Devices, clothing, automobiles, and websites are all examples of design. It could be about how these things should appear, sound, or feel, as well as making them useful and understandable. Does your product look good? Is the design functional and convenient? The appearance of your product tremendously influences the first impressions.

When and how to apply Design:

Design can bring a range of commercial benefits if used systematically across your business. These benefits include:

• increased sales of your products or services

• improved market position relative to your competitors

• greater customer loyalty and fewer customer complaints

• a stronger identity for your business

• the ability to create new products and services and open up new markets

• reduced time to market for new products and services

Designing for your customer

The effective use of design gives customers a reason for buying from you and not from your competitors. It's a valuable source of differentiation - a well-designed product or service will stand out from the competition.

Design also adds value to products and services. Customers are often willing to pay more for well-designed products that can offer them benefits such as greater usability, increased functionality and improved aesthetics.

Designing for efficiency

But as well as enhancing the products and services you sell, design can also improve the way your business operates - the efficiency of its processes, the cost-effectiveness of the raw materials it uses, the quality of its packaging.

As well as increasing the value of your products and services to customers, design can cut production costs. Careful design of the manufacturing process, for instance, can bring substantial savings. It can also make processes and the use of materials more efficient and environmentally friendly, helping businesses comply with sustainability regulations and legislation.

Design covers much more than just the outward appearance of products or the graphic elements of things such as your website, packaging and marketing materials. It plays a part in nearly every aspect of what most businesses do.

In some areas, the importance of design is quite obvious - for instance, when a business creates a consistent look across its products, signage, stationery and marketing activities.

Design can also be used to benefit your business in many less obvious ways. Remember that design isn't just about managing the appearance of your business - it's also about managing your business processes so they're as cost-effective as possible.

Businesses use many types of design, among which:

• product design - including ergonomics

• engineering design

• graphic design - from manuals and marketing literature to signage and software interfaces

• packaging design

• website and interface design

• retail design

• interior design and fit-outs

• exhibition design

• architecture - particularly for refurbishments and building modifications

It's a good idea to conduct a design audit - look at key areas of your business such as your brand, your product and service development, your work practices and customer communication and then consider what role design plays in them. There may be opportunities to use design to make your business more efficient and to add value to your products and services for your customers.

Well-known companies that use this pattern are Tesla and Nike.