Throughout the world leaders at the vanguard of their product or service categories have several things in common apart from what can objectively be considered �good design�; they are rewarded with hallmark status and an earnings bonus by being first to market with something that has instant emotional and rational appeal.

 

Curiously, perhaps, and contrary to popular opinion, good design is a byproduct of a methodology that has less to do with stylistics than it has to do with aligning the tangible and intangible characteristics of a product with what we at designindustry call �Winning Personas� � profound representations of end-users that embody different unique sets of goals, aspirations, behaviours, frustrations and desires.

 

Personas take the risk out of introducing new products to the market by filling them with the attributes that compel consumer change rather than simply layering on extra features that are often unnecessary, confusing, add complexity or are a losing combination of all three � a strategy common to companies that are in the business of struggling to keep up with the now instead of focusing on the future.

 

Design-led products earn a premium on their rivals because they are category reference points and therefore preferential � they set the pace, establish the benchmarks and reap higher returns than copycat products. Think of the global appeal of consumer products like the Apple iPod, Sony Walkman and many Nokia phone models, and consider too the high prices end-users are willing to pay because they sense the product has been created just for them.

 

While these and other similar products are undoubtedly well designed, you have to scratch deeper than the surface notion of styling to see the role design methodology plays in helping companies overcome consumer resistance to change.

 

A signal lesson in the psychology of organisations and people alike is that life as they know it has to be threatened before they will embrace change. Consumers resist change partly because they value � some argue irrationally � what they already have more highly than something new. Early adopters and financial considerations aside, they seek arguments to defend the familiar even when it is no longer logical to do so.

 

Design starts with the understanding that consumers are not really interested in the product itself, they are interested in how it will improve their lives. Personas provide the clues to which messages and designs will compel specific groups of consumers to willingly spend money on something that is intrinsically unsettling � change. As a design tool they are the bridge that connects consumers to innovation.

 

After 10 years of bleating about design in the community I am all too aware of the challenges companies face in adopting design methodologies and their resistance to the prospect of fundamentally changing the way they operate.

 

On the other hand, I am also familiar with the unrealistic expectations of those who believe that design is some sort of silver bullet, an instant solution comprising a short list of easy and cheap interventions they believe exists just beyond their vision that would quickly propel them into prosperity or marketplace preeminence.

 

In reality there are few silver bullets and even fewer occasions when they alone are the way to stop the pain and start the gain. There is, however, an approach that allows companies gradually to introduce design-led processes across the organisation as more funds are released and as decision makers increase their understanding of the performance improvements that are possible.

 

The progressive application of design starts with finding the point that hurts the most, recognising what is most needed and putting in place a plan that has the highest possible positive impact while avoiding the sudden disruption to established practices. It is a structured process of evolutionary transformation that strengthens and builds confidence through targeted improvements that demonstrate the value of design methodology throughout the organisation.

 

Each organisation is faced with a unique challenge based on the specific set of factors that applies to it and the particular permutation of effects these create. There are no generic solutions, no off-the-shelf one-size-fits all interventions. Design tools like Winning Personas create a deep understanding not only of the product or service that requires rethinking but also the environment in which it is to be used, the reasons the consumers will use it and the emotional and rational needs that acquiring will fulfill.

 

Companies are often made complacent by their intimate knowledge of their products or services, endowing these with more appeal than do consumers. This is because of their proximity to them and their involvement in their creation. In a global marketplace characterised by more choices than most consumers can shake a credit card at, complacency is a killer; while companies are sitting on their laurels waiting for the cash to roll in, consumers are out on the streets and on the web, sorting through the choices and finding the products that best serve their needs.

 

In this highly competitive world of increasingly more mature shoppers and growing numbers of design-led rivals, using design principles to build stand-out solutions that grab specific consumer groups becomes a business requirement and can no longer be viewed as optional.

 

There�s a sad truth that most companies have a scant understanding of who their customers actually are, a legacy of technology push and a lack of understanding of the human dimension. This is an inadequate response in a worldwide marketplace of plenty.

 

Design tools help companies find out who their customers are and what they want and how they want to interact with it. They bring prescience to development process and  business strategy by providing insights that are richer and more heavily textured than that offered by reactive market research methodologies. But perhaps most importantly, they provide the information on which you can build a unique category of consumers rather than blindly feed a less evolved product into a rapidly evolving market.

 

 

Dorenda Britten is designindustry's Managing Director.

 

Michael Herman is the principal of Knowledge Resources Limited, a Christchurch company working in the areas of custom research, technical writing and knowledge management. A former technology editor at The Press, Michael specialises in turn-key documentation consulting to assist organisations improve productivity and to maximise future sales value. He can be contacted at michael@knowresources.com