Who really understands design?

Although real designers and design shops are few and far between, in agency-speak anyone with a smattering of Apple Mac experience who spends cosmetic time on a product's appearance rather than how it sells, is labelled a 'designer'.

The habit of tagging 'design' onto anything vaguely modern or trendy products to inflate pricing and boost sales further confuses the definition of design, and when the media misconstrue the word they add to the bewilderment.

It's no wonder many view designers with suspicion and distrust. This unsavoury reputation occurs despite the increasingly successful efforts of Design South Africa, think, the organisation's graphic design chapter, and the Design Indaba, which is highly respected internationally, and these days enjoys substantial corporate sponsorship.

Subjectivity in design also creates noxious concepts: Many people pride themselves on their 'artistic' sides, and we've all heard of the client's gifted' wife disregarding and overruling six weeks of careful research and imposing her own colour scheme for the new product.

Common sense tells us that the recommendation of someone with appropriate experience and tertiary qualifications backed by a substantial track record in design should carry more weight than an unqualified amateur.

Using unqualified back yard design mechanics is false economy - an inappropriate and tacky brochure costs much the same as a fitting and elegant one. Costs may escalate slightly based on the possibility a designer may specify better quality paper stock, or layout the communication over more pages to improve legibility and make it more engaging, but the difference won't be all that much, especially weighed against increased sales as a result of good design.

When the company's corporate image, the core of the brand is at stake, surely that's worthy of a little more than the cheapest deal available? The corporate image is, after all the spine of the marketing efforts, and can be nurtured into a valuable asset.

Different designers and design companies have their own individual methodologies and mindsets, which all follow similar basic principles to create meaningful relationships between client, their products, and their consumers. This requires in-depth understanding of the client's business objectives, products and services, and the competitive environment viewed from the consumer's central perspective.

There is an amount of science to this.. Building in sustainability is vital, as a brand or corporate image has to be relevant for that moment and for the long term. The designer must make provision for further development and expansion, and create a continuing framework for an array of marketing and communication efforts from advertising and direct marketing, to packaging, public relations and events.

Brands speak to consumers at countless levels. The label on the product, the voice answering the phone, the levels of service, all speak for the brand and form the consumer experience.

The company's logo cannot be responsible for every success, but well-designed branding programmes provide solid platforms for communication and loyalty both inside and outside of the company. In an increasingly competitive environment, good design is not something business can afford to do without.