Stories | Perspective
In Photos: Insider's experience in "Torino Design of the City"
21 Dec 2017 · 8 min read
21 Dec 2017 · 8 min read
20 May 2020 • 5 min read • Design 101 (Part 1 of 2)
Here are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions for anyone who is new to the idea of using design for their business.
A: Design is critical for innovation. Businesses are being disrupted – first by tech and most recently by the global pandemic COVID-19. Design can help you innovate in an agile and creative manner to adapt to new market conditions, enabling you to be more competitive. Hear what innovation thinker Scott Anthony (Ranked #9 in the world’s Top 50 Thinkers) had to say about the challenges faced by companies and how design can help them create value.
A: You can use design in three ways.
A: In a nutshell: Design thinking is the approach of thinking like a designer and using the designer’s tools to solve problems creatively. Design thinking is a human-centred approach to innovation. A key element is empathy for the users of the product, service or experience. For more resources on design thinking, check out this website on design thinking by IDEO, a company known for using design thinking to great sucess.
A: Instead of presuming what users want, the design thinking process uses research tools, such as observation and in-depth interviews, to get a deep understanding of the problems, emotions and realities of the people we are designing for. Understanding customers early can help us avoid costly failures later. Find out which are the five areas you can use design thinking in, below.
A: You can use design thinking for many purposes. Here are some popular ways it has been used to transform businesses:
A: Here are some examples of local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that have used design to improve their businesses.
Meyer Lifts: This SME saw a 50% lift in revenue six months after rolling out measures to build customer trust in its brand, improve its communications, as well as deliver better customer experience and service.
Benjamin Barker: This homegrown menswear label used design thinking to create a tailored onboarding and training programme for its staff. It resulted in a service culture change and excellent customer service, contributing to record sales in 2019.
Cheng Yew Heng: This local rock sugar manufacturer was facing stagnant growth from B2B clients and decline in demand from B2C customers. It tapped design thinking to develop a new B2C rock-sugar-on-a-stick product, now known as the Jewel line. Since the launch of the new product, the company’s rock sugar revenue has seen a three-digit growth.
The Soup Spoon: The local F&B company started using design thinking in 2012. It found the concept so useful that it engaged design consultants to develop a 10-year plan to make the company a global brand.
A: Try our Design for Business: User Journey Mapping initiative. This introductory scheme gives SMEs an overview to the practice of improving customer experiences by better understanding how their customers interact with their products, services and processes. SMEs that qualify for this programme will be eligible for co-funding as part of Enterprise Singapore’s Enterprise Development Grant (EDG).
As announced at Supplementary Budget 2020, the maximum support level for the EDG will be raised to 80% from 1 April 2020 to 31 December 2020. For enterprises that are most severely impacted by COVID-19, the maximum support level may be raised to 90% on a case-by-case basis.
For SMEs that wish to develop a comprehensive roadmap for business improvement, please refer to the Design for Business: Frame & Scope scheme.