How to design a brand experience.

Though I view the world of design with a broad lens, for the
sake of this discussion, let’s look at visual design only. I submit that taking
steps to improve the way visual design connects your company with your
customers can lead to valuable points of differentiation.

Let’s look at point of purchase as an example. Is there a
way for your logo or your brand message to show up with more prominence? The
food industry has learned this well. Newman’s Own and other food companies have
aspects of their brand story elegantly written and then placed on their
packaging. They are certain that the more you know about the story behind what
they do, the more likely you will be to support their brand. They have
intentionally placed visual design as an important part of the customer
experience at purchase.

It is easy to turn your vehicles into roving billboards. One
leader with this idea was Steelcase. Every time you see a Steelcase vehicle, it
is immaculate, easily identified and simple in its design. The color is
consistent and the presentation is understated and easy to read.

© OUTSIDE SOURCE DESIGN, 2013. Lobby artwork Indianapolis.

First impressions are also a great opportunity area for
visual design. How might your lobby be used to tell the story of your brand and
offer insight into the value you provide? 

It is far too easy to view the design impact of your brand
as unimportant or hard to quantify. The potential impact of placing design at a
low level of priority is a neutral perception with your customers. Neutral is
at par with competition. Don’t settle for neutral. Create a design evolution. Think
about what Apple did with its packaging, its dedicated retail stores and even
how their product showed up in other retail locations such as Best Buy. They
held very high brand standards for each experience.

Make your audiences take notice. Do something that places
visual design at a position of priority. The visual presentation of your
product or business is just as important as the product itself. Actually, it is
a reflection of the product itself. It’s time for an evolution.