Design isn’t just some pretty pictures or colorful graphics; design is a creative solution to any problem. The way your thumb moves in order to navigate through an app, the way an image relates to you, or even the way you use a device—it all comes under design. Design is a road that connects your product to your customer. A designer’s job is to make sure that that road is as smooth and straightforward as possible. So how exactly does a business drive ROI through design?
Several international organizations have conducted research to figure out the relationship between design and ROI. The result of this research has shown a significant rise in companies acquiring design firms or integrating design into their company’s core values.
According to the Design In Tech Report 2015, “27 startups that were co-founded by designers have been acquired since 2010 by companies like Google, Facebook, Adobe, LinkedIn, Dropbox, and Yahoo.” The report also states that companies co-founded by designers have been able to raise value and capital of over billions of dollars, hence indicating that design must play a role in driving a company’s ROI.
Customer Experience
In a world that is changing at a rapid pace, companies have to keep up with technology and how it is changing human behavior. With countless products becoming available with the simple click of a mouse or a tap of your finger, companies have to ensure they’re available to meet their customer’s needs.
According to Flurry, an app analytics firm, the average smartphone user spends almost two hours a day on mobile devices. To keep up with this trend, companies have to make sure they have an app or at least a mobile-friendly website. Here is where a designer comes in. If you take a look at your app store, you’ll find endless apps for just about anything. What makes an app truly stand out?
The look of the app should be easy on the eye, and all the important tabs should be within your thumb’s reach. A UX designer’s job is to create an experience that is both comfortable and efficient for the app user. Ever noticed how many times you’ve exited an app because you just couldn’t deal with its horrible navigation? That is the kind of problem a designer helps solve: creating a delightful experience for your customers so they keep coming back to you.
Instagram’s biggest strength is its simple navigation and easily understandable design. According to Citigroup analysts, Instagram is now worth about a whopping $33 billion. If the power of a simple UX design can make your company worth $33 billion, why shouldn’t you invest in design?
Brand in Unity
For a company to become a brand, it needs to provide a unified experience. No matter what platform a customer uses to access your product, they should experience the same delight. From the logo to the packaging of your product—or even the store in which your product is sold—there should be unity. Everything should have the same seamless look and feel. If you look at Apple as a brand, you can see how effortlessly everything looks in-sync. Even from afar, just by looking at the packaging, you can tell it’s an Apple product. They’ve used white predominantly in their branding. This is to signify simplicity. Apple has strived to make sure their products are also in line with that approach. This can also be seen in the evolution of Apple’s logo.
Providing unity in your brand creates brand loyalty. People tend to stay with something familiar for a longer time. One of the biggest reasons for Apple’s massively loyal customer base is that they provide the same design across all their products. Apple also adheres to strict guidelines in order to ensure that every store, advertisement and product offers the same experience. Apple is one of the biggest design-led companies in the world. They’ve invested a great deal in their design team, and the results have clearly been in their favor. You can use design in various ways to increase sales and create a delightful customer experience.
In conclusion, design can help add value to your company and give your customers an experience they’ll enjoy. And this will inevitably lead to an increase in your sales and market share.
Find out more on how you can improve lead generation of your website through Gestalt Design Principles.
