how good design can benefit your business, set yourself design goals you’d like to achieve within the first year.
Spread out design responsibility between your team or departments, to increase accountability and remember to always track your metrics. Top global brands such as Apple and Microsoft adjust strategies based on performance reviews.
Even after a rebrand, it’s just as important to continue to rethink and refine your brand design. Try using the three levels of design-thinking to analyse your brand:
Visceral – is your brand design creating an instant positive first impression?
Behavioural – is this experience intuitive and pleasurable for your customers?
Reflective – what larger message or story is being conveyed?
This should help you assess if your brand design still caters to your audiences’ needs and desires.
See where good design could take you
If you’re ready to discover where your business could go when equipped with standout design, get in touch with us at Rawww. See how we can bring your brand to life, or why not view our recent case studies to see how we’ve helped others achieve?
