Many people think of the word design as just a fancy interface. However, this does not do justice to the whole thing. In fact, it can also be the basis of a comprehensive strategy for corporate management and corporate design. Only those who think design and management together can distinguish themselves and create a customer experience that deserves the terminology. But how do you create such a satisfying customer experience?
An idea that starts from the needs of the customers.
First and foremost, design means shaping. Many things can be designed, or more precisely, design means the shaping of something to meet a certain need.
Nowadays, many companies are focused on managing individual processes or producing individual objects, but what many lack is an overarching idea. This is important because the customer notices when a product is not authentic. Imagine you have an absolutely modern and spacious house but a single room that is old-fashioned, small and confining. This puts off most potential buyers, after all, they wanted to buy a spacious and modern house. This kind of disparity, which seems completely unfounded and unquestioned to the customer, is not infrequently found in companies. Practically every department of a company, every step of the process and every corner of your product must be subordinated to this idea – everything must call out to meet the customer’s needs and desires.
But this also means that time and energy must be invested in the design of the processes, awareness must be created here.
The communication of the idea
Poorly communicated ideas are counterproductive and thus worthless. The management is therefore required to coordinate the different areas and departments. To do this, it is essential to understand the needs of the staff and the team and to align them with them, because all this is ultimately reflected indirectly in the product and the satisfaction of the customer. Let’s say you visit a restaurant that advertises a casual and relaxed atmosphere, but you constantly hear yelling from the kitchen and are served by hectic waiters. That makes no sense. Management can have come up with the idea a thousand times, if that idea doesn’t resonate with all the staff, how can it be implemented?
A little reminder: you are well advised to live your vision in your communication with your employees. After all, they are also people who have chosen your company and this job for a reason.
What is the customer’s desire in the first place?
Now we have talked several times about the customer’s wish. But what exactly is it all about?
At the beginning of every well thought-out vision is a promise based on a certain need of the customer. But how do you determine this need? Often companies rely on market research results, but statistical surveys don’t always tell you everything or sometimes even almost nothing about the customer’s desire. You find out certain numbers and ranges, but do you know afterwards what the customer really wants? Do you perhaps even find out what the customer doesn’t know? Rather not, such questions remain open because they are difficult to measure quantitatively. It is then important to pole the company on this, to flexibly and courageously explore the will of the customer and then listen carefully. This is achieved through an approach that allows ideas, both from within the company and from the customer. The customer must become part of the creative process and be able to shape the product with his wishes and needs. If this is the case, a development is in the offing that will eventually be able to satisfy the needs of the customers; on the other hand, an unreflective product that is presented to the customer will not please anyone – neither you nor the customers.