I’ve referenced the UK’s Design Council numerous times thus far in various posts and pages around the site. You could say I’m an avid fan, but that might be a bit of an understatement. The Design Council’s approach has me envious of UK designers, as this information is free to them along with anyone else in the world. (And it increasingly makes me resent the AIGA for not being as resourceful to offer their information free of charge.) Some facts listed on their site translate to any language or market. There are some, however, that I wonder just how relevant they are in other countries such as the US.
Even if the statistics don’t translate exactly, the bottom line is still the same: Design can prove to be the most powerful asset a business can have in their box. Here are some bullet points, thoughts, and notes regarding some information I’ve found on the site that has this fact hitting home more than ever:
- Design has always been used to combat challenging economic times. (Design In A Downturn)
- Design can bring in new customers
- Design can change buying habits
- Design can present a professional image
- Independent research shows that companies that don’t invest in growth, research and development during a recession are 2.5 times more likely to fail than those that do.
- Design can help to minimize crime. (Design Out Crime)
- Design can help hospitals stay clean and individual people manage their own healthy active lifestyles.
- Companies that invest in design can avoid competing on price alone.
- In businesses where design is integral to operations, over three quarters say they’ve increased their competitiveness and turnover through design.
Wow, there is too much information for me to process all at once. To sum it all up, though, design can make a serious impact on business, public health, crime, and more. I’m starting to wonder what design can’t make an impact on. Even more, I’m wondering why so few people aren’t taking their websites, logos, and business’ facades seriously. More often than not, the logo or website (or both) are the first thing a potential client sees. I’ve heard many people of all generations say something to the effect of “they have a horrible website, so I’m not even going to try to deal with them”. Its much like walking into a black tie affair wearing your pajamas. Unless trying to make a public statement of some sort, most people wouldn’t do that. So why do they let their websites, logos, and other design elements make such a poor statement about their business?
Imperative information for small businesses: Free Guides for Small Businesses