Book: How Great Design Makes People Love Your Company

From BusinessWeek (And Dave McQ - thanks):

"A new book explains how companies such as Apple, BMW, Ikea, and Target use design to establish lasting (and lucrative) relationships with consumers

Their theory is simple: Successful executives should treat design as more than a finishing discipline that simply improves products' aesthetics. Instead, design should influence every aspect of customers' experiences. For Brunner and Emery, design is an infrastructural element that helps define every aspect of a company, including Web site, stores, customer support, packaging, and messaging as well as products. "Design…can't be a veneer," they explain."

Samples Apple, Harley Davidson, and other great brands on the value of design as a business and competitive advantage tool.

Read more at the publisher. Buy the book today.

Mon Sept 29 Update - From SmartCompany comes this profile of Nick Leon from Design London (what a great job that'd be), which has a very innovative program set up to help businesses incorporate design throughout their processes, and not at the end as an afterthought. He explains the many business benefits from this approach, and says that a new job description – a design associate – has emerged because of this innovation. Nick explains why in an increasingly competitive and commoditised world, design is so important and how business owners need to shift their thinking to take a creative perspective. Listen to the MP3 of the interview.