The Power of Design by Manuel Saez

05:18 pm | 1 recommendation | 2 comments

Measuring and Compensating Design

Evaluating and measuring a design’s worth, and determining a designer’s compensation for the design, are challenges facing every organization that brings original products to market.

The task is not an easy one. Too many variables beyond the designer’s influence are at play. Attempting to arrive at a fair value oftentimes results in, at worst, an unfair arrangement, or at best, an ambiguous result.
In contrast, measuring and compensating salespeople is straightforward. The process is based on quantifiable numbers, and a good year normally equates to a good bonus. On the other hand, evaluating the more subjective work of creative people and compensating them appropriately remains more art than science.

Designer compensation is in many cases tied to commercial success. It’s a measurable metric, yes, but is it the best metric, or even a fair one? The fact that a product is a commercial success does not necessarily mean that it is a good design or even a successful design. A successfully designed product or service meets and surpasses customer expectations, connecting with them at both the rational and emotional levels. The design is only as good as the design brief that originated it, and a design brief is only as good as the insight that helped create it.

Any number of external factors can influence a design’s success: the marketplace, the economy, the marketing support, the launch timing, the current state of the brand. Designers usually do not drive the overall sales and marketing strategies, so in a way, they rely on the performance of others to be compensated.

In my opinion, design can only be evaluated and measured fairly by how the design responds to or addresses the problem stated on the design brief. Ideally, the designer works closely with the business team to create a design brief, if not a business brief, that takes into account how the product goes to market as well as its anticipated return on investment. Only through this type of knowledge sharing and collaboration can a design’s true value be measured.

Manuel Saez

manuelsaez.com

08:24 am | 3 recommendations | Be the first to comment

Great Design – Defined

What is good design? I asked friends and colleagues what good design is. Most of them answered naming a few products or mentioning a designer’s name. I felt that these answers were not getting to the essence of what good design is or even better, what great design is. Read below my attempt to answer this seemingly easy question.

Great designs are those that successfully balance beauty and function in the context they are going to be used.

There is a very fine line between successfully balanced designs and other designs in which the aesthetics or the function are misused or overdone. A balanced design is evidence of maturity and common sense when making decisions about the appropriate amount of beauty or function a specific design needs.

Context is very important since one particular design is unlikely to be successful in two different scenarios. Context can be defined by time: what worked yesterday may not work today; by culture: what works in the West may not work in the East; by economic situation: what is successful in thriving economy may not be pertinent in a recession.

I believe this definition applies to all types of designs in different segments of the industry: graphic, fashion, product, interiors and architecture. However, if you think there may be some exceptions, I invite you to share your thoughts and hopefully contribute with additional insights on this topic.


Manuel Saez
www.manuelsaez.com

08:35 am | 1 recommendation | Be the first to comment

The Home Depot Experience

In the last two years I have seen a consistent and ever growing decadence at big box retailers in the US. Recently I found myself choosing NOT to shop at Home Depot, but instead to visit a smaller retailer further from my home cutting out an hour from my day. The reason I switched is clear. I favor a better shopping experience over convenience. So do a lot of people I know. Some are even forgoing lower prices.

Home Depot is not alone; Staples, Wal-Mart and even Target are literally a jungle. Many customers are left to fend for themselves. To get what they need they have to wrestle product information and availability out of ill-informed salespeople (if you can find one) who lack a positive attitude. Low prices have been driving the big retailer’s decisions and choices, but to some extent have sacrificed critical customer needs. And even with store “credos” and “customer service statements” posted on receipts and checkout counters, customers are less inclined to believe the store will deliver.

As a designer, I see the opportunity to bridge the gap between what retailers want and what customers need. Using design as a holistic tool, considering store design; process design; product design and graphic design, all working together to enhance customer service and create value, for the retailers and the customers.

Manuel Saez

www.manuelsaez.com 

09:29 am | 1 recommendation | 3 comments

Service Driven Product Design

For a long time customer service has been a strong strategic tool for many service-based companies like USAA Insurance Company and the Four Season Hotels and resorts. However, today, product-based companies like Apple and Lexus are relying more on customer service as a complement to their products. The strategy works, although the line between product and service has become blurry. Today, what matters more is the total experience.

This is great from the consumer point of view but it could be a costly proposition for a company if the products are not designed to work well and support a customer service driven structure.

It is here where the power of design can bring enormous value. A well-crafted design/business brief that considers aspects normally ignored such as return policies, warranties, shipping information, maintenance and service. By combining these entities into the design/business brief, companies are able to provide a tangible and instructive resource from which everyone including the customer benefits.

manuel saez

http://www.manuelsaez.com/

04:57 pm | 0 recommendations | 1 comment

Design Brief vs. Business Brief

The Design Brief, which states the parameters of a project in relation to the user/consumer, is a common document that guides designers through the process of product development. However, designers seldom have the opportunity to work in a broader context that offers more insight into the life of the product and its business aspects.

I find it more useful to create a Business Brief rather than a Design Brief. The Business Brief in contrast looks at the overall business strategy of the product with a particular focus on business markets, sales strategies, distribution channels, etc. This approach allows designers to answer several basic questions such as: Where will the product be manufactured? How will the product be shipped? Where will the product be warehoused? What distribution channels are available? What is the return policy? What is the recycling strategy? Questions like these broaden the definition of the user. In other words, the user is defined as every one who comes in contact with the product throughout its life cycle. In a way the product is designed with the point of view of the assembly worker, shipping clerk, the recycling person, etc.

The Business Brief brings a broader understanding of the problem by providing new insights for better product development. Having this information available to the design team can make a big difference in the final result. Considering external factors and the people that come in contact with the product throughout its life simplifies the design process and focuses innovation.

manuel saez

www.manuelsaez.com 

07:42 pm | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment

Is a “Sustainable Industrial Designer” an Oxymoron?

Recently, I was invited to speak at a conference celebrating “Earth Day.” My presentation consisted of “Everyone Considered,” a talk concerning our design process, which considers everyone that comes into contact with a product throughout its life: from the assembly worker to the individual recycling the product. Many consider this design process to be environmentally friendly.

At the event, the host introduced me as a “Sustainable Industrial Designer.” For a moment, I thought this could be perceived as an oxymoron. After all—by definition—Industrial Designers design products for mass production, which is one of the negative factors in the current environmental crisis.
However, after reflecting on this contradiction, I understand that the role of the industrial designer is a privileged one in this new “green economy.” Designers are in a very important position to make a difference and create positive change in the way products are designed, manufactured, distributed, and disposed of.

The power of design can be used to create value in many forgotten areas. Normally, the design process focuses most of its energy in providing solutions for the end user/consumer (the people that actually use the products). However, there is a great opportunity to create value elsewhere, designing products that not only address the consumers needs, but also are easy to assemble/produce/service/maintain. In addition, these products have a minimal number of components, can be shipped in efficient ways, designed for ease of disassembly, for re-use, or proper disposal.

Value is the key to the new green economy—and design is a powerful tool to create it. Extended value can offset the cost of environmentally friendly materials, processes, and systems used in new mass-produced products creating sustainable products with an honest (“honest” being the keyword) story very relevant to today’s marketing strategies.

From this point of view, “Sustainable Industrial Designer” is not an oxymoron.

Manuel Saez

www.manuelsaez.com