Holistically Design Your Retail Experience

Design today is present in many aspects of a corporation. Currently, we are seeing many large companies around the world embracing and focusing on Design as a differentiator for the future of their business. We are also seeing Designers in management positions, such as Chief Design Officers in corporations that were not previously focusing on Design. Furthermore, product development is being led by Design, propelling the creation of services, molding experiences and influencing the way businesses, brands, and products connect with people.

The world is changing fast and there is a demand for solutions. While the changes occurring due to Covid-19 is the current talk of the times, there are many other developments due to a changing planet. There is a lack of resources, humans’ expectations are changing, and technology is being led by digitalization. With all these developments, there is a need for innovation, sustainability and a focus on well-being--all factors which have been around for many years. Retail perspectives are changing fast and because there is less room for mistakes, competition is higher than ever.

It’s important to think about what people will eat, what they will buy, what services they will use, what companies they will recognize as being aligned with their needs and expectations, and what experiences will make them change behaviors. The connection to people is what will guarantee business success today and in the future. “As always,” you might say, but today in a globalized technology driven world, everything occurs much faster than before. What works today might not work tomorrow, so we need to enter people’s minds and understand the way they think.

Decision makers are shifting their understanding, refocusing on new approaches and this is the reason why they have turned to Design as a solution. Why? Because Design transforms ideas into real and tangible concepts.

Design is a people focused discipline. Designers have learned to intersect Psychology related sciences with Business and Technology. It’s a discipline focused on human behavior: emotions vs function, anticipating expectations, creating concepts and interfaces for people.

But Design is still misunderstood today. Preconceived ideas make people think that “to Design” is to make illustrations or drawings, and within retail Design is often related only with packaging. But we need to see beyond the obvious and recognize the importance of a writer for the ability to write words. Of course this is fundamental but it’s not the purpose. Design is simply connecting people to things. Many of today’s Designers don’t even create drawings on a regular basis.

Innovation is a mandatory factor for Design. There is no Design without innovation. Retailers, as brand creating agents, need to put in place the proper mindset for innovation to happen. Let the Design agents implement and lead relevant processes. Retail still looks too much over its own shoulder, focusing inside its own industry, with a commercial mindset, looking for the same old solutions. Innovation is achieved by Design through a conscient decision making process focused on people. For this to happen, a holistic perspective is needed: all is connected in nature, so it needs to be in retail too.

Design can be the key element that will make your business resonate in the consumers’ minds. By delivering innovation, out-matching expectations, surprising, offering new and meaningful experiences and creating long term relationships between your business and people. Join us in empowering Design to recreate the Retail experience of the future.

idc@daymon.com