Design as the New Frontier for Marketing

AdWeek magazine is reporting that design is the new frontier for marketers:

"In the past five years, design has climbed to the front of the American consciousness, and people not only expect form-beyond-function in public spaces, but they want stylish products to bring into their homes. As part of this new preoccupation, a growing number of clients are looking to design-centric brands for inspiration, specifically, Apple's small (and getting smaller) miracle. From the iPod's shape and size to its advertising, packaging and point of sale, it is a modern marketing marvel that other advertisers are looking to emulate."

Makes perfect sense, considering the intensely crowded product marketplace. When you're out shopping for a commodity good, like hand soap, what helps you make a decision on which product to buy?

• Price? Maybe, if there were significant price differences, like one bottle for $5 and another for $2.
• Quality? How can you really tell by looking at the product on the shelf? Also, if it's something like soap, where quality doesn't differ greatly between products, how important is the quality?
• Brand? The brand might give me an indication of quality, and if it's a familiar one, it might give me a reassurance that the product is going to perform well. But what helps define the brand and make it memorable?
  

That's right--it's design.

In our humble opinion, design helps to elevate products--from portable music devices like the iPod to basic consumer packaged goods like soap--above the masses. Faced with so many choices, consumers (ourselves included) need quick, easy cues to help us make buying decisions. And great product design goes beyond providing those easy visual cues, as it also can make product use easier.

That's our two cents. What do you think?

What do you look for when making a product purchase? And does design play a role in your purchasing decision?