KEY POINTS:
Auckland-based company Selecon is a lighting manufacturer for theatre, film and television.
Selecon luminaires can be found in places as disparate as the Opera Bastille, Paris; the Royal Tyrell Museum, Canada; Odessa Opera and Ballet Theatre, Ukraine; the Grand Theatre, Blackpool, UK; the Sydney Opera House, Australia and the Hong Kong Science Museum.
What exactly is Better by Design all about?
Better by Design is a practical programme of support for New Zealand export companies. They are working with us to increase our design capability so we can gain greater market share and earn higher margins by selling better-designed products.
What does the programme involve?
There are a number of initiatives. The main one is the Design Integration Programme. It is a six-stage design journey that helps companies integrate design through all aspects of their business from leadership, culture, strategy and research, through to functional and aesthetic design, production, packaging and branding.
What kind of businesses does it apply to?
Better by Design is of benefit to companies - like us - who are wanting to grow by increasing the value of what they sell rather than just increasing the volume. In general, this is New Zealand export companies who have high-growth aspirations and are capable of scaling their business rapidly.
Is a focus on design something that is best suited to the fashion industry or other trendy sectors?
That's definitely not the case. We design and manufacture specialised lighting for theatre, art galleries and museums and sell our niche products all over the world. Design integration is about how you manage innovation and use design to drive the company's vision. It applies to companies in all industry sectors and I know there are technology, food and beverage, services and a wide range of manufacturing companies in the Better by Design programme.
How expensive is the whole thing?
The first step was a Design 360 assessment and planning process which involved external experts working with me and my senior staff. Better by Design pays the cost of this part, valued at around $35,000 and now we are investing in implementing the recommendations. Further funding for help with design projects is available on a 50/50 basis.
Who does the assessment on a company?
Once you are approved into the programme you get to choose from one of three Design 360 teams who carry out the assessment and planning stages. You meet each of them and work out who best suits your company. The three teams are Equip, a design integration consultancy; Design Audit Partnership, which includes Designworks Enterprise IG, Pricewaterhouse Coopers and two product designers; and the Deloitte/pHd3/Object Design partnership.
How can design earn my company more money?
We know that innovative, well designed and branded products earn a premium and gain a bigger market share around the world. Look at international companies like Nokia, Apple and IKEA. At Selecon we now know that we can use the same design principles, learned through the Better by Design programme, like these large corporations.
What are some local examples of companies who have actually made money from design?
New Zealand has many examples. Well known companies include Icebreaker, Formway, Fisher & Paykel and Methven. But there are many lesser known companies, like us, who sell differentiated niche products that command premium prices. Better by Design is working with 67 companies in the Design Integration programme so, if they learn what we did and make the changes outlined in their assessments, there will be many more companies making more profit from design.
What exactly is a design-led business?
Design-led businesses look and learn about how customers use their products. Is there a latent need? Then you look for ways to improve or innovate the product before development. Then, branding and marketing, including distribution, targets export markets. Leadership is critical and covers the whole process. By this I mean ensuring company culture and structure support the design-led approach. Better by Design also offers an internship programme that can place design graduates with companies. They have a range of information resources on their websites, including a design directory, case studies of design-integrated companies and facts about design in business. There is an events programme including the CEO Summit in May which are all useful learning opportunities.
