Leaving Bad Enough Alone
Author of this post: Wayne Geyer | About Blog Authors »
Does every business benefit from design? Think of your favorite hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint, or the local bakery down the block. Each time you go there, do you find yourself mentally re-designing their logo? Have you decided that the one thing keeping your favorite Thai food place from becoming a national chain is a new identity system and a modest media buy?
I’m the kind of person who cringes when a restaurant opens a second location. I like the corner store because it’s mine. And while I spend hours each week typing away on a laptop at a certain ubiquitous coffee chain — in spite of the fact that I’m not a coffee drinker — I’d rather keep my local pub a cozy little secret. I just don’t think a smart logo or a pithy tagline is always the answer. And even if I were to have a great idea for marketing my dry cleaner, I have to remind myself that sometimes a refrigerator magnet is all they need.
My questions are these: All things being equal, is it okay for your favorite donut shop to limp along without so much as a logo? Does every mom-and-pop need to be fully branded, or is there something about home-spun charm that can’t be improved — even with “help” from a talented creative team? In other words, if it ain’t broke, does design need to fix it?
September 4th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
I think the clear answer is “no” for most small product or location-based enterprises. They’d be better off doing almost anything else instead of design.
In many cases their lack of high polish design lends a charm that a “real” designer would never bring. You root for the underdog.
But in an industry where there are many similar goods, or you hope to show the emotional value of your service, brand is the tipping point to a sale. And if you lack a compelling brand it is the reason to keep driving by.
On the web I’d flip the priority. Brand is everything and product is nothing. People will buy almost anything if you look professional and trust worthy.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Thanks to the Cubicle Ninja for the interesting comment.
I clicked “Send” on this post feeling like it had merely scratched the surface on this topic. Obviously, there are tons of variables at work here. I hoped that it would serve as a launching point for discussion.
“Rooting for the underdog” definitely resonates for a consumer like me. And that’s what makes me wonder whether we’re dealing with a matter of consumer expectations and perceptions. If “brand is the tipping point,” then are there some consumers who don’t want too much “brand” in their bagels? Would I rather not be advertised to when I’m trying to get my shirts dry cleaned? For me, the answer is a definitive “No.” My local dry cleaner literally backs up to an expensive “luxury” dry cleaning chain that not only offers pickup and delivery, but also free coffee, tea or lemonade — and a drive-thru where they’ll wash the windows on your car. They have a legitimate identity and a carefully crafted brand. No, thank you.
There’s something that happens to a product or service when branding is introduced. On the plus side, a business can separate itself from others in its category. Assuming that the small business owner desires more business, then it would make sense that he or she should hire someone to help them build a brand and establish a unique selling proposition. So shouldn’t designers rush to help these people build their businesses? Wouldn’t we want to help our local dry cleaner open three more stores next year?
My dilemma is that branding might also change customer perceptions in a negative way. When the consumer can sense that a business has made an effort at branding, they can view it as “selling out.” This assumes that, like me, many consumers have a sort of “branding radar.” They know when they’re being “sold” something. And sometimes, they don’t want it. It changes the consumer’s perception of the product or service.
Usually, my reaction is, “What am I having to pay for this branding?” And sometimes that cost isn’t an actual markup on the product or service. When a restaurant expands, they sometimes have to face the possibility of cutting corners on the food. So while the customer can now find “Brand X” donuts in three or four locations around town, will those donuts taste the same?
I guess what I’m saying is that mom-and-pops have the best, most “homemade” food. So we as designers should just quietly order our rib plates and potato salad — while being mindful not to mess up the mojo.
And as you’ll see in my subsequent posts, it all comes back to food.
Don’t know whether this response answers any more questions or merely keeps the conversation going. But I’m told that that’s all part of this “Web 2.0″ thing. Enjoy!
September 5th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I think we completely agree…
There is something artificial introduced when you have what is effectively an idea whore enter the equation. Design as a business forces designers to play up trends and levels of polish, even when it hardly benefits the mom and pop.
Or when designers care more about awards in their portfolio than the ROI, we have a clear conflict of interest.
September 6th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Design don’t really need to be on everything and everywhere, but for sure the ones that improve their logo or even their “place” (sorry if you don’t understand, Im from Brazil so my english isn’t that good) would be more attractive and they would have more costumers.
September 24th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
This has been a topic that I have found hard to come to grips. I consistently find my self critiquing home-made logos and cringing at mish-mashed colour palettes, thinking… “If only they invested a little in the way they looked”. I have to also admit that I have found myself mentally ’selling out’ the local coffee shop or even cabinet maker planning a complete brand and identity campaign and then franchising…
This post and comments has been quite refreshing in a way, and put things into perspective. I always wrestled a bit with the idea that design can/should not be used everywhere because it is my bread and butter!
I believe there are two ends of the spectrum; 1) Too much design 2) Not enough design. Debatably I think there is no definite rule of where your business should sit. I think that it depends on the direction and type of business. The fact is that the right answer may lie at either end (1 or 2) or in the middle. Example: Global doughnut shop = 1, Local doughnut shop = 2, Shopping centre doughnut shop = 1.5