Terrestrial article the power of design part 2
1
T he most familiar image of design is as a creator of style. In fact despite the many other meaningful things that design can do, it could be argued that infusing products with designer style is the core competence of design. So we enter a discussion about beauty and the value of beauty. The company that decides to use design to differentiate itself is betting that improving its style is a way of attracting customers. There’s an interesting difference in approach to design between different cultures. The yardstick that businesses use to measure good design in the USA is usually improved sales. This is pragmatic and measurable. In Europe, however weight is given to abstract elements of design(the kind art students would talk about; proportion, line, color and so on) which determine whether a particular design has been well executed or not. Ordinary Europeans, and therefore businesspeople more frequently recognize these elements intuitively and are able to form an opinion on a design. This is perhaps why European products have certain characteristic styles that are easy to identify. It has been said that other countries like Japan blend the two approaches. This understanding of how design style is perceived is important when deciding when design can be exported across borders successfully. In product design, improved style means making products look stylish and cool. However there are several layers to this ‘coolness’ as Diego Rodriguez so eloquently explains. To artists, designers and all aesthetes, creating beauty is in itself valuable. Businesses in America sometimes need to be convinced of that, usually when customers with the same sensibilities react to the beauty by buying it. In the world of designers, few are able to marry the high art of original, iconic style with the depth of technical and commercial abilities needed to succeed with complex consumer products. As successful as Michael Graves has been working together with Target designing coat hooks and wall clocks, his range of consumer electronics was a failure. Even Yves Behar of Fuseproject, who has an apparently technically competent portfolio, commented in a revealing interview that the $100 laptop project is much more difficult for his studio than their regular work designing slick lifestyle products. There is a downside to designer style. If style is the only reason for using design, the gain turns out to be short term. Style is easy to copy (just ask Alessi)and the style focus tends to be on one product at a time because the company is looking for quick easy successes by applying style. Since the reward is short lived, it’s prudent to allocate a minimum of resources to developing style as a differentiating factor. Hence the company employing design only for it’s style potential is always either playing catch up or jumping ahead only to fall quickly behind again. In this situation, similar to the company which doesn’t yet use design for style, cost is the major weapon. Improved style cannot sufficiently differentiate products and services without highly competitive costs to attract customers. Attractive or distinctive style does offer a business a significant advantage over competitors whose style is less so. It places the company near the head of the pack and can sometimes stop commoditization and purely cost-driven competition. Fortunately, style is closely followed in the minds of businesspeople by another attribute of design which adds benefits which make it harder for competitors to follow. Next: Improving Function THE POWER OF DESIGN THE POWER OF DESIGN IS A SERIES IN 5 PARTS LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH DESIGN CAN BE USED WITHIN A COMPANY, CUTTING AWAY HYPERBOLE IN THE TYPICAL DESIGN SALES PITCH AND INVESTIGATING THE REAL BENEFITS OF DESIGN TO CUSTOMERS, THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS REVENUE. THE 5 PARTS DISCUSS INCREMENTAL STEPS: NO DESIGN, STYLE, FORM & FUNCTION, SOLVING BUSINESS PROBLEMS AND ACHIEVING LEADERSHIP. 1 Terrestrial Article Update Volume 3 November 2010 November 2010 Terrestrial Article Update Volume 3 2 IMPROVED STYLE cannot sufficiently differentiate products and services without highly competitive costs to attract customers. Attractive or distinctive style does offer a business a significant advantage over competitors whose style is less so. It places the company near the head of the pack and can sometimes stop commoditization and purely cost-driven competition. PART 2: STYLE AUTHOR TASOS CALANTZIS Tasos Calantzis is the CEO of Terrestrial, an international, South African-based strategic design consultancy that deploys their proven expertise and tools to meet the challenges of globalisation in increasingly competitive markets, especially in Africa. www.trstrl.com The new Jawbone ICON Bluetooth headset introduces an unprecedented suite of choices for greater self-expression with six unique shield designs, more like a cast of characters in a movie. Each design is evocative of different personalities that represent different personas, creating a palette of “cultural icons.”
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Transcript of Terrestrial article the power of design part 2
The most familiar image of design is as a
creator of style. In fact despite the many
other meaningful things that design
can do, it could be argued that infusing
products with designer style is the core
competence of design. So we enter a discussion
about beauty and the value of beauty.
The company that decides to use design to
differentiate itself is betting that improving its
style is a way of attracting customers. There’s
an interesting difference in approach to design
between different cultures. The yardstick that
businesses use to measure good design in the USA
is usually improved sales. This is pragmatic and
measurable. In Europe, however weight is given to
abstract elements of design(the kind art students
would talk about; proportion, line, color and so on)
which determine whether a particular design has
been well executed or not. Ordinary Europeans, and
therefore businesspeople more frequently recognize
these elements intuitively and are able to form an
opinion on a design. This is perhaps why European
products have certain characteristic styles that are
easy to identify.
It has been said that other countries like Japan
blend the two approaches. This understanding of
how design style is perceived is important when
deciding when design can be exported across
borders successfully.
In product design, improved style means making
products look stylish and cool. However there are
several layers to this ‘coolness’ as Diego Rodriguez
so eloquently explains. To artists, designers and
all aesthetes, creating beauty is in itself valuable.
Businesses in America sometimes need to be
convinced of that, usually when customers with the
same sensibilities react to the beauty by buying it.
In the world of designers, few are able to marry
the high art of original, iconic style with the depth of
technical and commercial abilities needed to succeed
with complex consumer products. As successful as
Michael Graves has been working together with
Target designing coat hooks and wall clocks, his
range of consumer electronics was a failure. Even
Yves Behar of Fuseproject, who has an apparently
technically competent portfolio, commented in a
revealing interview that the $100 laptop project is
much more difficult for his studio than their regular
work designing slick lifestyle products.
There is a downside to designer style. If style
is the only reason for using design, the gain turns
out to be short term. Style is easy to copy (just ask
Alessi)and the style focus tends to be on one product
at a time because the company is looking for quick
easy successes by applying style. Since the reward
is short lived, it’s prudent to allocate a minimum of
resources to developing style as a differentiating
factor. Hence the company employing design only
for it’s style potential is always either playing catch
up or jumping ahead only to fall quickly behind again.
In this situation, similar to the company which
doesn’t yet use design for style, cost is the major
weapon. Improved style cannot sufficiently
differentiate products and services without highly
competitive costs to attract customers. Attractive or
distinctive style does offer a business a significant
advantage over competitors whose style is less so.
It places the company near the head of the pack and
can sometimes stop commoditization and purely
cost-driven competition.
Fortunately, style is closely followed in the minds
of businesspeople by another attribute of design
which adds benefits which make it harder for
competitors to follow.
Next: Improving Function
The power of
DeSIGNThe power of DeSIGN IS a SerIeS IN 5 parTS lookING aT The DIffereNT wayS IN whIch DeSIGN
caN be uSeD wIThIN a compaNy, cuTTING away hyperbole IN The TypIcal DeSIGN SaleS pITch aND
INveSTIGaTING The real beNefITS of DeSIGN To cuSTomerS, The orGaNIzaTIoN aND ITS reveNue.
The 5 parTS DIScuSS INcremeNTal STepS: No DeSIGN, STyle, form & fuNcTIoN, SolvING buSINeSS
problemS aND achIevING leaDerShIp.
1 Terrestrial article update volume 3 November 2010 November 2010 Terrestrial article update volume 3 2
IMpROvED STYlE cannot sufficiently differentiate
products and services without highly competitive
costs to attract customers. Attractive or distinctive
style does offer a business a significant advantage
over competitors whose style is less so. It places
the company near the head of the pack and can
sometimes stop commoditization and purely
cost-driven competition.
parT 2: STyle
AUTHOR TASOS CAlANTzIS
Tasos calantzis is the ceo of Terrestrial, an international, South african-based strategic design consultancy that deploys their proven expertise and tools to meet the challenges of globalisation in increasingly competitive markets, especially in africa. www.trstrl.com
The new Jawbone IcoN bluetooth headset introduces an unprecedented suite of choices for greater self-expression with six unique shield designs, more like a cast of characters in a movie. each design is evocative of different personalities that represent different personas, creating a palette of “cultural icons.”
