How Good Design Can Transform Your Busines

As we enter a golden age of design, more businesses than ever are recognising the value of building a strategy around their brands, investing in strong visual identities and understanding how they connect with customers. With companies like Apple and Starbucks leading the way, organisations large or small are realising there are compelling reasons to prioritise design to improve their chances of success and growth.

Here we provide our top 5 reasons to invest in good design;

1) First impressions last

You know what they say, you only get one chance to make a good impression, and that is so true when it comes to your brand. It is thought people only require around 50 milliseconds of time to form an opinion of whether your company is right for them or not. Given such a tight window of opportunity and with so much competition in the marketplace, it is essential that people ‘get’ who you are straight away, the markets you operate in and the products and services you provide. Aligning this into the right visual identity can sometimes be tricky but get this right and the results can be very lucrative.

Think about what kind of first impression you want your customers to have. Want to be fun and interesting? – try bold colours…professional and trustworthy? – ensure a clear, uncluttered layout that is easy to navigate.

2) Stand out from the crowd

With so much noise and competition in the marketplace, good design is another way to help you stand out from the crowd. Out of the veritable flood of brands people are exposed to every day, there are very few organisations that individuals find appealing enough to form a connection with. It is important to consider that often when consumers are faced with companies offering similar services, features or benefits they will opt for the one they either recognise or the one that has more attractive design. Consider your brand’s USP and communicate that within your visual identity.

3) Connect with your customers

Design is a powerful way of connecting with customers, conveying key brand messages, values and building loyalty. Colour, layout and smart font choices can help you make an emotional connection with your audience in an impactful and memorable way. Design should also support the values that your business is built on.

4) Boost business

It goes without saying that good design can help boost business prospects. They key is being able to invest in design that connects and holds your customer’s attention for long enough, giving them enough dwell time to learn more about your products and services. Google analytics is an effective tool in helping you measure the time customers spend on your website. Understanding current performance is fundamental in getting future performance right.

5) Review, evolve, grow

Already have good design? Don’t rest on your laurels. We always recommend that as brands evolve, they regularly review their creative strategy to ensure it is still effective. This can be completed with the support of a design specialist who can help you start the review process with a simple brand audit.