Never Choose Ugly
Do me a favor and Google search 'branding statistics 2023.' Go on… do it!
Did you do it? You will quickly learn some hard truths about the value of design in business. Most of the statistics point to the fact that without good design and brand establishment, there is very little success to be found in business. But I don't want to beat the already dead horse. Most likely, you already know all this.
Instead, I want to give you a unique perspective. An opportunity to view yourself and your business through my eyes - the eyes of a seasoned designer and maker. These eyes have been trained hard for the past 20 years to seek out ugliness, to seek out cheapness, to seek out lies and truths, value, and luxury.
On average, whether you are an entrepreneur or not, you will most likely encounter a handful of designers who can be very snobby and opinionated. But on the flip side, I get to see the world through your eyes daily. Every day, people come to me eager to share their vision, new ideas for products and business, and all hope to gain insights on how to make their vision a reality and a successful one.
The true difference between a good idea, a bad idea, and a successful one lies in the design choices we make when choosing to pursue something. Every decision you make about it, including the touch, look, feel, interpretation, and emotional value, will determine its success.
There is a quote by Benjamin Franklin that goes, 'The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price is forgotten.' This saying is more relevant in today's society than at any time previously because we have more choices when it comes to purchasing power and decisions. There are significantly more businesses, creators, and makers than ever before, so buyers really have a lot to choose from.
The thing is, we never purchase with logic; we purchase with emotions. There is a reason why every broke person has the latest iPhone, why kids beg for the latest sneakers, and why you have a ridiculously expensive purse while your rent is behind. This is not due to logic but emotions, often paralleled with the design value objects possess.
This doubles down even further when you consider the fact that a lot of purchases today are done online, where trust plays a major role in these purchasing decisions. Previously, you would go to a store, you would meet the people who are selling you something, and there was trust in these transactions because you knew and had met the real people who are giving you something you want.
Today, online, between the Nigerian prince who is always asking you for bank help in your email box and constant SMS spams, it is increasingly hard to have trust in knowing whether what you are about to buy will really show up.
All of these fears and emotional transactions always come down to the interpretive value you see as a buyer. These values are shaped by the design choices you make.
Close your eyes. Imagine you are about to buy a new luxury watch from a fairly new watchmaker. You land on their purchasing page, and you are about to buy a watch that costs $5,000 USD. Right below the image of the watch, you see the purchase button:
Which button looks like the safest button to click when buying a luxury watch? Which button creates a slight tick in your mind that whispers, 'Wait… something is off here; I thought this was luxury?' Exactly!
So when I see people who work super hard in realizing their dreams, their ideas, and trying to build something, it kills me to see when poor design choices are made. Sure, a lot of them are made because of monetary restrictions, but I would urge you to consider the fact that if you are going to save money, save elsewhere because saving money on how you look, how your customers feel, and how your brand is interpreted is a sure race to the bottom.
