Function First Design - It can make a good company even better.
It means explain the situation as you see it and we will work together to find the best, most functional solution.
Good design has to function first and to do that we have to define exactly, precisely what the problem is before we can solve it and that's sometimes difficult to do when we're too close.
Sometimes it just takes another person to look at the situation from a different perspective.
Sometimes what we think is the perfect solution, doesn't really solve the real problem.
When I'm stumped or I need a different perspective and there's no one else around to bounce an idea off, I often get up and go the the other side of the table, sit down and say "now as a customer, what do I want". Then I'll think back to the last good (or bad) customer service or product experience I had and think about how I felt about that experience. What was good about it. What was bad about it. Was I happy when I left or got off the phone? If there was a problem, did I feel as if the person on the other end was going to resolve it?
My job as a Graphic Designer is to ask what your customers want.
- Why do you feel you need a brochure? (Maybe a customer survey first would work better or be less expensive.)
- Why do you want to redesign your business card?
- Why do you want an ad and how are you going to use it?
- Why do you need a full-color yellow page ad? (Because the Yellow Pages Representative says it will be more effective is NOT a good enough reason. That's where the 'function-first, we don't just make it pretty' part comes in.)
Exploring the situation might just uncover a hidden problem and present us with a better solution.
- Perhaps we need to figure out why sales are slow.
- Or why your competition is gaining market share (at your expense?)
- Maybe you want to expand your business with a new product or service offering?
- A wider exposure to a larger demographic area might give you the boost your company needs.
- And...elevating your customer service far above your competitors would make you stand out as THE preferred company.
- Even something as unassuming as an in-house form that's easier to fill out and can boost your productivity can make a difference.
So a little bit of research, (o.k. maybe a lot of research) to define some underlying situation just might put the 'function' back in 'functional'.
So let us help you uncover your companies hidden potential. We know it's there just waiting to be discovered.
