Fig 1. The Five elements/Phase Wŭ Xíng
Just like in the Chinese Wŭ Xíng, the overall concept here is that in business design we must seek balance between the elements in order for our design to prosper.
In our context, the generating cycle is:
Character feeds Desire (like wood feeds fire)
Desire feeds Empathy (like fire feeds earth)
Empathy feeds Trust (like earth feeds metal)
Trust feeds consistency (like metal creates water)
Consistency feeds Character (like water feeds wood)
The overacting and insulting cycles are slightly different. A lack of character impacts empathy and trust, a lack of trust impacts character and desirability, a lack of desirability impacts trust and consistency, a lack of consistency impacts desirability and empathy, and finally, a lack of empathy impacts consistency and character.
Although this may seem esoteric, it actually has more to do with common sense than anything else. The essence here is to realise that multiple factors influence the success or failure of a design, and even more so if we look at business design.
Fig 3. Timeless Diamond Element & Interaction
THE SYSTEM AT WORK
After this discovery, I began testing my model both as a developing framework and a method of evaluation in order to verify the viability of it.
Analysing my very own projects (both successful and unsuccessful) and trying to see how my model would or could apply, I started with a spider-graph. The five elements were placed at the vertex, and the evaluated project was ranked from 1 to 5 for each principle, using 1 as the lowest and 5 as the highest score. Finally, I analysed the sequencing of how I had approached each design project.
Unsurprisingly (not true—very surprisingly!), the most successful designs I’d produced, the ones that were better perceived and accepted by the public were: 1. the ones that followed a clear developmental sequence; and 2. the ones where the 5 principles were more balanced.
For instance, let’s say we had to redesign a jam jar. The correct approach would be to start identifying the character (the core distinctive, unique values) of the brand: heritage, handmade, all natural, grandma’s secret and so on. Then we focus on the desirable component of the design (aesthetics, ergonomics, price and position). While developing this design solution we should also focus on the core messages and values that will empathise with a specific target: Are we selling to moms or health conscious young adults; is it “like grandma made it” or “nutritious & sugar free”.
Now, we must make our message credible by demonstrating to our target that they can trust our offering. To do so we must be truthful when we say “like grandma made it” or “nutritious & sugar free”. We must be consistent with our promise and reinforce the brand values and narrative: “If grandma was a vegan, she would have chosen XYZ Brand”.
On the other hand, the most unsatisfactory designs I had produced didn’t have a developmental sequence. Instead, they were merely incremental and unbalanced, with peaks of attention on only one or two elements such as desire (aesthetics) and trust (message), and with complete disregard for the others.
For example a marketing manager told me: XYZ Brand is a grandma’s jam brand but there is a market in the sugar free and healthy segment, so let’s just make a sexy jar that says sugar free. And unfortunately I did.
The model is a tool to address and ease the complexity of design. Its aim is to give you a different perspective on how complex systems such as business design can be approached and successfully implemented. In the following chapters, I will elaborate on each principle one by one, sharing some thinking points on how to better approach each principle.
At the end of the book I will present a simple case study to illustrate how the model can be brought to fruition.
THE FIVE PRINCIPLES
In this context, character is defined as the distinctive nature of something.
It is conceptually simple: character is created and maintained by being recognisably different in nature from our competitors, even if we are selling a similar product or service.
Having character means being able to synthesise and communicate the key differentiating factors that make us stand apart from the crowd. Character is rooted in the ability to understand and express our current position as well as our desired future direction.
The public must be made to feel a specific emotion that will immediately and clearly represent what our product or service stands for.
Ultimately, developing character means shifting our vision from what we do to the value we provide.
Inspiration:
Character can be associated with the Chinese element wood 木,
as in nature we will never find a single plant that is identical to another.
Wood represents ‘Qi’ and is the symbol of: creativity, vision, idealism, imagination, compassion and determination, expanding in all directions.
Key words:
VALUES • STRATEGY • DETAILS ATTITUDE • ORIGINALITY
Building character is not an exact science. It is an art form!
Character is built on values and emotions which are fluid, dynamic and require constant, ever-changing input in order to be maintained.
Building character requires a great deal of introspection to define our values. We will need to be very clear on what we want our public to know about us. We must let them know who we are, what we stand for and where we fit in.
Our values are the principles and standards of behaviour that guide us and shape the judgement of what is significantly important to us, those standards and behaviours which we are emotionally invested in, the ones that we want to encourage or deter. These are the principles and standards of behaviour on which we will never compromise.
When we infuse our values, both rational (price, aesthetics, message) and emotional (familiar, exclusive, trustworthy), into our product or service, the outcome changes. They are no longer simply a product or service; they have become a brand. Now that we have a brand, our values must drive everything: the product, service, identity, reputation, visuals, expectations, the people and the actions. The challenge lies in maintaining and renewing these values over time.
Branding is the systematic approach of finding the perfect balance between rational and emotional values.
These are the values a company or organisation shares with its public:
Sustainably Growing Culturally, Socially, and Financially.
Today’s world is all about accessibility. The Internet provides us with limitless information and connections, but this doesn’t give us permission to be simplistic and incremental in our actions. In fact, this extreme accessibility has made the process of being original and distinctive much harder. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not vilifying inspiration; quite the opposite. As creatives, we should constantly be on the lookout for endless sources of inspiration, steal as much as possible (without plagiarizing) and avoiding being driven by greed or laziness.
Instead, when we are looking for inspiration, let us be driven by curiosity. Ask yourself: How could I make this better? How can I put my own twist on it? How can I develop this idea further? The single most detrimental factor in building character is laziness.
The automotive industry is a wonderful example of how some brands mastered the ability of infusing values into a product, and others abstained from it. Simply looking at the silhouettes of different cars will immediately give us a feeling of what they stand for.
From the iconic Fiat 500 as the popular car, the indestructible VW Beetle and the rally underdog Mini Cooper, all the way to the Ferrari and its heritage in racing. Most of us inherently recognise and acknowledge the connotations of these cars in common culture; from the Lamborghini being originally designed to be the “anti-Ferrari,” and the Rolls Royce, appointed as the “royal ride”.
All these brands have a distinctive character, not only thanks to their outstanding products, but also to their mastery of infusing mean
ing and values into their design. Furthermore, they intentionally diverge from the masses, making them different in every feature. On the other hand, think of all those popular anonymous sedans: do they have a particular character?
The prospect of building a unique character can be terrifying, and building a meaningful and long lasting one even more so. If we want to create meaningful and outstanding designs and businesses, we need to push beyond our comfort zone and try something new.
As creatives, most of the time we receive phantasmagoric design briefs from our clients filled with mystical words like: “innovative,” “unseen” and “creative”. Then when it comes to execution, everything falls back into the safe zone, with phrases like “you know we need to keep our jobs” used to justify decisions, resulting in designers delivering the same old tired tropes again and again.
Having character requires guts, but in moderation: just enough guts to start. There is an interesting product in Chinese tradition used to improve manual dexterity and strength called the Baoding balls (保定健身球). Users start practicing with small balls by making them rotate in their palm, gradually increasing the size of the balls and speed of the rotation until the exercise is mastered.
Just like the Baoding balls, we start with a few little tasks dedicated to developing a particular character trait before progressing to being unique.
This could be anything from choosing an unconventional colour combination to using a particular finishing for our business cards. Before we know it, we will have built a mindset that is comfortably unconventional, and in doing so, we will end up with a truly unique and distinctive character.
Details are extremely important. Both in design and particularly in building character,
“Every detail is important because the end result is the sum of all the details involved in the creative process, no matter what we are doing”.
— Massimo Vignelli
From the choice of fonts to the signature of our email, from colour combinations to the texture and weight of our stationery, details are what will define our tone of voice and character. These same details and their appropriate combination will make us distinctive and unique.
In this era of physical and visual clutter, what we feel is much more relevant than what we see. The apparently insignificant details, those that can’t be seen but definitely are perceived, are in fact the most significant.
What would Tiffany & Co be without their 1845 iconic light medium robin egg blue, or Coca-Cola without its Spencerian script and “Dynamic Ribbon Device”? Would Facebook be what it is today without its controversial “Like” button?
Now, more than ever, designs need to be sustained holistically, because regardless of style or form, without care for details there can be no excellence.
Building character and crafting original designs and businesses comes neither by chance nor from a single, bright idea. It requires discipline and dedication, both supported by a well-defined strategy. Only when we have the following can we state that we are crafting a successful strategy:
A clearly defined goal;
A profound understanding of the overall competitive environment;
A clear and objective appraisal of the available resources;
An efficient plan of action;
And a unique creative vision.
Like in a sophisticated game of chess, the strategy is the way and number of moves in which we will checkmate our opponent.
We should never forget that strategy is an art! It’s an expertise that is acquired through study, experience and practice. We must approach strategy with a flexible mindset and be ready to react to external conditions.
An effective strategy is about being different, which means deliberately choosing a set of activities tailored to driving us to a distinctive position. It is important to remember that the steps themselves are not the strategy. Strategy is why we do what we do, and for how long. We only have a strategy if we can maintain that distinctive position over time.
We can only implement one strategy at a time. So, we must make it the one that maximises the use of available or attainable resources without losing focus of our distinctive position.
The best strategy of all is one that changes the game, not one that tries to bend the rules in our favour. Being the best is not the point. Advancing ourselves, being better than our former self, and being unique is!
THE ESSENCE OF CHARACTER
Building character is an exercise in discipline. We must strategically define and decode which elements and values shape it.
This process requires courage and determination.
Patiently and constantly caring about the smallest details is crucial, as the end result will be the sum of them all.
Being desirable means much more than simply being aesthetically pleasing. We must also ask ourselves: Does our design identify and solve a particular problem? How useful, usable, and accessible is the product or service we are presenting? There are two main variables that must be taken into consideration to make a product or service desirable.
First we must clearly identify what needs we are trying to satisfy and how we are enabling the public to achieve something. Second is the urge to feel. Desire is intrinsically linked to the emotional and physical bonding to the results.
In short, it is the results we crave, rather than the object per se. It is the experience of how some things will make us feel or look, and what they will enable us to achieve. It is the end result we crave, not the object.
The psychology of desire is very complex, and can range from being part of an elite to achieving social proof. The real reasons why we purchase something are more complex than simply likeability. As designers/entrepreneurs, we must distill not only the physical qualities of a product/service but also the ultimate purpose of it. I would argue that most visual and physical clutter surrounding us is the result of undefined and arbitrary design directions.
Inspiration:
I associate desire with fire 火. Our role as creatives is to develop a burning need for our product and then maintain it by constantly feeding it with creativity, just like feeding a majestic bonfire. Fire represents: inspiration, passion, radiance, assertiveness, awareness.
Key Words:
BEHAVIOUR • AESTHETICS • PURPOSE CRAFTSMANSHIP • IMPACT
Desirability is an interesting and complex topic. When we approach a new design project in the studio, we always focus on a single factor: changing the behaviour of those who interact with our designs.
I strongly believe that good design changes behaviour, and that, as creatives, our focus should be on understanding how the user acts now and what behaviours we want to change, enhance, discourage or disrupt.
I was in a client lobby waiting for a meeting. On the coffee table in front of me were some nicely laid out brochures and magazines. One of them was a new company profile we had just delivered to the client. I watched as another guest flicked through several brochures with one hand, not really paying attention. His flicking of the pages was automatic, subconscious even. Finally, he picked up our profile. I was eager to see his reaction.
The rigidity of the cover and choice of thicker paper forced him to use two hands, which slowed down his pace, allowing him to take in more information and really pay attention to the content of the publication.
In that moment I realised our design had changed his behaviour, and I knew we had done a good job with that product.
Whether we are working on products, brands, graphics or digital, the moral of the story is:
Approach design from a conceptual perspective rather than from a solely aesthetic one.
The dark side of design is what I call arbitrary design. Nowadays, arbitrary design takes on many forms, ranging from the misuse of 15 different fonts per page to horrific collages of cheap stock photos, to impersonal, wannabe products with ridiculously short life cycles.
More often than not, this clumsiness is a consequence of the relentless commoditisatio
n of design. Design, rather than being a craft, has become a consumable service.
This trend is spreading so fast and through so many creative industries that I’m afraid the outstanding work of the few will be suppressed by the dark side of the many.
Design involves gaining a deep understanding of who we are before and who we will be after applying a design solution. Only then will we be able to craft the outer expression of the character that will infuse our design, ultimately making it desirable to the greater public.
Everyone wants to be Nike, Apple, Gucci, but how many are willing to operate at the same standard as these companies do? Are they willing to dedicate the same resources? Are they willing to take the same risks?
No design process should be commoditised or made arbitrary. When we do so, we are left with mere caricatures of who we really are. I understand that being a compromised version of someone else is attractive and can even be charming. That’s the draw of the dark side. We should always strive to be the best version of ourselves. Great design is never arbitrary! As designers, we must consciously and discernibly present solutions in the simplest, most understandable and aesthetically pleasing way possible.
An old engineer once taught me that: “There are only two kinds of design: design that works and design that doesn’t work”.
In classical philosophy, Plato argued that beautiful objects carefully incorporate proportion, harmony, and unity. Similarly, Aristotle found that the universal elements of beauty were order, symmetry, and definiteness (clarity).
Business Beyond Design Page 2
