“We’re living in an API-first world — Let’s start developing like it.” – Shamasis Bhattacharya, Postman
Capitalise on low hanging fruit to identify a ballpark value added activity to beta test. Override the digital divide with additional clickthroughs from DevOps via premier niche markets.
Technology first has emerged to be the de facto notion while building products and services. On the other hand, in an API-led world, a user-centric approach is vital for creating products that offer real value to customers irrespective of the technology used.
In these changing times, startups must realise that well-designed products and services bring a competitive edge to their organisation. Driving customer engagement and success, design can be a key differentiator, especially for startups.
Changing Business Paradigms
Design-driven startups have disrupted one industry at a time. Like Uber, who transformed the way people travel all with an elegant app connecting riders with cab drivers. But, have you ever wondered what made them so successful? Definitely, an innovative idea was the backbone which was coupled with the perfect mix of exceptional design and immersive user experience.
Hail Design!
When API leads the way
How can startups benefit from design?
Increase Customer Loyalty = Higher Revenue
Undoubtedly, there is a direct correlation between well-designed products and customer loyalty.
Startups have a wonderful opportunity to build a loyal customer base by making their customers especially early adopters happy with a design-driven product as it has a positive impact on customer loyalty and they tend to stay. It also helps unlock new revenue streams as new customers are on-boarded with positive word of mouth marketing.
Better Understand Customer Needs
Founders of design-led organizations have a better understanding of what their potential and existing customers want. The products/services are designed keeping in mind their requirements. Technology can be copied but a good design helps an organization foster an emotional connect with their customers.
Retain Existing Customers, Attract New Customers and Markets
Design-driven approach can be a game changer in retaining customers while acquiring new customers and markets. With design-led user/market research and prototyping, brands can identify customer needs that are not being met with the existing product. The insights can be used to improve offerings or create new product/service that bridge the gap.
Creating Experiences that Customers Love
Realizing the importance of design, organizations create experiences that customers love and want to experience again. This is achieved by prioritizing design and putting customers first in whatever they build.
Improve Product Development
Building competitive products/services starts with understanding your customer requirements and preferences. The more you know about your customers leveraging market and user research, higher are the chances that you will develop products/services they would actually want to buy.
Seamless Customer Experience across Different Touchpoints
Today, a customer’s buying journey involves more touch points than it ever did in the past. In fact, it is the customers, who decide when and how they interact with your brand. A customer’s product search might begin with a store visit or by accessing the website from his/her desktop followed by numerous interactions using a smartphone, computer or tablet. Gone are the days of fragmented engagement across different channels. With this realisation, design-driven startups consciously strive to deliver seamless customer experience across multiple touch points and devices that easily adapts to the different ways a customer discovers and interacts with their business.
How can startups incorporate design in their work culture and product from Day one?
Design must play a significant role in your startup work culture as it helps brands understand customers and their needs. To begin with founders and other top management must believe that a design-first approach offers a strategic advantage to the organisation. Design must be incorporated in product/service development right from the onset rather than bringing it towards the end of the development process.
Steps to achieve Design Success
Takeaway
Good design is often the only difference between a successful and failed product.