June 30, 2009

The general public gets a lesson in how good design sells

By: Casey Knox

I was watching TV the other night when I came across a show called The Unsellables. The show's premise is to take homes that have been on the market and won’t sell, give them a fresh new look, and BAM! Happy homeowners sell their home as quickly as it is put on the market.

I think there is a broader lesson to be learned here. Consumers will pass over things if they are not readily appealing to them. And what is the major problem with these houses that they won’t sell? If you take a look at the Show's website and flip through the "before and after," there is a running theme... cluttered, overstuffed spaces are a turn-off to prospective buyers. The designers come in, declutter and use the space in a more organized and simple way. A marketers approach to selling a home.

I think we can take that lesson and apply it to good design that sells to the same consumers. Overly loud and stuffed with messages doesn’t sell. Good, clean design with optimal use of white space, opens up the design, making it more appealing to the consumer. A lesson I think all designers and marketers should listen to.