How To Design Your Logo, Website, and Product
Eben Pagan reveals why design is the critical interface between your company and customers, using Apple's approach as the gold standard. He explains how design encompasses everything from logos to packaging, and introduces the principle that form should follow function in business design.
Key Moments
How to Apply Form Follows Function in Design -- A method for creating functional design by starting with purpose rather than aesthetics
Usability as Design Priority, Not Afterthought
Usability means how easy and intuitive something is to use, and most design everywhere is treated as an afterthought rather than a priority
▶ 2:37
Apple Treats the iPod as Software in Beautiful Hardware
Apple views itself as a software company that makes hardware, treating the iPod as 'wonderful piece of software wrapped in beautiful hardware'
▶ 1:24
Design Is Where Company Meets Customer
Design is the interface where your company, products, and marketing meet the customer - it's the critical touchpoint that determines customer experience
▶ 2:11
Design Is the Interface Where Customers Meet Your Business
Design is the interface where customers meet your marketing, products, and services. It's the critical touchpoint that determines the entire customer experience, not just how things look.
▶ 2:22
Apple Sees Itself as a Software Company That Makes Hardware
Apple views itself as a software company that makes hardware. They treat products like the iPod as 'wonderful software wrapped in beautiful hardware' rather than hardware companies that add software.
▶ 1:24
Relevant Clips12
- How-To
How to Apply Form Follows Function in Design -- A method for creating functional design by starting with purpose rather than aesthetics
- Teaching▶ 1:24
Apple Sees Itself as a Software Company That Makes Hardware
Apple views itself as a software company that makes hardware. They treat products like the iPod as 'wonderful software wrapped in beautiful hardware' rather than hardware companies that add software.
- Teaching▶ 3:35
Form Follows Function — Start With Purpose, Then Design
Form follows function means you should start with the purpose or function first, then design the form to facilitate that function. The function leads and determines how something should be designed.
- Teaching▶ 2:22
Design Is the Interface Where Customers Meet Your Business
Design is the interface where customers meet your marketing, products, and services. It's the critical touchpoint that determines the entire customer experience, not just how things look.
- Teaching▶ 2:37
How to Turn Your Talents Into High Income
Usability refers to how easy and intuitive something is to use. It's become an important focus on the web, though most design everywhere still treats usability as an afterthought.
- Teaching▶ 3:19
Form Follows Function in Design Decisions
The design principle 'form follows function' is remembered because of alliteration, but it's also a great concept where function should lead design decisions
- Teaching▶ 2:11
Design Is Where Company Meets Customer
Design is the interface where your company, products, and marketing meet the customer - it's the critical touchpoint that determines customer experience
- Teaching▶ 1:24
Apple Treats the iPod as Software in Beautiful Hardware
Apple views itself as a software company that makes hardware, treating the iPod as 'wonderful piece of software wrapped in beautiful hardware'
- Teaching▶ 2:37
Usability as Design Priority, Not Afterthought
Usability means how easy and intuitive something is to use, and most design everywhere is treated as an afterthought rather than a priority
- Quotable▶ 2:06
Design Is Where Your Company Interfaces With the Customer
design is that it's almost like that that place where your company and your products and your marketing interface with the customer that's where design lives
- Quotable▶ 3:41
Design the Form to Facilitate the Function
you start with the function and then you design the thing to facilitate the function
- Quotable▶ 1:40
If You Love Software, Make Your Own Hardware
if you love software you make your own Hardware
Entities Touched
Concepts
Questions
Canonical Teachings
Summary
Design as the Customer Interface
Eben Pagan introduces design as the critical interface where customers experience your business. He uses Apple's packaging as an example of design so effective that customers keep it as art, demonstrating how design encompasses logos, websites, products, and packaging.
Steve Jobs' Software-First Design Philosophy
Drawing from a personal conversation with Steve Jobs, Eben reveals how Apple views itself as a software company making hardware. This reframe treats products like the iPod as software wrapped in beautiful hardware, revolutionizing how to approach product design.
Usability and Form Follows Function
Eben defines usability as how easy and intuitive something is to use, noting most design treats this as an afterthought. He explains the principle 'form follows function,' teaching that effective design starts with function and creates form to facilitate that purpose.
Counterpoint
Claim: “Design is just about making things look pretty or is an afterthought in business”
Reframe: Design is the critical interface where customers experience your entire business - from logo to packaging to website
Eben Pagan demonstrates this with Apple's packaging being so well-designed that customers keep it in closets as 'a work of art' and defines design as the space 'where your customers meet your marketing your products and your services'
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Topics
Business Frameworks
Common Mistakes