Designing your way to brand growth.

As we move into the future of big data, analytics and artificial intelligence, we can’t lose sight on the role that design plays in the success of an organization. 

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Design plays an increasingly crucial role as it relates to business growth and the consumer experience. Every aspect of a company not only has to look consistent, but needs to interact, feel and respond in a way that continues to communicate and fulfill a brand’s promise. After all, living your brand is the new brand strategy for growth. 

I recently sat down with my good friend and Head of Brand and Design at Informa, Dan Madinabeitia, to discuss Designing Enterprise for their upcoming FUSE Conference in Chicago. In it we discuss the importance of design for growth. 

If we recall the brand growth stack, we remember that business leaders of the future will use Technology to enable their Brand Strategy, overlapping at moments of consumer interaction called the Experience Layer. Building the Experience Layer requires business leaders to put design strategy to work for their consumer. The three elements of design strategy are: 

Aesthetic Design

There has never been more opportunities for a consumer to come across your brand. While we hit peak screen, with screens in our pockets and on our wrists as we sit in front of multiple screens for hours upon hours every day, there are new and evolving channels for brands to communicate and fulfill their message. The first step for a strong design strategy is a consistent aesthetic design across all of these channels. Not merely using the same asset across all channels but appropriate assets for each channel, all consistent with the brand. 

Interaction Design

The next level of design strategy is the idea of interaction design. This could be anything from the user experience of a website, how a chatbot communicates or how a store is laid out. The way that a consumer interacts with your brand (and the way your brand interacts with your consumer) is quickly becoming a driving force in decision making for consumers. These interactions need to not only fulfill consumer needs, but need to portray the brand in a way that only your brand can portray. 

Relationship Design

The third and emerging level of design strategy for an enterprise is the practice of relationship design. As the relationship becomes more and more important for consumers as they interact with brands, we’ll quickly see companies put a premium on the lifetime value of their consumer relationships over merely acquisition for their growth strategy. Much like Interaction Design, brand leaders will deliberately design how their company builds relationships with their consumers that expand experiences, build exclusivity and trust and, ultimately, drive increased sales and value. 

How is design changing your brand growth? Let’s chat.

PS: Want to attend FUSE? Sign up using the Chinatown Bureau code FUSE19CHBR to get 20% off your ticket.