How can I use design in my business?

Using design in business can bring about many benefits. It can improve your performance, your efficiencies, and the value of your products and services. It can also reduce costs and risks to your business.

Advantages of design to your business

Using design across your business can help you:

• increase sales of your products or services
• improve market position
• boost customer loyalty
• reduce customer complaints
• build a stronger identity for your business
• create new products and services and open up new markets
• reduce time to market for new products and services
• improve environmental record and compliance with regulations

Why is design important in business?

Effective design can encourage customers to buy from you and not from your competitors. It can help your product, service or business stand out - see more on user-centred design.

Design can also add value to products and services. Customers are often willing to pay more for products that look better and offer greater usability, better functionality and sustainability. See ecodesign in product or service development.

Using design to improve efficiency

The role of design doesn't stop with products and services. Design can also help you:

• improve the way your business operates
• cut costs and boost efficiencies, for example with the raw materials it uses
• enhance the quality of your packaging

Design can also help cut production costs. For example, careful design of the manufacturing process can bring large savings. It can also make processes and the use of materials more efficient and environmentally friendly, helping you to comply with sustainability regulations and legislation. For more information, see how businesses use design.