What is Design?

Design is everywhere. It has shaped the laptop you use, the tea you drink, the restaurants you visit and the films you choose to watch. It has influenced you and millions of others, often without you even realising it. The products and services you remember are, generally, examples of good design; design that has given those businesses an edge over their competitors.

This is the purpose of design: to identify the challenges your business faces and to develop a solution that gives you that commercial edge. It does this by bringing together the needs of your customers and the objectives of your business. It’s this emphasis on the customer that makes design so powerful.
Design can help businesses to achieve their full potential, and, often, to realise that their potential is much greater than they had ever imagined.

Below, we have outlined some of the more common design disciplines for a brief overview and understanding:

• branding
• graphic design
• packaging design
• product design
• service design
• website design

This is not a comprehensive list; for more information why not visit  www.designcouncil.org.uk

Design delivers results such as: a bigger market share, more effective communication, targeted product development, opening up new markets, a reduction in wasted resources and, even, complete business transformation.
Design means that businesses are competing on value rather than price. It helps your business to stand out from the crowd and places you directly in the sight of the customers you want to reach.