What if I told you that the lack of proper labels in everyday household items killed many people during the 19th century in Britain? Would you believe me? Well, it's true, and it wasn't the fact these items were not labeled; it was the fact that they all looked the same so someone could confuse arsenic with flour or sugar, not to be dramatic, but its the truth. These items are very similar in color and texture, so without proper labeling, it would be easy to confuse them. Once a lot of people had died, companies needed to create appropriate labels for their items. Products like arsenic had to not only create warnings, but they had to differentiate themselves in the texture of the bottles they were being provided in. The consumer could not only distinguish them by looks but also by touch, which made it easier for people with eye-sight-related disabilities to purchase the correct products. But what does any of this have to do with Design?
Design is apparent everywhere, whether we are aware of it or not, but it's the accessible designs and the user-friendly products that will set us apart from the rest. There are many reasons to prioritize Design to improve the success of your product. I'm not saying Design is more important than anything else, but it should be a priority. A good design not only means fewer people could have died in the 19th century, but it will differentiate you from your competitors. This will help the user solve problems rather than create new ones, and it will give your brand awareness, as more people will be eager to try your products.
If you're a designer, you know many companies will prioritize many things over Design, thinking that this will potentially help you save a buck, but that's where they're wrong. Saving on a good design will potentially make you spend more money in the long run. As you decide to prioritize on solving other issues non-design related, later on, your customers probably won't be pleased with the overall user experience, and you will have to spend a little more than initially to solve all the issues that came up. An excellent Design and proper development will help you stand out and create experiences that your users will appreciate.
Here are the top 10 reasons why good Design is essential in any business.
Sets you apart from your competitors: Princeton psychologists found that it takes only a tenth of a second to form an impression, meaning you most likely only get a few seconds to make or break a sale. A sleek design will set you apart from competitors with similar prices and functions.
Social media success: Having good designs for your company, translates to instagrammable content. This essentially means people will be interested in sharing your product, which will help you gain more followers that could turn into leads.
Brand consistency: Building a connection between your brand and the services you offer will show users you are consistent; a consistent brand builds trust and emotions. It will give users the reasons they need to work with you, and you'll earn brand recognition.
Build customer trust: Users are looking for companies capable of creating quality content, from good user experience to cutting-edge designs and layouts that will keep customers wanting to come back for more.
Memorable: A good design will become engraved in the user's mind, which will help them return to your product. Good design is memorable because it gives the user a good experience, if they like what they see and what they interact with, they'll want to come back for more.
User-friendly content: With the rapid increase of technology in the world, more people are looking at how to expand their businesses through it, and while good design practices are too many to list them all here, we can safely say that good design includes accessibility for all users to use your product successfully.
"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works. - Steve Jobs, Apple": Design is not only making things look pretty. Design is also taking the time to understand what your product does and considering how it will work. A good design will implement good design practices and enjoyable user experience to create an excellent looking and well-working product.
Broadens your audience: Good design is trendy and can help you increase brand awareness; it will help you stand out throughout social media and create more engagement within your audience.
Boost sales: "Good design is good business. - Thomas Watson, IBM" A good design is competitive, cutting edge, and allows you to stand out by increasing the number of leads you can approach.
Increase company value: Good Design can help your company thrive, and having a robust and consistent brand, accessible to all, will potentially improve your brand become not only popular but also effective.
Designing is more than just font types and color palettes, it is more than just the aesthetic look of your app, it is about good user experience and creating accessible content. Overall, good design will help your business grow; it will create engagement and trust within your audience, so invest in it. Make your brand stand out, but in the right way, not like the 19th-century label makers.