Think Like a Designer
Defining Design
As humans, we have a remarkable ability to use the materials in our environment to create something new and useful. Through experimentation, inspiration, and blind luck, we’ve designed our way to survive and improve our lives. This amazing power to create new services and technology is what drives our economy. To build something functional can be defined as engineering, to make it useful to society can be defined as design. Good design is beyond aesthetics and personal taste, and contrary to popular belief it has more to do with practicality than creativity.
Data vs. Design
In most companies, data and analytical thinking is what drives new products and services. Data will only get you so far – it’s short term insight to solve an immediate problem. Design thinks in the long term. The residual rewards of building a product that inspires culture and an emotional identity is that it almost guarantees loyal customers.
A modern example of this is the recent competition between Google’s Android and Apple’s iPhone. Google is widely known as a company of engineers that bases its decision making mostly on data and analysis. To know who is using your products and how is of couse important to decision making. However, basing a product design solely on data is at best a mistake. To be a design leader, to create something truly innovative and new, something that people not only need but want, the decision makers must have the vision and wisdom to let the design lead.
Apple is the best exmaple of a company that is lead by design. Their products aren’t a confusing maze of options and complexity where anything goes, but instead they are holistic, human-friendly devices that are a perfect balance between form and function. Not everyone will be happy with the compromise of “configurability” in favor of “usability” – but the incredible success of Apple products can not be argued with. Society at large agrees with simple humanized technology, and will increasingly demand products and services that display good design traits.
Design in Your Business
How can you take advantage of good design for your business? Think like a designer. Start to pay attention to the details, always think “how could this be better.” Listen to your customers and employees – they often know best – but don’t be afraid to try something new and innovative, just stick with it and refine. Use products or services that embody good design. Don’t merely copy the industry leader, design something new. Think about what positive elements define your company and your products, then try to design everything around those values to make a cohesive offering. And don’t wait for your competition to do it first!