Design is one of those things that often gets pushed to the “luxury list”. Like having another assistant or upgrading the kitchen, design can seem like something to focus on later, when funds free up and you have some room to indulge. It doesn’t feel like an essential.

But the research says good design is just that: essential. Rather than being the icing on the proverbial cake, good design is a key component of what converts browsers to customers, and what can make or break a product launch. If you’re sceptical, here are three reasons you should make room in your budget for design services:Good design drives performance

Good design drives performance

In 2005, The Design Council conducted a decade-long study of 63 companies that traded on the FTSE (Financial Times Stock Exchange). Among other results, this study concluded that companies who prioritised good design outperformed the FTSE 100 index by 200%!

Graph courtesy of Eglinski

In English, this means that “every £100 a design alert business spends on design increases turnover by £225”.

If that’s not a good investment, I don’t know what is.

Good design creates a connection

They say that “good design is invisible”, which means that the best design should be experienced rather than noticed.

Customers shouldn’t be thinking about the quality of the graphics on your website, wondering why your promotional materials are hard to read, or getting stuck squinting at a pixelated image. Good design puts the focus directly on your product. It bypasses a customer’s intellect and helps build an emotional connection between your brand and a user.

And a connection with your brand is what ultimately promotes conversions and drives customer loyalty.

Good design sets you apart

People like pretty things. It’s a fact. As Steven Bradley says, “Human beings have an attractiveness bias; we perceive beautiful things as being better, regardless of whether they actually are better. All else being equal, we prefer beautiful things, and we believe beautiful things function better.”

By prioritising design, you present yourself as the more attractive — and therefore more functional — choice. You give yourself a competitive edge that has real consequences for your company’s bottom line.

William Villalobos is the founder of The Futures, an unlimited graphic design company whose prime objective is to help business owners, entrepreneurs and marketers automate their graphic design needs. Connect with William on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

Schedule a free 30-minute discovery call with THE FUTURES today to see how we can help with your infographics and much more.