The Cornerstone of A Powerful Brand? Good Design.
I came across this article today advocating that every company "should jump on the design bandwagon." I couldn't agree more.
I've long been an advocate and proponent of design thinking as a way to approach problems, both in business and otherwise. Some of the hallmarks of design thinking are combining empathy and context into how we approach problems. James Fox's article helped me take this one step further.Infusing the principles of design in general into every aspect of a company's touch points with consumers and even it's employees can have a powerful effect on building a strong, memorable brand, and building strong internal brand ambassadors within the company.
"The essence of a brand is not the exterior elements, but how you feel about the product or service."
Good design evokes this emotional response in both consumers and employees.
Design is a powerful practice, with the ability to change consumer behavior as well as corporate behavior.
Matias Duarte, director of Android design at Google, said as much to Ad Age in describing how the design team taught designers and engineers to think about the emotions evoked by a product during the building of the Jelly Bean version of the Android operating system.
While tracking the effects of good design is much harder than let's say, an ad campaign, applying good design principles to all aspects of marketing, as Fox discusses, can have a much longer effect by building a loyal following, lasting engagement, and trust. which at the end of the day is the ultimate market of any brand's success.
"Design, even if you’re talking about Apple and their sexy devices, is a promise of quality. It’s a promise that the public is not going to be let down.”
Good design builds trust.. By prioritizing design, from their logo to their clear user experience to the visually stimulating charts and graphs, Mint has built a following of nearly 5 million loyal users.
Good design shouldn't just be infused into the physical attributes of a brand, but also the stories you create about your brand. The art of storytelling is an often overlooked part of branding. Now more than ever visual storytelling, is inspiring a new visual language, and one that can be very powerful. Infographics are all the rage right now because of their ability to tell stories and synthesize large amounts of data quickly and in meaningful ways that resonate.
Consumers are becoming more sophisticated and requiring more from their brands. People will naturally gravitate towards good visual aesthetics and a powerful story. By prioritizing design first in all your marketing, you are letting your audience know that you care, which in today's overstimulated marketplace, is a powerful way to stand out above the rest.
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