Design is often thought of as only relevant to the aesthetics of a product or service. However, design actually plays a critical role in the development and growth of businesses. CEOs, CTOs and CMOs should therefore ensure that they are aware of the business value of design and factor it into their decision-making processes.

Good design helps businesses to create products and services that meet the needs of their users and target audiences. It can also help businesses to build strong brands and differentiate themselves from their competitors. For start-ups and scale-ups, investing in good design can be a key part of achieving long-term success. 

Helping businesses to better understand their users and target audiences

Design can aide businesses to better understand their users and target audiences, looking at customer needs from the customer’s point of view. This customer journey can be achieved using various methods such as design thinking, customer user panels and creating customer personas. Understanding customer needs ensures that businesses will be able to deliver a product or service which meets those needs and make sure that customers are satisfied with what is being provided to them. It is important for businesses to apply design principles in order to understand their customer's needs and provide a positive customer experience.

Creates focus for products and services that meet the needs of their users

A focused strategy behind design helps businesses create products and services that meet the exact needs of their users, rather than embarking on a minimal viable product without any testing or feedback. By prototyping and user testing to gain public insight, businesses can build out their solutions with real user feedback and understanding. In fact, a recent report by McKinsey & Company reported that 'strategic design' can lead to better financial results for companies. Design creates dynamic solutions based on sound insights from the target audience, enabling businesses to develop attractive products and services that fit the specific needs of their customers.

Allowing brands to grow by creating a unique and recognisable identity

Design provides businesses the opportunity to position their products and services in a way that truly fits market needs while also creating a resonating aesthetic. This can be incredibly helpful when trying to create an identity and branding that stands out from competitors. Good design doesn't go unnoticed, it makes its presence known in the market, standing out with uniqueness and recognition through visuals, images, shape, form and more. Plus, design can help drive more inclusive and diverse cultures by subtly influencing market behaviour – both internally within the business but also externally amongst customers - which consequently further elevates market presence. All of this is key for any business looking to grow their brands successfully.

How design improves their bottom line by increasing sales and reducing costs

Design thinking is an integral part of building successful businesses. According to the same McKinsey report, design-driven companies outperform peers in significant ways— overall they double their returns on investment from everyday decisions, building the right product features and optimising user experience leads to sales growth, customer loyalty and ultimately making up a larger share of the market. Design can also help reduce costs by giving teams a clearer focus for understanding their audience's needs and building solutions that strives to solve customer problems. Ultimately, having a strong design strategy can help businesses increase their bottom line.

Design is a powerful tool that can help businesses to better understand their users and target audiences, create products and services that meet the needs of those users, grow their brands, and improve their bottom line. If you are not taking advantage of design in your business, you may be missing out on a key opportunity to gain a competitive edge.