94.
Revere Great Design
I’m back at the Frankfurt airport as I write this chapter. Being here in Germany, I can’t help noticing that
design matters in this country. The hand towel dispensers in the bathrooms work flawlessly and are
ingenious. The latte machines in the lounge read my mind. Luggage carts are not only functional – they are
beautiful. The Germans get it – design matters.
Ford has repositioned itself as a design firm that sells cars. Love it. In this world where consumers
have more choice than ever, good design is one of the best ways for you, your products and your
organization to pop out of the crowd and grab attention. Look at Apple’s iPod, one of the sexiest gadgets
you’ll ever feast your eyes on (I wouldn’t dream of traveling without mine). Sure, keeping 10,000 songs in
your back pocket is fantastic. But the design is what made us fall in love with it. Look at Apple’s iBook.
Actually, look at almost anything that creative and bold company does and you’ll see what world class looks
like when it comes to design.
Do a Google search for Philippe Starck, a genius of design. Look what he did with partner Ian
Schrager to create the boutique hotel category over a decade ago and make people’s jaws drop when they
entered their hotels. (St. Martin’s Lane in London and The Hudson in New York are still two of my favorite
places to sleep.) That’s what good design does. Or invest in a Bodum French Press coffee maker. Makes
super java. Looks great in my kitchen. Its great design has inspired me to tell everyone I know about it.
Superb design creates product evangelists. “Business people don’t need to understand designers better.
They need to be designers,” noted roger Martin, dean of The Rotman Management School in Toronto.
“Business people don’t need to understand
designers better. They need to be designers.”
Here’s a powerful thought for you to take away: Human beings need mystery to be happy in life. If
life is bland, we experience no joy. Good design adds to that mystery. It makes life interesting. It connects
with the artist that resides within each of us. It surprises us. And isn’t surprising people one of the main
aims of being in business and crafting an extraordinary life?