Design is not just about aesthetics and fonts – it’s a powerful tool for solving problems and driving business success. As Pete Sena, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Digital Surgeons, explains, design thinking is a fundamental pillar for thriving businesses across industries. By aligning design with strategic business goals, companies can unlock innovation, enhance customer experiences, and propel themselves to new heights.
Debunking Design Misconceptions
Many finance leaders and business executives view design as an unnecessary expense, especially during economic downturns. However, Pete dispels this common misconception, emphasizing that design is not just about “pretty pictures and fonts.” Rather, design is a powerful problem-solving methodology that can make a company one of the most powerful on the planet when executed correctly.
Design as a Strategic Asset
Pete illustrates his point with the example of IBM, a company over 100 years old with a market capitalization of over $133 billion. As former IBM CEO Thomas Watson Jr. famously said, “Good design is good business.” This sentiment underscores the strategic importance of design, which goes beyond mere aesthetics and directly impacts a company’s bottom line.
Aligning Design with Business Objectives
The key to unlocking the value of design lies in understanding the specific problems a business is trying to solve. Pete emphasizes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to design – the type of design needed depends on the unique challenges a company is facing.
Identifying the Right Design Approach
- If a consumer packaged goods company is struggling with low shelf visibility, they may need a packaging designer.
- If a SaaS company has users struggling to navigate their product, they likely need a UI/UX designer.
- If a finance team is plagued by dashboard design issues, they may require a data visualization expert.
The key is to align the design solution with the specific business problem, rather than viewing design as a generic expense. By taking this strategic approach, companies can maximize the impact of their design investments.
Fostering Innovation through Design
Design thinking not only solves immediate problems but also cultivates a culture of innovation within an organization. Pete shares how he has helped companies transform their businesses by approaching challenges through a design lens.
The Five Whys Approach
Using the “five whys” technique, Pete demonstrates how to dig deeper into the root cause of a problem, rather than just addressing the surface-level symptoms. By asking “why” multiple times, teams can uncover underlying issues and develop more impactful solutions.
For example, when a company expresses a need for more leads, Pete would delve deeper to understand the true objective – is it really more leads, or is it actually a need for more customers and revenue growth? By reframing the problem, design-driven solutions can emerge that address the core business challenge.
Unlocking the Power of Referrals
In many cases, the solution to a company’s growth challenges may not lie in expensive marketing and sales efforts, but rather in optimizing their existing customer relationships and referral networks. Pete shares how a strategic design approach can help businesses leverage their most valuable asset – their satisfied customers – to drive sustainable growth.
Designing Referral Programs that Work
- Understand the customer journey and identify touchpoints for referral opportunities
- Implement incentive structures that provide value to both existing and new customers
- Leverage various communication channels (email, social media, etc.) to amplify referral messaging
- Continuously iterate and optimize the referral program based on customer feedback and data
By taking a design-centric approach to referrals, businesses can unlock a powerful growth engine that leverages their most valuable asset – their satisfied customers.
Embracing the Design Mindset
Ultimately, Pete emphasizes that the true power of design lies in its ability to foster a mindset of problem-solving and innovation within an organization. By embracing design thinking, businesses can unlock new possibilities, stay ahead of the competition, and create lasting value for their customers and stakeholders.
Cultivating a Design-Driven Culture
- Encourage cross-functional collaboration and diverse perspectives
- Empower teams to experiment, iterate, and learn from failures
- Celebrate successes and share learnings to reinforce the design-driven approach
- Continuously seek feedback and input from customers to drive improvements
By fostering a design-driven culture, businesses can position themselves for long-term success, regardless of economic conditions or industry challenges. Design is not just an aesthetic asset – it is a fundamental pillar for thriving businesses in the modern era.
