Yes, you read this correctly! Design as a tool cuts costs, provides increased profitability and thereby increased turnover, and we could continue here with further claims like greater market share, increased distribution etc. Follow me through this blog post and see how we can prove this.

This is why you should use design to cut costs

At Mission, we know that a strategic utilisation of design can be an extremely effective means of capturing market share and influencing the bottom line. All branches are experiencing an increased level of competition, so that brand-building and design are some of the most important tools you have to set yourself apart. This should inspire more business leaders to commit more strongly to design as a business tool.

However, the myth that design is only decoration, shape and colour continues to live on, unfortunately. We also see that brand-building and design are terms that ‘everyone’ uses, but which few understand the importance of. Perhaps this is because the subject of brand-building has such a wide scope. Brand-building encompasses both the big questions such as “How can we increase sales?” – and seemingly trivial things such as “Which colour should the logo have?”.

Design or die - win or disappear

Design is the most important of all communication disciplines. Design is about how you communicate, how your services are perceived, how your products work. Design is, in other words, something physical, digital and emotional. Nevertheless, it is not just about colour, shape and emotions but also about functional and user-friendly solutions adapted to the customer’s needs. Good designers always ask how things function, and seek ways in which they can simplify and improve. Design and designers’ experience are, in other words, crucial for the product or the service’s quality, for success or fiasco. Let me give you an example: We have customers who come to us and say, “We used to be market leaders, now we are not even on the list!” This boils down to one’s ability to adapt! Some people have fallen asleep at the wheel - design and brand-building have not been on their agendas for a long while!

Find out more about brand, identity and branding here.

The only thing you can be sure of is that nothing is safe. New products are constantly being launched, new generations with new agendas are growing, laws are changing and markets are expanding and disappearing. All too often we hear leaders say, "This is how we have always done it," which usually indicates the beginning of a slow and painful end.

“It is not just about colour, shape and emotions but also about functional and user-friendly solutions adapted to the customer’s needs.”

Good design means good business

Branding and innovation are inherently creative and design-driven processes. We often see that companies that include this in their strategies are better equipped for unexpected changes, they simply adapt faster and succeed more often. By using design as a strategic tool, you are always prepared! Branding does not have to be expensive, but ignoring your own brand can easily be just that!

Questions you should ask yourself in order to take your own business’ temperature are:

Do you have regular meetings at which brand-building and design are on the agenda?
When was the last time you introduced something new?
Are there any predictable changes which could affect your company?