Everyone appreciates beauty, and people strive to imbibe it into almost everything they make. This includes mundane things too — an unusually designed kitchen knife that makes the grip easier, a pretty arrangement of food on a plate, that quirky little table lamp. We do this because something created mindfully, blending functionality and beauty together, pleasantly enhances the everyday experience of life.
Man is a creature of habit, and going back to things and places we’re already familiar with gives a sense of comfort. But this can also get monotonous, which, over time, can make the experience of doing those things dull and jaded.
This is where design steps in.
But what is design? In a simple, tangible sense, it’s the form — the visual, deliberate layout of an object. But this design intent isn’t limited to objects. The ambiance of a room, the texture of walls, even the way a song is cut, overlapped, and formed — all of it falls under the umbrella of design intent.
Design is almost an inescapable part of life. You’ll find it in cars, books, schools, houses, ovens, fridges, and even french fries (yep). Any company putting out a product treats design as an important parameter — they know it will directly impact brand image, price point, and market standing.
So does the visual appeal of a product solely determine its value? No, it doesn’t. The charm lies in the marriage of the product’s purpose with the special, distinctive construction of the thing itself. To take a routine experience and add a thoughtfully crafted change that heightens it exponentially, making it memorable — that’s the ultimate purpose of design.
Why is this connected to customer experience? Because the amount of thought put into anything yields corresponding results. A well-thought-out, simple product will fare better than one that’s hard to maintain and difficult to use. Making the repeat user’s experience unique isn’t only a joy — it sets the stage for more innovation, which people respect and trust in brands.
Take the user interface, for example — it’s the face of modern technology today. Everyone appreciates an intuitive, easy-to-use, clean-cut UI, and brands capitalize on this. Even people who love a product’s enhanced functionality still pay attention to the UI when ranking a new innovation.
“Jobs sold the experience of the computer, through design. It is one of the reasons Apple became an industry giant.”
This was the cornerstone of Steve Jobs’ success at Apple. The very first Macintosh, when switched on, said “Hello.” In 1984, this was revolutionary. He paid attention to the details, and when everyone else was selling the product for what it was, Jobs sold the experience of the computer, through design.
When the Mesopotamian civilization invented the design of the wheel around 3200 BC, it elevated mankind to a whole other level of existence — solely because it made the experience of people’s lives easier. Carts, carriages, and the potter’s wheel radically changed daily living and set the stage for the innovations that followed.
It’s proven that powerful design profoundly impacts the experience a customer has with a brand, which in turn influences the emotional connection — or lack thereof — to that brand. This domino effect can have lasting consequences, whether positive or negative, and that outcome is up to the brand. By recognizing that design plays an indispensable role in customer experience, we can push the envelope of what’s expected from a product, and profoundly impact the world.