The Value & ROI of Great Design

Design is not cheap. Nor should it be, considering good design can make any company a lot of money. Though the many benefits of design are hard to quantify since few people can testify to the impact that design has on their comprehension and decision making, here are four common sense examples of how design helps companies.

1. The Professional Edge
   When brands want to go from local, to regional, to national, to international, they hire designers to make it happen. What sells at a flea market does not do well on the shelves at Target. Designers can make a brand look more prestigious, established, valuable, and unique. And as the marketplace for a brand grows, so does the importance of a using a design team that understands branding strategy, alignment, and  aesthetic influence. When you hear of Coca-Cola spending millions of dollars to brand and new product, that level of branding is what they’re paying for.

2. Improved Communication
   There are plenty of studies out there that proove how typography and the principles of design hierarchy improve comprehension. So every time you think If only our customers knew x, they would buy our product, you're thinking of exactly what a designer is trained to do - effectively communicate a message. While you and your sales team may think every message about a product is as important as the next, a great designer creates order. Just as a good essay delivers information is a strategic fashion, a trained designer creates information hierarchy that improves understanding. This isn’t just important for external communications like websites, brochures and packaging, but also internal communications like employee handbooks, presentation materials, and employee-only websites. Smart business owners understand that efficient inter-office communication begets effective employees.

3. Sustainable Returns
   
The business case for sustainability is more clear than ever before – saving a company money, proving a company’s commitment to social responsibility, and streamlining operations. With large brands creating sustainability departments and directors, and large branding companies like Saatchi & Saatchi starting new businesses dedicated to sustainable branding, being able to demonstrate a company’s corporate responsibility is the new game changer. And in a world that values transparency, it’s no longer an option. Sustainable design significantly reduces a company’s waste impact and easily provides a measurable result that wins loyal clients and customers.

4. The Good Taste Factor
   Probably the most established, though least quantifiable, justification for hiring a designer is a desire to show good taste. Brands that have high quality design look like high quality companies that customers assume put out quality products. It is the difference between walking into the apartment of a college student and walking into the apartment of an interior designer. Without knowing who lives there any person would make assumptions about the sophistication, education, and likability of the person who lives there. An experienced, professional designer gets into the business of branding because they had good taste to begin with. They then spend the rest of their life refining and cultivating that good taste. While that’s hard to put a price tag on, it is something that any intelligent brand is willing to pay for.

Great design makes more money than it costs. It sets companies apart from their competitors and can establish legions of loyal fan and employees. Just as you should never compromise on the quality of your product or service, you should not compromise on the quality of your design.