Developing a brand or product? Here's why design matters.

What if nobody buys it? Or worse, they do buy it but hate it because it doesn't work the way they expect.

You pour your heart and soul into building a company. Don't make the easy mistake of not bringing in design. That's how you end up with bad reviews, unsustainable returns, or no sales at all.

Too many product leaders have found themselves asking "what is design, and do I need it?" I'm going to give it to you straight and not pretend like design is the answer to your uncertainty problem.

You deserve the honest truth. I am a designer, but I've also been a founder, a corporate product leader, and a friend just giving advice. This is what I tell my them when they ask me this same question.

You absolutely need design. Design doesn't just make things pretty, it makes them relatable and reliable. It reduces friction and risk.

Good design creates the difference between two products with identical specs where one sells and one sits. It protects what makes you different. And design solves the problems that don't show up in spec sheets.

Don't wait to figure this out after launch when the numbers don't match the projections. Working and wanting are different things.

If you have a vision but haven't figured out how to turn it into functional desirability, you need design, engineering, and execution all working together. Not three different firms playing telephone while you spend your time managing miscommunication. One team that owns the entire process from brand strategy through production. You need a design partner. You need Craftedby.agency