Designing Your Way Out of a Downturn

2009 was certainly a challenging year for most businesses as the global economic slowdown took hold. When times are tough and revenues are falling there is a temptation for businesses to cut ‘discretionary’ budgets – money allocated to activities such as design.

However design is a powerful tool in a downturn. During hard times investment in design can give a business a competitive edge over rivals who are reigning in their design and innovation budgets in order to save money.

According to a recent survey by the Design Council, over half (54%) of firms thought design would contribute to a large or great extent in helping maintain their competitive edge in the current economic climate. Similarly, 53% thought that design had become more important in helping them achieve its business objectives over the last three years.

There are many ways design can help your business perform more strongly, from improving your image (internally and externally), innovating your products or services, through to enhancing your overall efficiency and saving you money.

Brian Jenner, a self-employed speechwriter comments: “People use images and style to project who they are. There is a certain type of customer I want to attract and I do this by getting a designer who gives my marketing materials the right look and feel. When I didn’t spend much on my website, I got lots of timewasting enquiries. Even in a recession people will buy with their emotions, not their rational thoughts, so branding is more important than ever.”

An investment in design can be instrumental in turning the corner to renewed growth. Design can elevate a business or its products from the ordinary, the tired or the predictable – demonstrating that the business is alive, dynamic and responsive. And in a declining market, that can make the difference between growth and collapse.

How To Choose a Designer

The cost of design will vary according to who you employ, what they do, how experienced they are and where they’re based.

Design skills are available from many types of providers, ranging from individuals to large agencies capable of providing a wide range of specialisms ‘under one roof’.

The way those services are charged for will depend on the type of project. You may pay a day rate, for instance, for work on an advertisement, while a more complex fee structure would apply in the case of product development, accompanied by a brand review. In certain cases, help is available to fund design costs. Contact your local Business Link for more information.

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How Much Does a Website Cost?

Design is not a cheap commodity. Often it feels expensive as you are buying a lot of time and expertise in one chunk where other professional services might be spread over a 12 month period, such as accountancy. However, unlike accountancy or other professional services your design consultancy most often has a direct impact on your sales income. Thereby it is one of the most important facets of your business.

Over the past 6 years we have developed websites for companies with budgets ranging from £1000 to £10,000.

Websites don’t just happen. They are the result of a streamlined methodology, based on years of experience, in which there are usually six major milestones:

1. Discovery – The goal of this phase is to gain a deep and intuitive sense of your goals, competitors, and business plan
2. Planning - We take what we learned in the ‘Discovery’ phase and transform it into an actionable plan. We also define the budget, timeline, technology, and deliverables (such as briefs, sitemaps, and content outlines) needed to complete the work
3. Interface Design – Strategic plan in hand, we move to the drawing table — this is where the design and concept begin to take shape. We keep sifting and refining our ideas until we’ve found the best possible solution
4. Integration – With our vision and solution nailed down, we start building the site. In this phase, all the pieces fall into place
5. Testing
6. Launch/Maintain – Once the project is launched, we establish a roadmap for constant improvement and future enhancements. We discover the true results of our work as we monitor the project’s growth over time.

The above process can be modified to fit a smaller project by reducing the amount of effort spent on different steps. For example, the ‘Discovery’ process can involve just one simple phonecall with a client to learn about their requirements. It could also cover several all-day meetings.

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