Overview
Design Strategy is the whole process of planning as it concerns the goals and objectives, targets, and super-structuring, and constructing all that is needed to provide effective and masterfully executed design work. It is concise, straightforward, and ensures that designers put their work in the right perspective in relation to the business goals. Thus firms will be able to bring forth compelling and functional offerings in the markets as part of the brand strategy building exercise.
1. Design Thinking
Design thinking can be explained as a problem-solving strategy that is human-centered and designed to foster innovativeness and cooperation among stakeholders in a given situation. It offers a narrative thread that helps to guide the analysis focusing on five stages: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.
Empathize:
The target audience appreciated and studied their needs and wants, and the behaviors they exhibit.
Define:
The solutions that the target market wishes to be provided are described.
Ideate:
Proposing as many solutions as possibilities to a problem.
Prototype:
Moving forward with ideas and forming or synthesizing them into some sort of designs.
Test:
Getting feedback on the generated models or methods to see how effective they were after being executed.
2. User Experience (UX) Strategy)
The focus is on developing offerings and components that will work before the target audience easily, are fun, and fulfill the needs that the target market has. It includes describing the user actions, targeting the users, conducting UX testing and design, and refining the work.
User Research: Use deep understanding of user’s requirements, expectations, and challenges for product improvement.
Usability Testing:
Testing the design in practice with end users to find weaknesses.
Iterative Design:
Improving and/or changing the design based on monitoring and comprehension.
3. Visual Strategy
Generally visual strategy outlines which of the visual components will be employed in the communication of a brand and/or product. It consists of items such as color schemes, typefaces, images, and design.
Brand Identity:
Development of a uniform and persisting ‘branding’ theme across all media.
Color Palette:
Choosing shades that can instill the feeling clients want and that fit the brand.
Typography:
Providing fonts that optimize the objective purpose and the brand’s style.
4. Brand Strategy
A brand strategy defines the differentiating benefits that would appeal to a specific customer segment and how the customers are expected to perceive the brand once it is launched. It ensures that brand building activities target primary issues to give a clear and strong brand.
Brand Positioning:
Explaining the brand benefits as well as how it stands out from the pack.
Target Audience:
Profiling the audience that needs the product, including the specific, ideal customer as well as their desires.
Brand Messaging:
Formulating messages that are straightforward and authoritative making them right for the intended target audience.
5. The Structure of the Product Strategy in its Basic Form
A product strategy answers the questions concerning product’s features, benefits and consumers or the market to which it is targeted. This assures that the product is viable in addressing the concerns of the targeted audience and aids in generating income.
Product Features:
Recognition of the salient features which will make the product unique from the other competitors.
Product Benefits:
Explaining the benefits of the product to the customers.
Target Market:
Recognition of the intended clientele towards which the product is aimed at.
6. The Goals of Service Design Strategy
The service design strategy aims to deliver an outstanding customer experience. This includes the design of all stages from the first contact to the last one.
Customer Journey Mapping:
The process of depicting how a customer interacts with a service in terms of the steps involved.
Customer Experience Design:
Simultaneously and effectively carrying out activities for customers with the aim of enhancing their satisfaction.
Customer Support:
The help provided to the customers within a reasonable time.
7. Understanding Design Reseach
Design research is the process of finding out information about main users, competitors, or industry. Its purpose is to assist the designing process and help to deliver a product that caters to the market needs.
Market Research:
An assessment of the competition and other industry players and statistical forecasts.
User Research:
Addressing the target population’s wants, what they like, and their actions.
Design Trends:
Trends that have been taking place in design and best practices to be followed.
Design Roadmap
A design roadmap describes the significant goals and outputs expected with the given timelines in a design initiative. It assists in the management of the upsurge of the project and fosters the efficient utilization of means.
Project Timeframe Assignments:
Determining the Project key events and its respective timing.
Resource Allocation:
Dividing personnel workload and assigning roles to the persons in a group.
Budgeting:
Preparing a projection of the expenditures that will be incurred for the particular job.
9. Design Process
Conceptualization signifies the procedure which centers on the framework relating to the making of representations. This is classified into various categories such as inquiry, generation, illustration, and experimentation.
Research:
Acquiring knowledge about the market and the client’s problem.
Ideation:
Producing original concepts and plans.
Prototyping:
Forming and assembling of physical embodiments associated with the imagination.
Testing:
Performing examination on the prototypes and obtaining opinions.
Design Planning
Design planning refers to the process of defining the aims, objectives and strategies toward a design undertaking. It aids in the verification that the design undertaking is in line with the general business goals.
Goal Setting:
Setting forth what the intended end result of a project is once completed.
Objective Setting:
Always setting specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound objectives.
Strategy Development:
Explains the action which will be taken in order to accomplish the stated aims.
FAQs
Q: Second question- How does the concept of design strategy differ from that of design process?
A: Design strategy is a method for determining long-term goals and processes in a design project, whereas the design process deals with direct creation of designs.
Q: Why do we need user experience (UX) strategy?
A: A UX strategy guarantees that the products and services offered are manageable, pleasant, and suitable for the target market.
Q: Why is visual strategy necessary under branding practices?
A: Visual strategy aims at building a consistent brand by determining how the brand will look and the visual elements that will be employed.
Q: What are the steps in brand strategy development?
A: A brand strategy consists of brand equity, brand relevance, brand architecture, and brand identity.
Q: A design roadmap defines what?
A: A design roadmap enables the design project to carry on by inscribing about the factors that define the periods and effects of the activity.
Thus the business can come up with products and services and their marketing which are designed simply, well and efficiently by adhering to the strategic plan.
