DESIGNAUDIT
ANSWERStoBUSINESS
DesignasaStrategicBusinessToolSanchareeSaha
ABOUTTHEBUSINESS
AIMS&OBJECTIVESOFDESIGNAUDIT
DESIGNAUDITFRAMEWORK
-CORPORATECULTURE
-DESIGNMANAGEMENT
-PHYSICALDESIGN
CONCLUSION&RECOMMENDATIONS
Content
 BusinessOverview
•  Primarily a Business Consultancy to
small businesses (2-50 employees)
•  Also offer Design services
•  Founder: Inzar Haq
•  Partner: Zakera Kali
•  8 subcontractors
70%
30%
Concultancy Design
Answers
to
Business
•  Husband & Wife
•  Located at the Innovation Centre, De
Montfort University
Objectivesofthe
DesignAudit
Design is a significant, potentially
powerful management resource,
susceptible to intelligent direction
and control
-Wally Olins
  Effectiveness of use of design
  Consistency in purpose, performance and
appearance
  Differentiation through design
  Current situation
  Relevance of design with respect to philosophy
  Understand the philosophy of the company to
analyse the appropriateness of the role of
design
Future?
1. Acquaintance
2. Methodology
3. Rationale
Adapted and Inspired by
Rachel Cooper & Kathryn Best
DESIGNAUDITFRAMEWORK
THECORPORATEONION
Physical
Design
Design
Management
Corporate
Culture
• Visual Identity
• Corporate design standards
• Service
• Work environment
• Pre-project
• Design resources
• Design skills
• Design training
• Design management: Processes, Procedures,
Guidelines
• Design Department: Location, Services, Aims
& objectives
• Project management
• Corporate design strategies
• Design awareness
• Integration of Design with other functions
• Design activities undertaken
Physical
design
Identity
Name
Logo
Website
Presents the core idea !
of the organisation!
First visual contact!
Reveals the brand’s
personality!
Ideologies of the people
behind it!
Identity
  Inzar and his role serve as the
face of the business more
than the name
  Name/identity of business
gets overshadowed
  Relate to Inzar as a
personality more than the
business as a whole
  Clients didn’t remember the
logo
!
A logo !
Encapsulates !
the brand.
-Olins, 2008
Identity
NAME!
  Suitable as a tagline
  Compared to other consultancies it
does not sound as professional
  Not all answers to business at the
moment: SEO, UX/UI design
Logotype!
  Impersonal
  Symbol is a cliché!
  Confused identity
  Typeface: unsure & under
confident
Undermines
the business
Impersonal,
unrelated,
copy-pasted
Do I look
fat in this
dress?
DesignManagement
Leads
Space
Design
process
Personalities
DesignManagement Leads
•  Serves as a testimonial
•  Only method of marketing
•  Proves reliability & assurance
•  Proves company has potential
•  Not a single direct customer
•  Website is not doing its job
•  They are aware of the website’s weaknesses
in design & content
•  Shows they understand what they are
offering and needs to be put across better
referrals
Imagine the power of strategic marketing!
No financial
returns
through
design
Design is
not
bringing in
any clients
No Use
of the
Web as a
resource
DesignManagement Space
•  Comes across as a start-up with no experience
•  Clients greeted with ‘De Montfort University Innovation centre’
•  Office spaces have not been used to their potential
•  Designers need inspiration and physical & mental space to be creative
environment
Creativity in any
business needs stimulation
No room
for
creativity
Innovation
Centre
can’t help
any further
BUT
Lead [Inzar]
Consultancy
Completion
Design
[Zakera]
Designers
DesignManagement Design
Process
  Inzar initiates relationship as a
consultant
  Marketing/Sales
  Design briefs are taken by Inzar
  Project gets passed on to Zakera
Needs a brief again
method
The Cogs represent a
mechanical process
Marketing
Sales
Design
Manager
DESIGN
Routes
to
Market
Personalities
the couple
Inzar
Home Office
Husband/Father Business Consultant (MBA)
Strong
personality
Business minded/
Corporate
Head of finance Founder & In-charge
Zakera
Wife/Mother Design Manager
Softer
personality
Creative/Organic
Head of
operations
Partner/team leader
DesignManagement
Corporate
To the point
Professional Creative
Organic
Innovative
Corporate
Culture
Client
Relationship
Portrayed
Image
Ideologies &
Ethics
Outcome &
Role of
Design
Service
culture
Service
commitment
Customer
journey
Customer
retention
Increased
revenue
Client
Relationship
  Good rapport with client
  More work
  Repeat customer
  Good understanding of the
client’s needs
  Executing project in time
  Clarity
  Transparency
  Industry standards
  Have learnt from difficult
clients
satisfaction
Growth will
be stagnant
if design is
not in play
Not given
an
important
role
No
Form,
only
Function
Corporate
Culture
Portrayed
Image
impression
Corporate
Culture
Professional
& Confident
Experienced
Informed &
Researched
Reliable
Clear,
honest
opinions
Design
Impression
Weak
Confused
Not
confident
Dated
•  No branding
•  No logo on
Contracts
•  No signage
Current Clients Potential Clients
Ideologies &
Ethics
philosophy
Current Position Current Design Aspirations
Business Consultancy, also
offer design services
Answers to your business
questions
Want to be a Business &
Branding consultancy
Professional & trustworthy
Start-up with little knowledge/
experience
Caring, Innovative,
Professional
Strong set of loyal clients No portfolio to see, no proof
Image: confident, well
equipped & experienced
Inexperienced
/unequipped
Inorganic
Mechanical
No
portfolio
Just
another
consultancy
Corporate
Culture
• Communication Design has played almost no part in their
business as yet
Branding
• Product outcomes have been inconsistent due to various
designers but have worked for clients
• Design of their Services has been of high standards
Product/Services
• Comfortable and has brought together a loyal team of
subcontractors who follow similar ideologies
• Honest, clear and thorough with clients
Communication/Behaviour
• Environment hasn’t been thought out
• Mediocre impact on clients as it was backed up by their
service
• Space needs to feel inspiring for ALL employees and stimulate
creativity in both business & design departments
Environment
Outcomes
role of design
Corporate
Culture
Conclusion
Form Follows Function
  Function is intact but has no design to drive to
forward
  Growth is possible if they differentiate themselves
using design
  Their confidence in being better than other
‘consultants’ and ‘web designers’ is not reflected
in their use of design
  Design needs to have a bigger role and drive its
own agenda
  Company should come across as confident to
take up independent design projects without
having to wait for referrals
“Branding is simply a convenient
package for a business idea”
-Marty Nuemeier
Answers
To
Business
Recommendations  Rebrand, to be confident about what they do and why they do it
  Consistent web presence Website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, You Tube
  Internalise their work philosophy, apply it to themselves
  Name | Business Cards | Space | Location | Website | Signage |
  Create the entire experience for clients through strategic use of
design: Publicise testimonials, Starter Kit
  Change name as the company is known as “Inzar’s company
and not Answers to Business
  Strong visual and brand identity with a new logo
  Change of space will help show authority and experience and
give room for creativity
  For incremental success, design should be on the agenda at
every meeting
  Both Inzar & Zakera need to be more informed & adaptive to
each others roles
  To understand the clients requirements
  to be consistent in their approach
Bibliography
  OLINS, W (2008) The Brand Handbook. London: Thames & Hudson
  NUEMEIER, M (2006) The Brand Gap. Berkeley: New Riders
  BROWN, T (2009) Change by Design. New York: Harper Collins
  DESIGN MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (1997) Five Views on Design and Strategy. Boston:
DMI
  LOCKWOOD, T (2010) Design Thinking. New York: Allworth Press
  DESIGN MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (1997) Ten Views on Brand Management. Boston:
DMI
  COOPER, R and PRESS, M (1995) The Design Agenda. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons
Ltd.
  ANSWERS TO BUSINESS (2013) About the company [WWW] Answers to Business.
Available from: answers-business.co.uk [Accessed: 5/5/2013]
Design Audit of an SME

Design Audit of an SME

  • 1.
  • 2.
  • 3.
     BusinessOverview •  Primarily aBusiness Consultancy to small businesses (2-50 employees) •  Also offer Design services •  Founder: Inzar Haq •  Partner: Zakera Kali •  8 subcontractors 70% 30% Concultancy Design Answers to Business •  Husband & Wife •  Located at the Innovation Centre, De Montfort University
  • 4.
    Objectivesofthe DesignAudit Design is asignificant, potentially powerful management resource, susceptible to intelligent direction and control -Wally Olins   Effectiveness of use of design   Consistency in purpose, performance and appearance   Differentiation through design   Current situation   Relevance of design with respect to philosophy   Understand the philosophy of the company to analyse the appropriateness of the role of design Future?
  • 5.
    1. Acquaintance 2. Methodology 3.Rationale Adapted and Inspired by Rachel Cooper & Kathryn Best DESIGNAUDITFRAMEWORK THECORPORATEONION Physical Design Design Management Corporate Culture • Visual Identity • Corporate design standards • Service • Work environment • Pre-project • Design resources • Design skills • Design training • Design management: Processes, Procedures, Guidelines • Design Department: Location, Services, Aims & objectives • Project management • Corporate design strategies • Design awareness • Integration of Design with other functions • Design activities undertaken
  • 6.
  • 7.
    Presents the coreidea ! of the organisation! First visual contact! Reveals the brand’s personality! Ideologies of the people behind it! Identity   Inzar and his role serve as the face of the business more than the name   Name/identity of business gets overshadowed   Relate to Inzar as a personality more than the business as a whole   Clients didn’t remember the logo
  • 8.
    ! A logo ! Encapsulates! the brand. -Olins, 2008 Identity NAME!   Suitable as a tagline   Compared to other consultancies it does not sound as professional   Not all answers to business at the moment: SEO, UX/UI design Logotype!   Impersonal   Symbol is a cliché!   Confused identity   Typeface: unsure & under confident Undermines the business Impersonal, unrelated, copy-pasted Do I look fat in this dress?
  • 9.
  • 10.
    DesignManagement Leads •  Servesas a testimonial •  Only method of marketing •  Proves reliability & assurance •  Proves company has potential •  Not a single direct customer •  Website is not doing its job •  They are aware of the website’s weaknesses in design & content •  Shows they understand what they are offering and needs to be put across better referrals Imagine the power of strategic marketing! No financial returns through design Design is not bringing in any clients No Use of the Web as a resource
  • 11.
    DesignManagement Space •  Comesacross as a start-up with no experience •  Clients greeted with ‘De Montfort University Innovation centre’ •  Office spaces have not been used to their potential •  Designers need inspiration and physical & mental space to be creative environment Creativity in any business needs stimulation No room for creativity Innovation Centre can’t help any further
  • 12.
    BUT Lead [Inzar] Consultancy Completion Design [Zakera] Designers DesignManagement Design Process  Inzar initiates relationship as a consultant   Marketing/Sales   Design briefs are taken by Inzar   Project gets passed on to Zakera Needs a brief again method The Cogs represent a mechanical process Marketing Sales Design Manager DESIGN Routes to Market
  • 13.
    Personalities the couple Inzar Home Office Husband/FatherBusiness Consultant (MBA) Strong personality Business minded/ Corporate Head of finance Founder & In-charge Zakera Wife/Mother Design Manager Softer personality Creative/Organic Head of operations Partner/team leader DesignManagement Corporate To the point Professional Creative Organic Innovative
  • 14.
  • 15.
    Service culture Service commitment Customer journey Customer retention Increased revenue Client Relationship   Good rapportwith client   More work   Repeat customer   Good understanding of the client’s needs   Executing project in time   Clarity   Transparency   Industry standards   Have learnt from difficult clients satisfaction Growth will be stagnant if design is not in play Not given an important role No Form, only Function Corporate Culture
  • 16.
  • 17.
    Ideologies & Ethics philosophy Current PositionCurrent Design Aspirations Business Consultancy, also offer design services Answers to your business questions Want to be a Business & Branding consultancy Professional & trustworthy Start-up with little knowledge/ experience Caring, Innovative, Professional Strong set of loyal clients No portfolio to see, no proof Image: confident, well equipped & experienced Inexperienced /unequipped Inorganic Mechanical No portfolio Just another consultancy Corporate Culture
  • 18.
    • Communication Design hasplayed almost no part in their business as yet Branding • Product outcomes have been inconsistent due to various designers but have worked for clients • Design of their Services has been of high standards Product/Services • Comfortable and has brought together a loyal team of subcontractors who follow similar ideologies • Honest, clear and thorough with clients Communication/Behaviour • Environment hasn’t been thought out • Mediocre impact on clients as it was backed up by their service • Space needs to feel inspiring for ALL employees and stimulate creativity in both business & design departments Environment Outcomes role of design Corporate Culture
  • 19.
    Conclusion Form Follows Function  Function is intact but has no design to drive to forward   Growth is possible if they differentiate themselves using design   Their confidence in being better than other ‘consultants’ and ‘web designers’ is not reflected in their use of design   Design needs to have a bigger role and drive its own agenda   Company should come across as confident to take up independent design projects without having to wait for referrals “Branding is simply a convenient package for a business idea” -Marty Nuemeier Answers To Business
  • 20.
    Recommendations  Rebrand, tobe confident about what they do and why they do it   Consistent web presence Website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, You Tube   Internalise their work philosophy, apply it to themselves   Name | Business Cards | Space | Location | Website | Signage |   Create the entire experience for clients through strategic use of design: Publicise testimonials, Starter Kit   Change name as the company is known as “Inzar’s company and not Answers to Business   Strong visual and brand identity with a new logo   Change of space will help show authority and experience and give room for creativity   For incremental success, design should be on the agenda at every meeting   Both Inzar & Zakera need to be more informed & adaptive to each others roles   To understand the clients requirements   to be consistent in their approach
  • 21.
    Bibliography   OLINS, W(2008) The Brand Handbook. London: Thames & Hudson   NUEMEIER, M (2006) The Brand Gap. Berkeley: New Riders   BROWN, T (2009) Change by Design. New York: Harper Collins   DESIGN MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (1997) Five Views on Design and Strategy. Boston: DMI   LOCKWOOD, T (2010) Design Thinking. New York: Allworth Press   DESIGN MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (1997) Ten Views on Brand Management. Boston: DMI   COOPER, R and PRESS, M (1995) The Design Agenda. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.   ANSWERS TO BUSINESS (2013) About the company [WWW] Answers to Business. Available from: answers-business.co.uk [Accessed: 5/5/2013]