Have you ever wondered why most fast food chains have red in their branding? Well, believe it or not, it’s because red makes you feel hungrier. Similarly, we associate green with nature, which is why most herbal products have green in their packaging in some way or another. But why are we telling you this? This is because it is a classic example of industrial design and how it defines a certain brand.
However, doing research and implementing the right industrial design for your brand is a tedious task, and this is why a lot of agencies provide industrial design services. But what exactly are industrial design services, and how do they help in enhancing the identity of your brand?
In this article, we’ll be diving into just that. So, let’s get started.
Industrial Design as a Strategic Business Asset
Now, if you look online for what industrial design is, chances are you’re going to get the definition. However, what those definitions fail to capture is the true importance of industrial design. Most of them just emphasise making things look good. But your design can make or break your brand. Much like how engineers build the product, and marketers make sure your product reaches the right people, industrial designers ensure it’s usable, desirable, and consistent with brand values. But how is industrial design linked with brand identity in the first place?
The Link Between Industrial Design and Brand Identity
Let’s face it, if a product is popular, people will try to copy it. But even with so many drinks in the market, why do you tend to pick Coca-Cola and Pepsi? It’s because those brands have an identity, which is characterised by their distinct design. The design is consistent everywhere, from their ads to billboards to their product packaging. Those designs are not just a random design choice; they’re what defines the brand itself. This consistency helps people pick Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Also, humans are emotional buyers; a consistent design makes them feel proud of owning something. The design also reflects the values the brand stands for. For example, Tesla’s futuristic, minimal interiors suggest innovation and simplicity.
How Industrial Design Improves Marketability
If two products are basically the same thing, much like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, their design is what sets them apart from each other. It is the first thing that people notice about your product, and as a result, people make the choice to buy before even reading the specifications, which in this case, is the ingredients. However, industrial designers take this a step further; they don’t just focus on aesthetics, but they also focus on ergonomics and usability. Good industrial design communicates quality, reliability, and innovation. It makes a product look professional, trustworthy, and worthy of attention. A product that looks good and is easy to use. It sells out faster than you can think. And not just sell out, customers would repeat, thanks to the usability.
Real-World Success Stories
TikTok, the app that pioneered short-form content, is a favourite among many of us. But what a lot of people don’t know is that it was originally called Musical.ly. It was mainly famous for teenagers making lip-sync videos, until Bytedance acquired it and rebranded it as TikTok.
The app went through a complete design overhaul. Here’s how:
- Sleek, immersive full-screen video made content consumption feel natural and addictive.
- A redesigned “For You Page” leveraged AI with a smooth, swipeable interface that encouraged endless scrolling.
- The minimalist design removed clutter and friction, putting content and creators at the center.
- Consistent branding—clean fonts, intuitive icons, and playful animations—gave TikTok a unique, instantly recognizable identity.
What happened next is something everyone knows. The app’s user base grew over 16x in 5 years, from 100 million MAUs in mid-2018 (Musical.ly) to 1.6 billion MAUs by 2023 (TikTok). This shows how effective Industrial design can be, and why you should be opting for industrial design services.
Why Should Businesses Invest in Industrial Design Services?
There are a lot of reasons why businesses should be investing in industrial design services. One of the primary reasons is the increased ROI. We have already seen examples of how designs define a brand, and investing in industrial design services results in a good ROI, as industrial designers take a lot of factors like target market, preferences, and psychological nuances into consideration, making sure you get a competitive advantage over the market. Also, it saves you a lot of money in the long run, as rebranding is costly.
Choosing the Right Industrial Design Partner
Choosing the right industrial design partner is also important. Their vision needs to align with the brand as they’re going to be a strategic collaborator in the long run. To understand this, you should ask them a few questions.
- Can you show examples of designs that led to measurable business results (e.g., increased sales, awards, user engagement)?
- How do you integrate user research and market trends into your design process?
- How do you collaborate with in-house teams?
- What’s your process from concept to prototyping and production?
- How can you ensure the design aligns with our brand identity and target audience?
If you feel satisfied with their answers, they’re the right team to buy industrial design services from.
Conclusion
The brand’s design is the most important asset for it, as it’s not just aesthetic, it’s what defines the brand. Which makes businesses investing in Industrial design services super important, considering it gives a positive ROI, and saves you a lot of money from costly rebrands later on.
