Business owners know it, the customers know it, the man on the street knows it – there is no substitute for good design when it comes to branding a business.

Design engages people with your brand. Design tells a story. Design gives your business a personality and credibility. And that’s just the start.

Design, it seems is a crucial component for business and brands. It’s the one thing that separates the has-beens from the trailblazers.

• What can Design do for you?

As a business, you want certain things to happen for you. Here are some of those things and how design makes them possible:

1. Tell a Story and Draw the Customers in

Your brand needs to be interesting, so what better way to keep it like that and in the public consciousness, than to weave a story around it?

Good design can tell a story. Good design can give your brand a personality that goes well with your target demographic. Good design can serve as the meat and bones of your corporate identity.

2. Differentiation

You are competing with a million companies that are in the business of selling the same things as you are. So why should customers choose you and you only? This is where design comes in and work its magic.

Be it logo design or web design, your branding is all about defining and presenting how you are different from the other firms in your sector. Some companies give away a rather technical image of themselves; others might choose to emphasize the relationship that they have with their customers.

3. Engage with Customers

Every business worth their image knows that it’s not just about having attractive logos, website, social media presence and other assorted marketing materials only. It’s about letting the design of your brand resonate with your customers. It’s about letting your consumers trust your brand implicitly. It’s about upholding the trust of your fans.

Yes, the product and service has to deliver. But how would people remember that it was you who made it and not some other firm? That’s where design comes in.

4. Evolve or Reinvigorate your Business

Change is the only constant. Either businesses foster a change in the industry (like Apple’s iPod and iPhone) or change is forced on you (like Nintendo’s reluctant push to smartphone games). It is a safe bet to say that nothing stays the same for longer. Even branding and design.

Source: gacreative.com

People used to love industrial-style bulky VCR design once upon a time. And now minimalism and Bauhaus design principles reign supreme, as can be seen in stripped down tablets and smartphone designs.

Brands also need to evolve over time. They can either make small, incremental changes to their image or change their corporate identity altogether. Design can help accomplish both those goals.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a scrappy startup, a longstanding public sector company, or a service provider. Good design is crucial since it communicates with your customers and recognizes their needs clearly. Good design embodies the key ingredients of your business and makes them distinctly recognizable to a wider audience. It takes your ideas and communicates them to people by way of positive reaffirmations. That’s what all great designers strive for. The next time someone sees your logo design, they should feel good and talk about you.