Put yourself in their shoes!

Designers operate in a challenging environment. On the one hand, all products and services would not exist without design. On the other hand, the money spent on design is the largest single sum the Board knows the least about, with design often viewed as superficial, expensive, elitist and irrelevant.

What isn’t being recognised or indeed, measured, is the value design investment can add to a business; but getting the most from this investment is a challenge, and responsibility, equally for the client and consultancy.

So, how do you get your clients to see design as an investment and not a cost?

By putting yourself in their shoes!

First, be confident and confront the sceptics! Design is not superficial – it goes right to the heart of business. Design is not expensive – the right solution will cost less than the wrong one. It’s not elitist either – it involves everyone in the company. And finally, it is not irrelevant, it is a real commercial imperative.

Second, illustrate the key role design has in linking business strategy with day-to-day operations - only one company can be the cheapest; the rest have to use design. You should understand WHY you are being asked to do what you’re doing while the board should understand HOW what you’re doing will contribute to their business intent.

Third, appeal to the miser in your client! Demonstrate the value of their investment through the ratios they will use to measure their own success:

Gross margin – what’s left when you take the cost of sale away from the value of a sale – this is usually the domain of product design that impacts both sides of this equation

Net margin – the domain of graphic designers after the cost of sales are removed

Return on capital employed – the domain of space planners and interior designers on factories, shops, showrooms and offices.