Why Design Matters: Lessons from Top Startups

"We redesigned it... Doing that increased product conversion by 20% from this email, which is pretty huge."

• Small design improvements can lead to big gains.
• Clear call-to-action improves conversions.
• Investing in design directly affects the bottom line.

"We have a bugs at email alias that anybody can send a bug to... If you see something, say something."

• Create open channels for feedback.
• Promote a culture where quality is everyone's responsibility.
• Empower employees to report issues proactively.

"You really got to stay steadfast into learning about your product... doing walk the store exercises where people... try the product like a user would."

• Regularly use your product from the user's perspective.
• Implement friction logs and bug reporting.
• Revisit and improve to prevent quality erosion.

"We are doing prototyping and iterating, and they are giving us feedback almost on a weekly basis."

• Work directly with users to gather feedback.
• Iterative design helps avoid faulty assumptions.
• User collaboration ensures the product meets needs.

"It is easier to teach somebody the tools or the domain... than it is to teach taste."

• Prioritize hiring individuals with innate taste.
• Domain knowledge can be learned; taste is harder to instill.
• A team with strong design sensibility elevates quality.

"It's just intentionality... Are you being thoughtful about how this thing is going to be perceived or not?"

• Question every aspect of your product.
• Learn from products you like and dislike.
• Develop taste by immersing in good design.

"If you use this kind of as a checklist... It's first and foremost solving a problem... Secondly, it has to be usable... And then third is craft and beauty."

• Evaluate against a quality checklist.
• Ensure it solves a real user problem effectively.
• Don't overlook the importance of craft.

"It's best to always come back to like, well, what problem are we trying to solve and who are we trying to solve it for?"

• Prioritize solving users' core problems over rushing.
• Use betas to gather feedback while refining.
• Thoughtful decisions prevent costly mistakes.

"These founders care a lot about every detail of the user experience, and they put that into the early days..."

• Founders setting a high bar influence the entire team.
• Instilling design values early fosters excellence.
• Attention to detail builds user trust.

"Design was instrumental in making that something that people could identify with and gain confidence in, you know, the safety, security, and enjoyment of that experience."

• Prioritize thoughtful design to make new ideas approachable.
• Attention to detail fosters user confidence and trust.
• Design differentiation contributes to product success.