Design principles – a question of perspective.
We like open-source collections! This week we were particularly impressed by Ben Brignell’s collection of design principles and methods. Why such collections should often be nothing more than inspiration, however, is particularly evident in the case of design principles.
Design principles are an essential part of design and innovation processes. They serve as an orientation framework and thus ensure that the result fits the brand as well as the target group.
On the principles.design platform, product designer Ben Brignell provides a collection of design principles from different brands, such as Airbnb, BMW or ebay. The collection is a great source of inspiration that shows how powerful well-chosen design principles can be.
So you could simply help yourself by using kits and templates? We say no. But how do you come up with your own design principles?
There are several possibilities here. The obvious approach is to develop them from within the brand. For instance, if the brand stands for healthy products, this can also be reflected in the design principles, e.g., “Brand XY keeps you healthy”. If thought through consistently, this is reflected in the products and services, but also internally, such as by designing workplaces ergonomically.
However, we always recommend that in addition to this inside-out perspective, the outside-in perspective, i.e., the customer perspective, should also be taken into account. From our project work we know that there are often needs which are present in the entire target group but are not reflected in the description of the brand, for example in B2B “continuity”. An appropriate design criterion could be: “Brand XY guarantees business continuity”.
Wisely chosen and correctly implemented, design principles are one of the most powerful business tools. Because they ensure the consistency and thus also the persuasiveness of a brand.
Do want to get more insight into how to form and effectively use design principles for your brand? Get in touch with us.