Usability Views Article Details  home | timeline | recent | popular | e-reports | userati | books | about  The Power of Design (10 May 2005) Look around you: The evidence of design's power is everywhere. It's apparent in the mere fact that the bar has been raised. Customers expect, even demand, more from the design of everything they buy. As Walter Herbst, CEO of the product-design firm Herbst LaZar Bell, has said, "Good design is not good enough anymore." Companies as varied as Adobe, Nokia, Toyota, and Virgin understand that great design is a prerequisite for turning consumers into customers. Whether it's software or sippy cups, when something works right, looks right, and feels right, it sparks an emotional connection. People come to love it and loyalty soon follows, along with the three Rs: repurchase, reuse, and recommendations -- benefits that fall directly to the bottom line. Such is the power of design. Article URL: http://www.fastcompany.com/subscr/95/open_design-index.html Read 40 more articles from Fast Company sorted by date, popularity, or title. Next Article: Mental Models For Search Are Getting Firmer     This site is a labour of love built by Chris McEvoy