The role of design has evolved with years and goes way beyond plain aesthetics issues. Discover how hiring a strategic designer can be a strategy for your company’s long term business success.
Beyond visual as strategy
Designers have the power to solve complex problems, drive innovation, raise brand awareness, influence perception and improve overall company brand awareness. I’ve seen and experienced companies striving to differentiate themselves and stay competitive on the market.
The need for strategic designers has never been more critical. So in this post I will explore several reasons why hiring a strategic designer is more than just a wise decision. It’s a strategy for any forward-thinking organization. From optimizing resource allocation to fostering innovation and enhancing the customer experience, the impact of a strategic designer goes far beyond, ultimately reshaping the way companies operate and thrive. Discover how the strategic vision and problem-solving skills of strategic design experts can unlock new opportunities and drive meaningful growth of your company.
Strategic design can solve real problems using the design thinking method
When hiring a designer, think of designers that are working on a deeper level, beyond just producing visual content. Strategic designers blend several creative skills. These include creative thinking, problem-solving, understanding of business processes, people needs, market demands, and more. Therefore hiring a strategic designer can directly contribute to the ROI (return of investment) of your company. But how?
Strategic designers are well-versed in design thinking – a problem solving approach that focuses on user empathy, ideation and iterative prototyping. Executing a task like ‘redesign an app’, for example, can be approached in several ways:
- the designer opens Figma and starts putting graphics and text placeholder blocks in the layout, or
- the designer sits down with the client, communicates their needs, reviews the existing app and analytics, empathises, tests and makes a plan for the redesign process.
Being strategic with design tasks means also tackling complex business challenges. This can be achieved by identifying pain points, finding creative solutions, and ultimately improving both internal processes and end products.
User-centered design
A strategic designer’s primary focus is the end-user (user-centered design or UCD). That means that strategic designers primarily craft experiences that resonate with the target audience, which consequently leads to higher user satisfaction and increased loyalty from existing customers.
And in contrary, a design without considering the end-users’ needs is just a facade and can drive customers away because of lack of meaningful value. Satisfied customers are surely more likely to stick around and repeat their usage, purchases or subscriptions, if that brings real value regarding their needs and pains.
The innovation cataclysm
Innovation is the vital essence of blooming enterprises. Strategic designers encourage innovation by fostering a culture of experimentation and creativity within organizations and companies. Meaning, that communication and cross-department collaboration is vital for innovation. Thinking outside the box or your product team department can lead to breakthrough products or ideas that become main differentiators of your brand, product, or company.
Efficient resources
Strategic designers help manage resources wisely. By identifying where design can have the most significant impact, a strategic designer can ensure that your investments are aligned with your strategic goals. This results in saving costs and maximizing the impact of your efforts in design investments.
Resources, both tangible and intangible, where a strategic designer can help level up the company, include:
- finance in term of money spent on software,
- hiring perfect fit talents and designers,
- choosing the right tools and technology,
- data and research analysis to inform design decisions,
- development infrastructure and
- collaborative cross-team efforts throughout the organization.
The efficient allocation of these resources by strategic designers ensures that they are used optimally to achieve the desired outcomes, such as improved user experiences, innovation, and cost savings.
Consistent Branding
Maintaining a consistent company brand identity throughout all processes is necessary for building trust and raising recognition. Therefore, strategic designers develop comprehensive brand guidelines and design systems that ensure uniformity in messaging, both online and offline, internally and externally. A strong brand leads to increased brand loyalty and a competitive advantage.
Marketing and conversion optimization
Strategic designers collaborate with marketing teams to optimize campaigns for better conversion rates. By crafting compelling visuals and improving user experiences, they can increase the effectiveness of marketing efforts, which lead to more clicks, leads and sales.
Risk mitigation
Making design decisions ad-hoc can mitigate risks associated with product launches or updates. On the other hand, strategic designers are more likely to conduct thorough research and user testing up-front to identify potential issues before they become costly problems and hard to communicate.
So, what did we learn?
To sum up, the ROI of hiring a strategic designer extends far beyond the design department. The holistic approach to problem-solving and business improvement impacts positively on every facet of an organization. From increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty, brand awareness and customer success, to driving innovation and saving costs, strategic designers are an essential asset for long-term business success.
In a competitive business world, hiring a strategic designer is an investment in the future of your company. With design thinking and creativity, they can unlock opportunities and boost ROI. Consider bringing one on board to transform your business.
Read more in this article on strategic design or contact me if you would like to know more about how hiring a strategic designer can lift up your company’s value.