NZ companies need stronger UX design strategies
Earlier this month, design and strategy consultancy Digital Arts Network (DAN) released New Zealand’s first Maturity Design Benchmark Report to provide insight into how Kiwi businesses are performing.
DAN’s analysis of the NZXE50 points to a strong correlation between mature design thinking and company value, which is reinforced by international reports that link design strategy to improving business profitability.
Despite this, the recognition of design value in New Zealand is still relatively low. The report finds that only 5 percent of businesses consistently share results and findings across their organisation.
“One of the biggest opportunities of design strategy is to unlock the power of human insight by involving customers and employees in the design process. It helps you understand their needs and you can use that understanding to inform and improve business decisions,” explains Amanda Gada, DAN’s Managing Director.
The report uncovers a gap between companies who say they seek customer feedback and those who actually involve customers in the design process. More than a third of respondents are not engaging with customers directly to validate their ideas and 43 percent of companies rarely looked at improving experiences for their own staff.
“About 10 percent of respondents already have a design strategy in place and nearly half of them are working on one, which is really positive. It shows the business sector recognises the strong link between mature design and business success,” says Jennie Leng, DAN’s UX Director.
The report, developed over three months, also reviewed performance by sector across 15 different industries. It revealed the IT industry as a top performer and government as the worst performer across all design strategy dimensions.
News from across the ditch
Kiwi agribusiness agency Tracta has joined forces with Australia’s largest fertiliser company, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, to support the development of strategic initiatives of their fertilizer business.
IPF has assisted Australian farmers for over a century in broadacre, pasture, sugar and horticulture, supporting farming communities and feeding millions. Their exceptional commitment to the future of Australian agriculture has been praised by Tracta.
“IPF’S values and genuine connection with the land really resonated with us. We’re proud to be working with a company that has such a strong agronomic position in the market, holding an almost ‘industry steward’ position,” says Tracta’s managing director, Andy Walker.
The appointment will allow Tracta’s footprint to grow throughout Australasia and is a welcome addition to the agency’s impressive client portfolio, which includes John Deere, Vodafone, Farmside, BASF, Datamars, and Suzuki.
IPF’S brand and communications manager, Carlos Fernandez, says the team is delighted to be working with Tracta.
“The high-quality work they’ve produced so far, paired with their insightful strategic input into our discussions, have both been outstanding. We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship supporting the growth of our business and Australian agriculture as a whole.”
