The writers of this excerpt believe that design identifies and builds value based on a deep understanding of customer needs. This applies to decisions of appearance (such as color, typeface, material, and form), but also to levels of performance (such as process, workflow, interaction, and experience). And it applies at the business level, too, including corporate strategy, structure, process, and goals. Design techniques offer businesses ways to identify customer needs and desires specifically and address them through products, services, and events, yielding experiences that are valuable to both customers and companies.

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Pages 57-67 from Making Meaning: How Successful Businesses Deliver Meaningful Customer Experiences by Steve Diller, Nathan Shedroff and Darrel Rhea. © 2006, Nathan Shedroff and Cheskin. Used with the permission of Pearson Education, Inc. and New Riders. All rights reserved.