Why Product Design is Important
When most people think of product design, it's still "make it look nice," with buttons, colours, and layouts. But that's just the surface. The real value runs much deeper: shaping what gets built, how it works, and why people keep coming back.
Design Drives Business Growth
Well-designed products don't happen by accident. Product design is baked into every decision. In fact, a McKinsey study found that companies who take design seriously grow revenues nearly twice as fast as their industry peers (see "The Business Value of Design").
What This Looks Like in Practice
- Sign-up flows that don't make you think twice
- Onboarding that genuinely helps, not hinders
- Upgrades and referrals built into the journey, not bolted on at the end
I've seen teams spend months perfecting features that nobody uses, simply because design was late to the table. Getting design involved early isn't just a bonus; it can be the difference between a product's success and failure.
Reflection prompt: Have you ever left a product behind because the first steps felt clunky or confusing? That's a hidden business cost of poor design.
Design Builds User Trust
When you ask someone why they love a certain app or tool, their answer is rarely about surface appearance. It's about the invisible parts: the complex bit that just works, settings that make sense right away, and helpful nudges instead of dead ends.
The Trust Factor
Good design earns trust, one click at a time. Nobody notices a well-placed label, but everyone remembers the form that loses everything you've typed when something goes wrong. The small details matter.
A Real Example
For instance, I once changed an error state for password resets from a cold "Invalid" to a warmer, more human cue. Within a week, support requests dropped. Design pays off far beyond how things look.
Think about your own product: Are there tiny pain points users wrestle with every day? Those are often design opportunities hiding in plain sight.
Design Strengthens Teams
Teams where product design is valued have a different energy. People care more, communicate more, and ship better work. It isn't just about skill. It's about pride, sweating the tricky details, building things we trust ourselves, and actually welcoming feedback.
The Ripple Effect
Quality design isn't just good for the product, it's good for the team. It helps attract curious, capable people who want to do work they're proud of.
Team reflection: Does your team treat design reviews as a real part of the process, or just a last-minute box to tick? The difference shows up in product quality, and morale.
Where Unicorn Club Fits
Unicorn Club exists to bridge the gap between top-level product design ideas and the messy reality of shipping. Every week, I share practical design tips, honest stories, and playbooks gathered from the real product trenches.
If you care about making better products, designer, engineer, or just the person always asking "why do we do it this way?" Unicorn Club is for you.
The Real Value of Design
Product design isn't a finishing touch; it's how products become useful, trusted, and loved. If you want to improve your product, start with thoughtful, user-centred design.
The evidence is clear: companies that invest in design see better business outcomes, happier users, and stronger teams. But more importantly, good design creates products that people actually want to use, products that solve real problems and make life a little bit better.
If that's your mindset, you'll fit right in at Unicorn Club. See you in the next issue.
FAQ / Quick Summary
Why is product design important?
Product design shapes how a product works, how users feel about it, and whether it succeeds in the market. Good design leads to better business outcomes, happier users, and stronger teams. Research shows that design-driven companies consistently outperform their peers.
What's the difference between good and bad product design?
Good product design is invisible—it removes friction, builds trust, and helps users accomplish their goals effortlessly. Bad design creates barriers, confuses users, and ultimately drives them away from your product.
How can I improve product design in my organization?
Start by involving design early in the product development process, not as an afterthought. Focus on understanding user needs, reducing cognitive load, and creating consistent, intuitive experiences. Most importantly, treat design as a strategic business function, not just a visual polish.
The design field is changing rapidly, but the core mission remains the same: creating products that serve people well. How will you use design to make your product better?