The document discusses how improved style through design can help differentiate products and services from competitors. It argues that while attractive style provides some advantages by placing a company near the top, it is not enough on its own without also having competitive costs. Style is easy for competitors to copy, so solely focusing on style risks the company constantly playing catch up. Improved style alone cannot sufficiently differentiate without also having highly competitive costs to attract customers.

1. IMpROvED STYlE cannot sufficiently differentiate
products and services without highly competitive
The power of
costs to attract customers. Attractive or distinctive
style does offer a business a significant advantage
over competitors whose style is less so. It places
DeSIGN
the company near the head of the pack and can
sometimes stop commoditization and purely
cost-driven competition.
T
he most familiar image of design is as a with complex consumer products. As successful as
creator of style. In fact despite the many Michael Graves has been working together with
other meaningful things that design Target designing coat hooks and wall clocks, his
can do, it could be argued that infusing range of consumer electronics was a failure. Even
products with designer style is the core Yves Behar of Fuseproject, who has an apparently
competence of design. So we enter a discussion technically competent portfolio, commented in a
parT 2: STyle about beauty and the value of beauty.
The company that decides to use design to
revealing interview that the $100 laptop project is
much more difficult for his studio than their regular
differentiate itself is betting that improving its work designing slick lifestyle products.
The power of DeSIGN IS a SerIeS IN 5 parTS lookING aT The DIffereNT wayS IN whIch DeSIGN style is a way of attracting customers. There’s There is a downside to designer style. If style
an interesting difference in approach to design is the only reason for using design, the gain turns
caN be uSeD wIThIN a compaNy, cuTTING away hyperbole IN The TypIcal DeSIGN SaleS pITch aND between different cultures. The yardstick that out to be short term. Style is easy to copy (just ask
INveSTIGaTING The real beNefITS of DeSIGN To cuSTomerS, The orGaNIzaTIoN aND ITS reveNue. businesses use to measure good design in the USA Alessi)and the style focus tends to be on one product
is usually improved sales. This is pragmatic and at a time because the company is looking for quick
The 5 parTS DIScuSS INcremeNTal STepS: No DeSIGN, STyle, form & fuNcTIoN, SolvING buSINeSS
measurable. In Europe, however weight is given to easy successes by applying style. Since the reward
problemS aND achIevING leaDerShIp. abstract elements of design(the kind art students is short lived, it’s prudent to allocate a minimum of
would talk about; proportion, line, color and so on) resources to developing style as a differentiating
AUTHOR TASOS CAlANTzIS which determine whether a particular design has factor. Hence the company employing design only
been well executed or not. Ordinary Europeans, and for it’s style potential is always either playing catch
therefore businesspeople more frequently recognize up or jumping ahead only to fall quickly behind again.
these elements intuitively and are able to form an In this situation, similar to the company which
opinion on a design. This is perhaps why European doesn’t yet use design for style, cost is the major
products have certain characteristic styles that are weapon. Improved style cannot sufficiently
easy to identify. differentiate products and services without highly
It has been said that other countries like Japan competitive costs to attract customers. Attractive or
blend the two approaches. This understanding of distinctive style does offer a business a significant
how design style is perceived is important when advantage over competitors whose style is less so.
deciding when design can be exported across It places the company near the head of the pack and
borders successfully. can sometimes stop commoditization and purely
In product design, improved style means making cost-driven competition.
products look stylish and cool. However there are Fortunately, style is closely followed in the minds
several layers to this ‘coolness’ as Diego Rodriguez of businesspeople by another attribute of design
so eloquently explains. To artists, designers and which adds benefits which make it harder for
all aesthetes, creating beauty is in itself valuable. competitors to follow.
Businesses in America sometimes need to be Next: Improving Function
convinced of that, usually when customers with the
Tasos calantzis is the ceo of Terrestrial, an
same sensibilities react to the beauty by buying it. international, South african-based strategic
The new Jawbone IcoN bluetooth headset
introduces an unprecedented suite of choices
In the world of designers, few are able to marry design consultancy that deploys their proven
expertise and tools to meet the challenges of
for greater self-expression with six unique the high art of original, iconic style with the depth of globalisation in increasingly competitive markets,
shield designs, more like a cast of characters technical and commercial abilities needed to succeed especially in africa. www.trstrl.com
in a movie. each design is evocative of different
personalities that represent different personas,
creating a palette of “cultural icons.”
1 Terrestrial article update volume 3 November 2010 November 2010 Terrestrial article update volume 3 2