We design things that make you go oooh and aaah
Well sometimes anyway. But that's not really the point; if we wanted everything we designed to make you squeal in appreciation, we wouldn't necessarily have done our job properly. Because design is about many things, but chief amongst them is the impression it leaves to your customers and the impact it will have on your business. So sometimes we aim for wow, sometimes not – it all depends on the brief.
We love design because it's important
We all love good design; looking at beautiful items can bring a warm glow to the soul. It's true that good design is the cornerstone of all successful businesses, whether as a product or a service. Good design is central to building a competitive edge over your competitors, especially with consumers being ever more judgement-rich and attention-poor.
Surprisingly not every company deems design to be inherent to the success of their business. Maybe experience dealing with designers ( a funny lot at the best of times!) has not shown them what they need to get a competitive leg-up.
How important is it?
As professional designers we often ponder on why this is so and why we receive so many calls from businesses who need design advice after their product has shipped. Our conclusions lead us to believe that many businesses mistrust, misunderstand or simply do not value design. The single biggest problem, we can only conclude, is that good design serves it's purpose so well, it becomes ignored, or to follow the Apple maxim, "it just works'.
You know why? It's not good design: it's good DESIGN THINKING.
You mean designers actually think? Creatively? Oooh....aaah...
Design thinking. As Wikipedia so succinctly puts it:
"Design thinking is a process for practical, creative resolution of problems or issues that looks for an improved future result. It is the essential ability to combine empathy, creativity and rationality to meet user needs and drive business success. Design thinkers share a common set of values that drive innovation: these values are mainly creativity, ambidextrous thinking, teamwork, end-user focus, curiosity".
Great design thinking, truly becomes apparent when it's not visable. And when we don't see it, we're consumed with a passion that gathers our creative soul into a fiery torment against all things that create unaceptable experiences. Well we don't like it, anyway. So don't ignore it, ever. Or we'll be forced to draw on you.
So it's not just colouring pens then?
Well mainly, but for us it's simple. Well thought-out design is good design.
We place such strong emphasis on design, because it matters; economically, not just aesthetically. Plus it gives us the chance to play with our colouring pens, and that not a bad thing.
