Leading Entrepreneurship

There is some serious conversation lately about how “market-driven” design should or could be.  I understand why the discussion is happening, but let’s clear the air about how the two fit together.

I’ve worked with marketing gurus, and have been a marketing consultant myself, and I have not once attempted to tie design directly to a particular market. The reasons for this are numerous, but one thing remains: the market should drive the brand, and the brand should drive the design.

Of course the design should be market and user friendly, that really shouldn’t need to be stated, but the brand always drives the design… that is the point of the brand.

If the brand is truly the by-product of researching a firm’s core mission, vision and values; competitive environment; and assessment of the market - then the brand must fuel the design.  It would be ludicrous to take just one piece of the puzzle and design for it, ignoring the rest of the work in developing the overall brand strategy.

I move that we replace “market-driven” design with “brand-driven” design.  Who’s game?