Case studies

Kingsdown needed to generate new revenue streams, but its customers were comfortable with the familiar. Talking to existing buyers and prospective customers revealed a more modern approach would stand out in the mineral water market. Sales increased by 34% and new top-end clients started to place orders.

What’s in a name? A group of farmers in Northumberland discovered that when it came to naming their rapeseed oil it paid to work with designers and make the name part of their product’s success.

Soup sales tailed off during the Christmas season at London based manufacturer and retailer Nusa Kitchen. A new design for its soup pots became collectors items and Nusa Kitchen sold 25% more soup.

Potential visitors were put off by dull signage and an unwelcoming layout at Manchester Art Gallery. Wayfinding and signage changes were designed to make the most of the refurbished buildings and 34% more visitors came in to the gallery than in the year before.

Johnson Matthey Colour Technologies needed to make its brand stand out in international markets and as a specialist division of a much larger company. Designing Demand helped bring out its true colours and sell them as its brand strengths.

How could a family-run fruit farm in Doncaster take its produce to a wider market? Designing Demand helped Bank End Farm rebrand as McCallums to focus on its family heritage and build on growing consumer interest in the people behind the food we eat

Alessi, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of designer kitchen and tableware, puts design at the very heart of its business and has developed sophisticated processes for finding, commissioning and developing new designs.

LEGO, the world’s sixth largest toy maker, streamlined product development and the processes developed by the in-house design function are now used as a method to improve innovation across the entire business.

Virgin Atlantic Airways has innovation as a core brand value and uses design as a key competitive differentiator. The in-house design team manages many aspects of design for the airline, including service concepts as well as interiors, uniforms and airport lounge architecture.

Whirlpool Corporation, a leading manufacturer of major home appliances, developed expertise and processes that helped the company respond to the demand for increasingly sophisticated and complex appliances.

The design function at Xerox plays an important role in the organisation, which has recently implemented a significant programme to broaden the breadth and scope of design input into new and existing product development.

Electronics, games and entertainment giant Sony used design since the 1960s to differentiate its products and maximise the usefulness of its advanced technologies.

From its beginnings as a single coffee shop in Seattle 35 years ago, Starbucks is now a global brand which uses design to aid the delivery of a distinctive service experience to its customers.

BSkyB recognises the potential to use design as a market differentiator. While continuing to evolve its product offering, BSkyB focuses on developing in-house design management capability while building a strong relationship with external design consultancies.

Having once been a technologically-driven organisation, Microsoft has used design thinking to focus on developing products that answer users’ needs.

How could a local homemade product be turned into an instantly recognisable and appealing brand? Ziggurat Brands used Mrs Massey’s personality to shape the identity of her chutney products and they're now available in Fortnum & Mason and Harvey Nichols.
 

Yahoo! is an organisation that uses technology to focus on customer needs. Its highly customer-centric design process, with user research instrumental in the development of new products and the evolution of existing ones.

BT is a diverse and rapidly evolving organisation, that makes extensive use of design in many aspects of its business, closely integrating it with the BT brand. The company develops tools and processes to manage an extensive roster of external design suppliers and help them communicate the brand.