Why You Need A Designer For Your Project

While design is not only about creating beautiful products, studies show that aesthetically-pleasing products evoke positive emotions, suggest higher quality, enhance user engagement, contribute to a positive brand image, and influence consumer purchasing decisions. By prioritizing aesthetics alongside functionality, companies can create products that resonate with users and drive business success.

What does a designer do?

In the digital world, there are a ton of different designers. Some are generalists, which means they can do a little bit of everything, and, some are more specialized and know their craft well. Below is a simplified explanation of the types of designers you might need for web or app development.

• Graphic Designers: often work with clients or teams to understand their needs and develop creative assets like graphics, branding, and illustrations that align with brand identity and objectives.
• UX Designers: research user needs, behaviors, and preferences to inform design decisions. They employ user testing and feedback to iterate and refine designs, aiming to optimize usability and enhance overall user satisfaction.
• UI or Visual Designers: create visually-appealing and intuitive user interfaces. They ensure that the user is delighted through their entire experience.
• Product Designers: work on various stages of the product lifecycle, from ideation and concept development to prototyping and production. They conduct research to understand user preferences and market trends, then use this information to design. They collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineers, marketers, and stakeholders, to ensure that the final product aligns with business objectives and user requirements.

3 ways designers add value to a product

Designers play a crucial role in not just creating visually-appealing products but also ensuring that users have a smooth and enjoyable experience while interacting with them. Here's a breakdown of how designers achieve this:

1. Streamlining User Activities: Designers analyze how users interact with a product or service and identify areas where the user experience can be simplified and streamlined. This involves removing unnecessary steps, reducing complexity, and optimizing workflows to make it easier for users to accomplish their goals efficiently.

2. Maintaining Usability and Adoption: Designers continuously monitor the usability of the product by gathering feedback, conducting usability testing, and analyzing user behavior metrics. By staying informed about how users engage with the product, designers can identify pain points or areas of friction and make iterative improvements to enhance the overall user experience. Additionally, they ensure that new features or updates are adopted smoothly by users through intuitive design and effective communication.

3. Suggesting Solutions for Cost Reduction and Increased Market Share: Designers are not only concerned with the user experience but also with the business impact of their designs. They propose solutions that not only improve usability but also contribute to lowering the cost of customer acquisition and support. By optimizing the user experience, designers can help attract and retain customers more effectively, reducing the need for costly marketing campaigns and support interventions. Moreover, by creating products that users love and find easy to use, designers can increase customer retention and loyalty, ultimately leading to increased market share for the company.

In summary, designers play a multifaceted role in improving the user experience by streamlining activities, maintaining usability and adoption, and suggesting solutions that not only enhance the user experience but also contribute to cost reduction, increased customer retention, and market share growth. Through their expertise in design thinking and user-centered design principles, designers drive value for both users and businesses alike.

Eloisa is a senior designer here at Echobind and would love to work with you on your next big project. Reach out to us at hi@echobind.com