Design, style and fashion put the thrill in our everyday lives. Looking at an aesthetic object gives us pause. Keeping that in mind when you go to market with your product or brand can positively affect your bottom line.
Every day the general public is introduced to the excitement of design and they are responding to it. No one seems to have a better grasp on that than one of the most successful retailers of our time, Target. Target’s ability to integrate the value of design so broadly and effectively has spread the thrill factor throughout the mass market of consumers. Now we all have to pay attention to design and style to compete.
From the Michael Graves egg timer to an Isaac Mizrahi dog leash, Target has style. This sense of style then oozes out to everything incorporating the Target bulls eye, even the way they show mundane products such as Tide detergent. To maintain their reputation of style, Target approaches designers that are not "over exposed" in the market place. Through their marketing, these designers take on an elevated role in heightening the image of Target. Part of that strategy for Target is to take the time to educate consumers on the appeal of style and the intrinsic value of their designers, such as Michael Graves, Luella Bartley and Isaac Mizrahi. The customer feels the value of Graves’ egg timer every time she sees it on her kitchen counter, which makes her feel good.
Design has an emotional impact on the consumer. It’s a sure bet that anyone can go online and find something from Target that excites them. Good design, either in the product itself or in the presentation of the product, gives the consumer trust and confidence. Trust is essential in the online environment. If the product follows up and performs, then you have won yourself a loyal customer.
Website design and product design become increasingly more important as we cross cultures in our now world bazaar environment. The design element is the emotional tie between the brand and the consumer. If you can get into the hearts of your consumers, you can engage them in the seduction of your brand. If you get into their minds, they are successfully wooed. Companies like Target and Apple understand how to do both, each in a most distinctive way.
The E-commerce portion of your business will become most influential in determining how people feel about your brand. Design and creativity, your personal stamp on the world as a brand, is communicating the heart and soul of what your product stands for.
Art and design in our daily living make us happy. Good design can make a grown man smile even if he takes in the sense of design unconsciously. The seduction of design and creativity is a powerful force. Today’s retail demands the collaboration of merchandising, design and technical knowledge to aesthetically accommodate your audience. It is the synthesizing of these elements that will create your full growth potential in this environment.
Joan Abraham, Digital AE & Design Fan
