Beyond Intuition: Why Design Trends Matter for Brand Success

Abang Edwin Syarif Agustin
3 min readDec 6, 2024
Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash

In the cutthroat world of business, a dangerous complacency lurks within many organizations — a misguided belief that intuition alone can guide product design. Brands march forward on gut feelings, dismissing trend research as a frivolous expense, blind to the fact that their very survival depends on understanding the subtle yet seismic shifts in design language. This willful ignorance is a ticking time bomb, threatening to render once-innovative companies obsolete, their products gathering dust in the museum of missed opportunities.

The Silent Language of Design

Imagine design as a complex dialogue between brands and consumers. Every curve, color, and contour tells a story — communicating values, anticipating needs, and reflecting broader cultural shifts. Brands that listen carefully to this dialogue gain a competitive edge that goes far beyond surface-level aesthetics.

The Cost of Ignorance

Consider the cautionary tale of BlackBerry. Once a titan of the mobile communication world, the company clung desperately to its physical keyboard design while competitors like Apple reimagined mobile interfaces. Their failure wasn’t just about technology; it was a fundamental misunderstanding of evolving user expectations and design language.

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Abang Edwin Syarif Agustin
Abang Edwin Syarif Agustin

Written by Abang Edwin Syarif Agustin

Observer, Content Creator, Blogger (Obviously), Ghostwriter, Design Thinker, Trainer and also Lecturer for Product Design Dept at Podomoro University

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