Why Design Matters

Design isn’t just an aesthetic choice; it’s the foundation of how businesses connect with their audiences.

In many companies, the relationship between design and other functions—like marketing, product, or project management—can be tense. This tension doesn’t necessarily stem from negativity but from the inherently different ways these teams approach problems.

Marketers and managers often want to move fast and break things. Designers want to move fast too, but their approach emphasizes thoughtfulness and precision. This difference underscores why design matters in marketing.

Everything Is Designed

From the chair you’re sitting on to the website you’re reading this on, every element of our world involves design. Good design enhances our experience, creating positive emotions and seamless interactions. Bad design, on the other hand, frustrates, alienates, and drives users away.

Think about the last time you assembled Ikea furniture or struggled with an unresponsive app. These moments remind us that design’s impact is universal. So why should its role in your business be any less significant?

The Role of Design in Marketing

A study from Northumbria University and the University of Sussex found that 94% of users rejected or mistrusted a website due to bad or inappropriate design. Only 6% cited content as the issue. First impressions matter in marketing—and they’re made in milliseconds. Within 50-500ms, users form an opinion about your website, ad, or product.

For small or emerging businesses, this highlights an opportunity: good design can win users faster than superior functionality alone. Effective design isn’t just a bonus—it’s a competitive advantage.

Lean Launching vs. Perfect Launching

Every marketer and product manager knows that resources and time are limited. The ideal scenario—launching a flawless product—is rarely achievable. Instead, teams often rely on the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach: launch quickly, learn from feedback, and iterate.

This strategy works well in theory, but here’s the catch: many MVPs never get revisited. Once the product generates revenue, companies often deprioritize further development. While this might drive short-term success, it can frustrate users, erode trust, and leave room for competitors to swoop in with a better, more refined product.

How to Maximize Design’s Impact

To fully harness the power of design, follow a simple yet critical process: launch lean, collect data, and iterate in waves. Defining the MVP and launching it is just the beginning. The real value comes from delivering on your promise to improve over time.

This commitment builds trust. Users recognize when a company genuinely cares about their experience. Over time, this trust fosters loyalty and turns casual customers into lifelong advocates.

Good design takes time, but the payoff is immense. By investing in design—both pre- and post-launch—you ensure that your product not only meets user expectations but exceeds them. And by doing so, you keep competitors from capitalizing on gaps in your offering.

The Heart of Business Success

Design is more than just visuals; it’s the silent language of trust between your business and its users. It influences how people perceive your brand, interact with your product, and ultimately decide whether to stay or go. In today’s fast-paced, competitive market, skipping over design isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s a risk you can’t afford to take.