1. Overview
It is worthwhile to think about how design might benefit your company in all aspects.
Developing and marketing goods and services via design spares you from having to compete just on price. Moreover, design enables you to carve out specialized markets and cultivate enduring relationships with clients so that you may fulfill or beyond their expectations.
This manual is intended for start-up companies as well as those creating new goods or services or branching out into untapped areas. It describes how to recognize and assess the role that design plays in your company, acquire knowledge of design techniques, get expert assistance, and have a grasp of more in-depth design issues.
2. Disciplines in design
Product designers will use computer-aided design to create ideas, test those concepts with manufacturers and clients using crude models, and then create precise prototypes that you can measure and assess.
Effective package design is crucial for product sales.
Your firm may benefit from having a unified image that emphasizes what makes your goods and services unique and appealing in all areas. Brand designers can assist you in achieving this.
Ideas and information are conveyed visually via graphic design, which may be seen in reports, websites, stationery, signs, logos, and marketing and sales materials for your company. In terms of brand design, it is crucial.
You may organize and arrange the people, resources, communications, and infrastructure that go into providing the service with the aid of service designers.
Any company that hires employees should give careful thought to workplace design as the environment in which employees work may directly affect their creativity and productivity. Also, the perception of your organization may be impacted if customers often visit your place of business.
Eco-design, often known as "green design," is a process in which the final product's usage, distribution, manufacturing process, and raw materials are all taken into account. Eco-design applies to both new and current items. You will benefit from this in the following ways: decreasing the amount of raw materials, energy, and water used; getting rid of dangerous elements; creating less waste and pollution; extending the life and efficiency of the product; and guaranteeing better potential for recycling and reuse.
3. Design of brand
Associating a distinct, unified set of values with your goods and services is possible with effective brand design. This is an effective strategy to draw in new clients and ensure that current clients and connections will not forget about your company.
Developing a strong brand
Whenever possible, your brand should be reinforced in all marketing, business, and sales environments, as well as on websites. It should also be straightforward, memorable, and consistent. It should be relevant to your customers and their needs, so try to create associations that are appropriate to your product or service, whether this is aspirational, reliable, etc.
• Current and fresh: Adjust as needed, although often this won't need rebranding unless there are significant changes to your company's operations.
• efficient across all platforms, including print, digital, and television advertising
Determine what you will hire a designer for and how much of the brand design you can accomplish yourself. Employee involvement is a good concept in any case. They are probably acquainted with your clients and have a thorough understanding of your goods and services. They must feel at ease with the brand and may even have suggestions.
See our guide, Branding: the Essentials, for more branding information.
4. Collaborating with designers
Making the appropriate decision and including a professional designer or consultant in your project from the beginning are crucial if you decide to employ one.
How to Get Help from a Designer
You may get a variety of practical abilities and information from a designer. For instance, they can:
• Be experts in a field like product research, marketing, or website design;
• Serve as consultants with a broad understanding of your industry or market;
• Optimize your team's ability to employ effective
• provide you more time to focus on other areas of your company;
• give an outsider's perspective since you could be too close to choose the best course of action.
Choosing an appropriate designer
There are many ways to locate designers, including:
• word-of-mouth
• Case studies of initiatives that inspire you.
• Directories that can be searched
Asking potential designers to submit a creative pitch based on a brief you have given them is not a smart idea until you have narrowed down your options. Rather, request a synopsis of their experience and a short explanation of how they would tackle your project. It might be a good idea to pay your preferred firms to do some exploratory creative work. You may assess it before choosing your ultimate agency.
As you narrow down your options, take into account the designers':
• experience and proof of ability to resolve business issues
• Personality and ethos: You must have a positive working rapport with them.
You will need to collaborate to draft a design brief after deciding which design firm to hire. The main aims of your project and the strategic objectives of your company should be included in the brief.
5. Forming a group for design
You must assemble a team that consists of the following members, regardless of whether you are using an outside design firm or doing the design work internally:
• A project manager who has decision-making power and accountability for design-related matters
• all relevant personnel, including technical, marketing, sales, and research staff;
• a chosen group of important clients and vendors
For the design team to function effectively, the appropriate tools and environments will be required. These consist of:
• Provide enough time, money, and resources to complete the task;
• promoting creativity and imposing only necessary limitations on individuals
A strong brief; frequent reviews and updates to prevent wasting time, money, or effort; competent project management; and explicit agreements from the outset about matters about intellectual property and any applicable rules
6. Create for certain markets and goods
Create with technological companies in mind.
Design can help small and medium-sized Indian technology companies make their products more commercially viable.
Businesses in the technology sector must commercialize their technical advancements. Small firms may ensure that their new goods are both economically feasible and user-friendly by using design concepts. The use of design approaches in small and medium-sized technology enterprises is encouraged by many organizations. Among them are:
Created with service companies in mind
Your public or consumer services may be made more desired, effective, efficient, and valuable with the aid of service design. It employs design strategies to provide services that satisfy consumers' demands, are economical, and can satisfy both current and future needs. These strategies include client research, cooperative idea generation, early-stage prototypes, and testing.
7. Safeguarding your artwork
Your company's unique designs are its intellectual property (IP). Your intellectual property is an asset that you may utilize as security or to boost income via sales and licenses. It represents your unique selling proposition and marketing potential and helps you stand out from the competition.
Registration and design rights
In India, you have the automatic right to protect your designs and stop others from using or duplicating them. This is known as the design right.
If a design is registered, you may be able to enhance and broaden any inherent copyright or design right protection to include additional nations.
Do not violate others' intellectual property.
You have to be sure that you are not violating anybody else's intellectual property in addition to safeguarding your own. The IP owner may file a lawsuit against you if you do. Therefore, it's a good idea to research to make sure your concept hasn't previously been thought of by someone else. For instance, do a thorough trademark search if you want to utilize a sign.
See our guide, Intellectual Property:
The Essentials, for further information on this topic.
Check out our user-centered design guide.