What is design?
In business.
I think it depends on who is asking the questions?
But here I m representing the context of a Design Thinker. To a Design Thinker, Design means to feel. Design means to sense. And Thinking means to analyze.
Why? Because the role of a Design Thinker is to give and deliver! Empathizing with sensing and contextualized by thinking especially while researching and applying relevant research methods and tools, to know and understand what is desired by the users, market for which he is sensing and thinking.
Design is profit in Business.
Today many companies are adopting the Design Thinking approach to their business. To name a few Apple, Google, IBM, Airbnb, and finding it most effective as it is not only improving their bottom lines but also the problem-solving skills of their team. Because of its holistic approach, it also improves the business experiences. Today successful businesses are driven by Design.
Design is Contextual thinking in Business.
Design Thinker must understand the end goal of the users and the marketers. Like what Design Thinker is trying to solve for whom? And what is the user's perception of that offered solution, especially in the context of “ it is delivered by whom?” If the context is missed then the later part may move undirectional which will cost a lot of time, money, and energy. In any case, but once the context is identified and agreed upon, the marketer and Design Thinker must align the offered solution to the ever-changing consumer behaviors, the market, and competition even many reiterations appreciated to achieve the desired solution, which I feel are always proved to be more productive.
Design is delivering an experience for business to improve the loyalty
The role and responsibility of a Design Thinker and marketers are not just to deliver the desired solutions for the users but should also give them a favorable experience. For example
The innovative bicycle may not able to solve the problem of convenience while using the same, the users may follow with series of problems like while parking it, cleaning it, or servicing it. In the end, convenience matters the most. Which improves the subconscious experience and sense of satisfaction. This sense of satisfaction favors loyalty.
Yes, Design is love in business too!
The Marketer's intent plays a very important role in the business. Everybody does business to have profit, or to make money which is obvious. But when the marketers sell the product, service, or any kind of solution which improves the user's lives with the intent to solve the user's end goals ( especially emotional) which makes a big difference. The intent reflects internally in the culture of the entire organization, ignites the out of box thinking, adopts the challenging business direction for required resources, be it people, skills, technology, innovation, or anything else. And at the same, the intent is also realized by all the external stakeholders. Because I believe a good intent ( beyond money) somewhere in the deepest corner of the heart the user's first approach is breathing. Here Design can create unparalleled value in the business.
What is not Design in the business?
After working over 30 years in the branding and marketing communication field, as time travels, experiences evolved with me. My clients have used the term “Design” as a suffix, like can you make a great logo design? or do you make graphic design, or how do you charge for a website design, or How many pages should be ideal for the brochure design. Most of the clients perceived “Design” as graphic interpretation with forms and attractive colors. I have tried to interpret my version of understanding on what is the context of Design in the business.
