Sandra Dartnell

sandra@makedesignhappen.com@mdh_sandra

Buying design better

Making sure that the design you buy results in a quality product that does the job

This is about business

your creative business

What’s important to you

_Products

_Prices

_Your company

Design affects all these things

_Products

_Prices

_Your company

because design communicates how something should be perceived

They might not realise it but design is important to your customers

It informs their decision making

How something should be perceived

_What it is

_What value it has

_Who will want to own or use it

_How it will make someone feel to own or use it

http://www.interview-coach.co.uk/

with style switched off

_Price

_Trust

_Desire

http://www.made-in-china.com/

_Price

_Trust

_Desire

http://www.made-in-china.com/

Design speaks

_when you are not in the room

_when your shop is shut

_online

_when your product is passed on

Design works hard

_to tell people what you are

_who you are

_how to value you

it better be saying what you want it to say, the same thing as you

Because bad design speaks and works as hard as good designit’s important that you think hard about your core design decisions

What do I mean by core design?

_Choice of name

_Choice of logo

_Choice of materials

even before you add any other message

My business face?

_A face to stand out from the crowd

_A face to join a crowd

_Some kind of mask or hat that I put on for business

http://wtespta.org/2012/05/friday-is-hat-day/hats1/

My voice

_From within

_Powerful

_Representative

It’s really important that you take ownership & control of buying design

Helping people buy design better

_Start with knowing who are you

_Create a clear brief

_Aim high and be constrained

Start with knowing who you are

_Functional or luxury

_Cheap or expensive

_Wide or niche

_Often or occasional

_Imagined who your buyer is

_Had a look at competion

You need to develop this to know

_What’s important to you

_What’s important to your customers

_What’s not important to your customers

_What is the benefit of your products

The basis of your business

http://www.nesta.org.uk/publications/creative-enterprise-toolkit

What is it?

_It’s a business planning tool

_Designed for creative minds

_Working out if your idea is a business idea

_Defining your personal & professional values & motives

Solving problems & seeing opportunities starts with knowing yourselfAsk a designer to reflect your business not define it

Design is a powerful problem solver for customers & business owners_Attracts

_Explains

_Stand-out

_Alignment

Design needs a clear brief

_Name

_Business Structure

_Size

_Service Summary

A clear brief

_Why I’m in business/What impact do I want to have

Mission Statement

_My customers buy on the benefits of...

Benefits

_What is really important to me/defines me professionally

Values

What is the problem or opportunity?

_Launching

_Redefining what exists

_Promoting to a new market

_Promoting a discount

_Upselling

A clear brief

_Timeframe

What is essential (minimum viable product)

_Budget

Range ok but must be given and should be real

_Competitors

More for more, more for less, less for less, same?

Aim high and be constrained_You know who you are

_You know how to communicate who you are

_Don’t waste it. Don’t just hand that information over to anyone

It’s really important that you take ownership & control of buying design

Aim high and be constrained

_Look around. See who has design that acts well for their product

_Ask who did it

_Express an interest. Tell them all the facts including budget

_ Ask them for a referral if they can’t help

_Be guided by effective design and by experts

_If you put in the time and communicate clearly you will find

someone you can afford and trust

You only have to find the right person once

That relationship & design can grow

_Evaluate and iterate

_Full identity

_Brand assets

_Marketing

_Followership and advocates

Don’t get boxed-in by lack of awareness, a loose brief and underdog ambitions

THANK YOU.MATERIALS TO EXPLORE OVER THERE...