By Bharat Pratap Singh, Creative Director, Beximco Textiles Ltd.

Design management is widely acknowledged as very important in optimizing the contribution of function of design in organizations, especially where survival in fast & turbulent industries such as fashion retail depends upon design for

– Differentiation

– Value engineering

– Agile Response

However, design & design management in the growing industry sometimes receives scant attention, in spite of the sector’s degree of design intensity.

Design management is composed of two distinct cohorts, with design leaders privileged by formal design education and extensive design experience , and as ‘managers of design’.

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Good design solutions infused into products through the processes of research & manufacturing to the retail shelves at point of sales helps in converting “consumers” into “customers”. Such is the relevance of design which will infuse innovation & the “right value”. When something works right for the need – demographically or psychographically, looks and feels right, it sparks an emotional connect. People come to love it and loyalty soon follows, along with the three “R’s” : repurchase , reuse, and recommend — benefits that fall directly to the bottom line. Such is the power of design.

Designers address problems—leveraging emotional intelligence, integral intelligence, and experiential intelligence—offering organizations valuable insights across a diverse range of business activities and decision-making.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and embrace in the context of culture that moves us to act and which creates attachment, commitment and conviction.

Integral intelligence is the ability to bring together diverse customer needs and business ecosystem capabilities into complete systems that deliver value and reflect the values of the organization or the brand.

Experiential intelligence is the ability to understand and activate all five human senses to make innovation tangible and vibrant. Design is about making intent real. Which organization or sector wouldn’t want to have its strategic intent made real?

Organizations should leverage the function of design and innovation as a competitive weapon to stay ahead in the retail farm. Fashion can also learn from other industries and, as a result, shouldn’t be afraid to embrace new technology. For example, in the world of property development, a 3d animation studio will often design 3D rendered images of what a property will look like once completed. Technology similar to this can even be used when designing garments. Ultimately, where you innovate, how you innovate, and what you innovate are design questions. When design thinking is brought into into that strategic discussion, a powerful tool is introduced to the purpose of the entire endeavor, which is to lead & grow.

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Design Thinking can help change business strategies. Good design is linked with customers, evolving technological changes & their direct or indirect impact on lifestyle. Design is a “Think Tank”. It observes the ‘present’ mode. But envisages being ahead with “future directives” for introducing satisfying results to the customer’s needs.

This involves multi-disciplinary interactive approach, sensibilities towards environmental, socioeconomic positioning of timelines.

Clothing is both physiological and psychological. To introduce latest changing ideas remains a key to the function & the industry. It caters to the existing demands, yet more importantly also helps in creating a demand into retail through visual communication. The involvement of Design helps in creating better solutions which is an outcome of technical involvement. It provides its customers better solutions which they otherwise may now know. Smart businesses take note of changing consumer tastes and choices in order to develop and deliver better products, both in functional and aesthetic terms. Design, therefore, makes a critical contribution to overall corporate business strategy and success.

In Business of fashion, many companies have successfully redefined their brand image through strong focus on product design, bringing stronger brand recognition and better profitability. Forward looking businesses create and choose appropriate trade names and logos to protect their corporate identity, brand image and the resultant competitive advantage, and also devote attention, in equal measure, to the creation and management of distinctive designs as part of their corporate strategy for identity and brand management.

It’s time to unleash the power of design thinking in every professional endeavor, not just design itself.