I adore the quirky local coffee shop around the corner from my house, so when a new coffee shop opened down the street, I vowed that I would remain loyal to our tried and true go-to.

Still, I found myself stealing glances at the new stop with its big windows, trendy Spanish tiles, and beautiful outdoor patio. The deal-clincher was when my husband (who had already crossed enemy lines) showed me that the new place had an app that enabled frictionless pre-ordering.

It’s something we see often: When a company invests in customer experience from day one, early customers are more likely to become passionate advocates, spreading the word, shortcutting adoption cycles, and sometimes driving explosive early growth.

You may have heard of the McKinsey Design Index (MDI), which rates companies by the emphasis they place on design. In 2018, they found that top-quartile MDI companies had 32% more revenue growth than industry counterparts over the course of a five-year period.

Design plays an increasingly important role in differentiation, and it’s becoming more common to hear about successful startups at which designers were a part of the founding team. Airbnb, Pinterest, Typekit, Flickr, Etsy, and Kickstarter are all examples.

I still frequent the quirky old coffee shop around the corner, because I’m rooting for the underdog. But I do sneak an extra cup every so often at the new place. I guess I must have found some extra coffee budget to reward their well-designed customer experience.

If you need help designing a user-centered experience, we offer a range of flexible programs. Book a consultation to see if there’s a fit.