Business Beyond Design Read online

  All these elements are extremely important and represent the foundation of good design. So make this your best practice: Look at your design project and, ask yourself if the design is harmonious, ordered and defined. If the answer is no, I strongly recommend you go back to the drawing board.

  If the answer is yes, don’t kick back and relax just yet there are still a few more things to think about. As we develop a new design concept, we must transcend the purely functional and aesthetic value of design, focusing on crafting the overall experience around a product or service. We must meticulously analyse every point of interaction between our design and the user. These touchpoints are an opportunity to imprint our core values, status, beliefs and meaning.

  If we pay for an expensive dinner, we don’t just expect food of outstanding quality, but also presentation, service, and environment.

  Similarly, we should not approach design as a static discipline. The interaction between a product and a user is a dynamic, complex process. Aesthetics are only one of the components of the experience, albeit an important one, and one that certainly plays a fundamental role in the early stages of interaction. Despite aesthetics’ significance, we must also be aware of all the other elements that come into play in the interaction, such as message, environment, service and status.

  Nowadays, it is not good enough to merely present a pleasant product or service. We must fanatically C.A.R.E. (Create Aesthetically Rewarding Experiences) for the overall experience that surrounds our design, because if we as creators don’t, then why should anyone else?

  There is a specific expression in Mandarin that intrigues me: Chà Bu Duō (差不多).

  Depending on its context, “Chà Bu Duō” can be translated as close enough, almost, just about, or approximately. Translated literally, it means: Difference not much. Particularly in creative fields, this expression can act as the portrayal of a disastrous attitude, leading to the creation of a final product or service that is only “Chà Bu Duō - Good Enough!”

  At this point you may be questioning the focus on “bad” design habits. It comes down to one thing: subjectivity.

  It is very difficult to express an objective point of view when talking about desirability, but what we can successfully do is analyse bad habits or inappropriate behaviours and try to avoid them. This is how we eventually become more sophisticated designers.

  So what are the causes of bad design? After investing a considerable amount of time into analysing my own design projects that fell short and asking a few respected designers and creatives that same simple question, three common factors emerged:

  I. PURPOSE — LACK OF VISION

  We often forget that the greatest creations served a higher purpose: The colosseum (Amphitheatrum Flavium) was not only a stadium, it was a physical representation of the Roman Empire’s greatness.

  II. CRAFTSMANSHIP — LACK OF MEANINGFUL DETAILS

  When we are pressured by a tight deadline, we compromise both craft and principles, losing sight of the meaningful details.

  III. IGNORANCE — LACK OF COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEDGE

  When we don’t have enough knowledge on the subject matter and heedlessly throw things together, we forget our duty to create something of irreducible complexity.

  These are the attributes that lead us into the “Chà Bu Duō” trap. This is when we set the stage for what will almost certainly be a colossal fiasco. Believe me, I’ve done it many times.

  So before developing our design solution, let’s take a moment to ask ourselves the following:

  Are we designing for the right reasons? Is our design serving a deeper purpose with a meaningful and forward-looking vision?

  Are we ready to passionately pay attention and dedicate ourselves to the project? Are we going to care about even minor details?

  Do we have all the necessary knowledge and resources to create a project that is remarkable and unique?

  This simple, humbling act of questioning ourselves is already setting us up for success.

  Don’t forget: good enough is no longer enough.

  The title statement might sound contradicting and puzzling, and it should. Aren’t we as designers, innovators, entrepreneurs supposed to think big and change the world? Yes! 20% at a time.

  For most of my career, this has been, and still is, one of my guiding principles. I look at something (especially so if it is a design or product I truly admire or despise) and ask myself: How would I make this better? In the spirit of fighting arbitrariness, I began asking myself what “better” truly means to me. So I start analysing the product or design a bit deeper. To truly understand what will make it better. There is a fascinating principle that might help us solve the riddle.

  The Pareto principle, also known as the 80–20 rule, the law of the vital few, and the principle of factor sparsity. It states that: For many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. In design, we can translate this to mean that 20% of the traits of the analysed design will be responsible for 80% of the impact of the design’s overall success. Life isn’t fair and this principle reinforces the fact that most things in life (effort, reward, output) are not distributed evenly. Some contribute more than others.

  So if we can identify the 20% of the traits that generate the greater impact, N.B. greater impact not total impact the number could be 80/20, 90/10, or 90/20 the core is to identify what causes generate most of the effects on the desirability of our design, we should be able to understand what actions might be taken to make it better.

  For example, if we are about to redesign a marmalade jar, we should start by identifying the top ten traits that make our jar iconic. These could be 1.form, 2.label, 3.typography, 4.image, 5.message, 6.lid, 7.product reveal, 8.colour, 9.texture, and 10. materiality. Now that we have analysed all the key traits, can we identify the two that need the most improvement or radical change? If we correctly address these two main issues, there is a good chance the overall design will be “better”.

  I know this example might seem a bit simplistic, but believe me, it’s a very practical exercise and has served me well so far. The process of constraining myself to identify the two or the few most significant traits of a product or design is the method that truly pushes me to find a creative solution.

  I believe that true creativity comes from constraints.

  Freedom and creativity are two very different things. Boundaries, limits and constraints are the true driving force behind creativity and innovation. Pushing ourselves to bend or overcome those constraints creates the foundation for true creative and innovative thinking. This is where needs and desire successfully unite.

  THE ESSENCE OF DESIRE

  Being desirable is much more than being solely aesthetically pleasing.

  We must Create Aesthetically Rewarding Experiences (C.A.R.E.) that change the behaviour of our target.

  We shall design with purpose, care for meaningful details and have comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter.

  We must always fight arbitrariness, while developing the outer expression of our distinctive character.

  NEVER fall into the trap of being superficial. Exceed expectations. Strive to fulfill a real need.

  Know that some factors contribute more than others to the desirability of a product or service.

  Finally, always design to trigger basic human emotions.

  To infuse meaning into our designs, we must share and communicate values and distinctive points to the public.

  It is essential that we take a new approach in the way we communicate with the public.

  These days, it is not enough to limit communication to describing a product or service. It has become vital to engage the public on a deeper level with the hopes of creating a strong sense of empathy.

  Consumers no longer want to simply buy a product or service. They want to feel part of a special community. They want to be involved on ground level with the “inner crowd” while the product acts as a badge or icon that grants t
hem access to that special community.

  From customers to employees, it is essential to engage everyone in the design process, making them feel part of something greater than just a commercial transaction. Never forget that companies are social institutions just as much as financial ones.

  Inspiration:

  I associate empathy with earth 土. It is our duty to create an environment (soil) in which our communication can be deeply rooted. A rich and solid foundation provides a platform for our design to grow taller and stronger.

  Earth represents: generosity, thoughtfulness, transformation, practicality and stability.

  Key words:

  TARGET • NEEDS • STORIES COMMUNITY • RECOGNITION

  Before chemistry was a science, there was alchemy. One of the supreme quests of alchemy was to transmute lead into gold. Lead (atomic number 82) and gold (atomic number 79) are defined as elements by the number of protons they possess.

  Therefore, changing an element requires changing its atomic number (+/- protons). The number of protons cannot be altered by chemical means. However, physics may be used to add or remove protons, and thereby change one element (lead) into another (gold). Being a very stable element, forcing lead to release three protons (82-79 = 3) requires a vast amount of energy, so much so that the cost of transmuting it greatly surpasses the value of the resulting gold.

  So what can we learn from this alchemic quest?

  Yes, almost everything is possible. But is it worth it?

  Working with something already valuable is easier than trying to modify something that isn’t.

  So, you want to sell lead for gold. Are you willing to pay the absurdly high price that comes with it?

  Whether we are looking at the intrinsic value of a product or how valuable our consumers are, we should accept reality as it is, not as we want it to be. Gold is gold, lead is lead, just like a good product is good and a poor one is poor.

  There is a very low probability that our design will appeal to everyone. Trying to sell something of little value (or trying to sell something to someone who does not perceive its value) is almost impossible. However, if our heart is set on that goal, we should be prepared to pay the price. Pleasing everyone will result in pleasing no one, and eventually, only create mundane solutions. In other words, 1. Don’t sell crap, and 2. Don’t try to sell to those who don’t care.

  If we want our target to care about our design, we have to care about them first. Caring means constantly understanding and sharing the feelings of our target audience; inspiring them and being inspired by them.

  The word “inspire” is derived from the Latin “inspirare”, which means to “breathe or blow into”. We must whisper the secrets of our design to consumers, and how our product can make them more productive, have better style, be healthier, or whatever our product or service ultimately promises to do for them.

  Great brands don’t focus on the technical strength, durability, or price of their product, but instead inspire us with astonishing images of travel, empowerment, adventure and love for craftsmanship.

  They inspire us to become someone else: a traveler, an athlete, a rock-star, and eventually, a better version of ourselves.

  In turn, we must be inspired by our target, watching as they react to our design. Great brands seldom concentrate their communications solely on the technical features of a product or service, but mostly on how the consumers use and embrace their products.

  One of the most devastating behaviours for a company is to lose connection with its core target by trying to chase a mainstream market. The mainstream market is hard to inspire considering its diversity and size. It’s relatively easy to communicate to them, but increasingly difficult to inspire them.

  This analysis does not apply solely to high-end products or brands. It can be applied to every single product or service, even the most mundane. Inspiration doesn’t have to mean glittering fancy words. It can also be an honest, straightforward tap on the shoulder.

  We all know that creating a strong community of true believers isn’t easy. Can you recall the last time you tried to organise a dinner for 10? Was it challenging? What about raising money for a good cause? How hard is it to inspire and connect with more than a handful of friends?

  Establishing a significant movement is feasible and extremely gratifying. The initial step is to change our mindset and understand the real dynamics behind how a community is created. First things first: as leaders we must be fearless and accept criticism. If we are not polarising people, we aren’t worthy of their attention and they will understandably forget us.

  Once we have found our true believers (ourselves, our employees, our friends and family), we have to show them how to follow us, while still embracing them as equals.

  Being complacent about or underestimating our first followers, or early adopters, is a sign of bad leadership and poor vision. Look closely at situations where a community is to be established and you will find that new followers often emulate other followers rather than the leader.

  Once this happens, it is no longer about us or our product. It is about the community and how members connect with each other. A strong community is built on Andy showing Patrick how to solve his problems with the help of our product or service.

  This is the core of creating empathy: connecting with people and solving their problems. Give them a reason to gather; have the courage to follow and show others how to follow.

  Before we know, we will have a community of true believers, and our product will be the icon or badge that grants them access to this special community.

  As people, we are all fundamentally different, except for when it comes to our expectations as consumers. None of us enjoy passively accepting whatever is offered to us. We demand to be entertained, satisfied and surprised. In other words, we need to be involved.

  As designers and entrepreneurs, we must become expert storytellers if we want our public to be engaged and supportive of our quests. We must create a story or message that can be easily spread.

  This message should be essential, concrete, and credible. It should be solid enough to withstand word-of-mouth exchanges without losing its essence, but at the same time be fluid enough to withstand personalisation as it spreads.

  A well-thought-out message should stimulate the public’s curiosity and exceed their expectations while also being easily understandable and motivational enough to encourage people to spread the word.

  Here are the top 8 components that make a great story. They are tips I have collected from some of the world’s best storytellers:

  Create a promise that engages the public emotionally, intellectually and aesthetically;

  Clearly define a strong theme that runs throughout the story;

  Present the “itch” you can’t scratch, which can be something audience can relate to;

  Build a scene rife with anticipation, mingled with uncertainty;

  Infuse mystery through a well-organised absence of information and allow the audience to do the math;

  Invoke wonder by using an active voice;

  Express your core values and beliefs by focusing on the essentials;

  Find a physical trigger that will work with your story.

  Building a compelling story is not an easy task, but it is definitely one of the most important. Whether we are preparing for a pitch, a manifesto to publish on our website, or simply drafting our elevator speech, the core message and story that we share with our public is among the first points of contact.

  A simpler structure we can start practising with is a 3-step pitch or story:

  Start with a clear, declarative sentence about your company, service or product and what it stands for;

  Support the declarative sentence with 3 key facts or benefits about your company, service or product;

  Reinforce the 3 benefits with stories, statistics, and examples.

  Finally, I would like to share the same advice an old friend gave me while starting my acade
mic career:

  If you want people to truly learn a subject you must: Tell them, Show them, and Let them practice.

  The pinnacle of empathy is the unique identity we can provide for our community. There is nothing more powerful than the manifestation of membership, be it a common culture, jargon, theme, colour scheme or style.

  It is essential that our target feels like part of an exclusive group. It must be clear when you are a part of the inner crowd and when you are not. We are all social animals; it is embedded in our DNA. Our survival instinct leads us to gather for a particular purpose or activity. This dates back to the stone age, when groups gathered for reasons like hunting mammoth.

  It is not always necessary to be extreme (such as by growing a beard or wearing an eye patch), but it is very important that we provide our newly established community with a symbol of belonging. Think of significant movements and trends like the Hippies, Punks, Yuppies and Hipsters, and see if this applies.

  We begin with a cause. This is where we have to get our community to believe what we believe.

  We reinforce with a mantra. This is where we provide our following with a mission to accomplish. A mantra is not a tagline. A mantra is what we stand for — “why” we exist (i.e. a mantra for Nike would be: empowering athletes. Its tagline is: Just Do It).

  Finally, we provide a unique identity, a symbol. It could be a pin, a sticker, a way of talking. This is the trademark of belonging to that inner crowd, and being a part of the inner crowd, any inner-crowd at all, is cool.

  THE ESSENCE OF EMPATHY

  It is our duty as designers and entrepreneurs to care for and engage with our public on a deeper level.

  First we need to find the real lovers, the true believers. It is onto this audience that we shall focus our efforts.