Designing for your customer

Yves Behar is one of hottest designers on this planet. He gets it. In an interview with Fast Company, he says.

The simplest definition of design is how you treat your customer.

I found his seven axioms that made me stop and think. Here's a short version.

1. Design is how you treat your customers.

2. Design should be pervasive through your organization.

3. Design is a long-term engagement.

4. Be prepared to fail at the design level.

5. Design must be driven from the top. It isn't simply a marketing exercise.

6. Doing what your competitors are doing is not the answer. The connection to your customer has to be unique.

The best one of all.. I couldn't say it better so here it is ad verbatim.

7. Never ask the customer about the future. You can ask them what their aspirations are, but you will not get an answer about what you should do. Design will bring those stories to life.