Why does design even matter?

This is a question that even many designers can’t answer. One of the reasons is product differentiation. Imagine a hypothetical world where Snapple, Absolut Vodka, Kraft Orange Juice, and Dairyland Milk all had the same black and white, 12 point, comic sans text. Imagine that they came in the same one liter, plastic carton design packages. Let that world sink in. How would you differentiate between one product over another?

“In most people’s vocabularies, design means veneer. It’s interior decorating. It’s the fabric of the curtains of the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a human-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service.”

—Steve Jobs (somewhat successful businessman)

Good design is not an afterthought. Good design can, and does, make the difference between whether a company lives or dies. Try to sell something in your local supermarket with bad design. Place a poorly designed product soft drink product next to the Coca Colas and Pepsis of this world. It will not do well against the big guys. How is it that their multi-million dollar market dominance has remained stable for so long? Part of the answer can be found in where these companies invest their money. Literally hundreds of millions of dollars have been funneled into the design of these soft drink products. And the companies know that they are making a positive investment. They are not stupid. After all, they have been around longer than nearly every company in the US. This is particularly remarkable when you consider that they are selling a product that is well over 90% tap water.