Involving Designers Early On Makes Goods Business Sense
Whether you’re a large corporation, or a small start-up, or just just have an idea, involving designers early on makes good business sense. Business that involve designers heavily at the beginning and most basic levels of business report higher product quality, more efficient operations, more profits, and stronger market position.
Level 5 companies are companies that involve design as an integrated part of the business from the bottom up, while Level 1 companies do not use design heavily. Source: Design Maturity Model, InDesign 2019
Having the biggest design teams doesn’t yield the best results. Companies with the most designers did not report to be maximizing their business through design. Often, working with a small agile team is the way to go. Not only it is cost-effective, but clients often get higher quality results that more directly impact their business.
We often hear from entrepreneurs that they’re “not ready to involve a designer yet.” They think they need to wait until they’re further along, or until they’re a little bigger, before getting professional designers involved. We couldn’t disagree more. It’s never too soon to involve design in your business. In fact, getting designers involved in the stages when you’re trying to figure out pivotal decisions related to your business makes good strategic sense.
February 20, 2019