Design First: The Benefits of Design-Driven Development in SaaS
When people first hear about design-driven development, they may think it's a way to prioritize aesthetics over technology, investing in appearance rather than quality and performance. However, this opinion is mistaken, and we are ready to explain why.
In fact, design-driven development is not about appearance. It is about a smart and efficient approach to investing development resources. It doesn't mean you spend less effort building features; it means you save time by not building features that people won't use. Let us explain in detail what this means. So, what is design-driven development?
Definition of Design-Driven Development (DDD)
Design-Driven Development (DDD) is a software development approach that puts design at the forefront. This means that before deciding to develop functionality, a low-fidelity prototype should be created and tested.
Thanks to DDD, products become human-centered and intuitive. It also involves integrating design principles, methodologies, and practices throughout the development lifecycle—from concept to implementation.
When developing a product with a design-driven approach, engineers start building the product only after its design is defined. Thus, the development plan is based on this design.
It may seem that designers are smarter than developers and make better product decisions. No, that's not the case. The secret superpower of designers is that they involve clients in the decision-making process.
At the core of design thinking is the process of figuring out how users interact with the product, whether they enjoy using it, and, finally, whether they need it at all.
Traditionally, developers are used to releasing a product for testing only when it is already finished. The design-driven approach, on the other hand, allows testing the product early, when a low-fidelity prototype is ready. This saves a lot of development time and reduces the risk of the product failing when it is launched and first meets real users.
A feature of SaaS products today is that it is becoming easier and easier for users to switch from one solution to another. Expanded integrations, automatic data migration, subscription models, free trials—all of these collectively reduce the cost of switching software.
Of course, we still don't like jumping from a familiar interface to a new one, but when it annoys us, we can easily do it. And again. And again. It's not like the good old days when, after buying Adobe Suite, you wouldn't want to pay more to try another program.
As a result, the value of good UX has increased significantly. Customers can switch to another SaaS if your product does not provide a good experience. Even advanced technology can't always save the day, as competitors can replicate it or come up with something new.
Benefits of Design-Driven Development for SaaS
Besides bringing joy to designers, there are a number of tangible benefits that other departments will notice. Here are some of them.
1. Streamlining the Development Process
Instead of investing a lot of resources in development and then finding out that users don't need those features, you invest very little in creating a small prototype. Only features that prove useful to customers make it into development. In addition, a significant portion of problems are identified and fixed early in the development process. This saves time and budget for both the development and design teams.
2. Predictable Project Budgets
As a consequence of the previous point, after testing the initial design, the scope of development work becomes clear. The risk of unforeseen iterations during development is lower because more iterations are done during the design phase, where each iteration costs less. For example, the software development company ein-des-ein noted that project costs became more predictable and decreased by an average of 30% after they started applying the DDD approach.
3. Reduced Customer Support Costs
When a product is built with customer needs in mind from the start, users find it much easier to get accustomed to it. An intuitive UX reduces errors and, consequently, customer support tickets. In some cases, good UX design can also lower sales costs. When people enjoy using your product, their enthusiastic stories will help attract new customers.
4. Last but Not Least: Improved User Experience Leading to Lower Churn Rate
This means your app will have a higher rating in the App Store, better reviews, and people will be less likely to switch to other products. When choosing between competing products, people may be willing to pay a little more for a product with better design.
Successful Design-Driven Companies
When we call a company design-driven, we mean not only design development but also design innovation and design organizational culture. However, DDD is a good start on the path to becoming a leader in design orientation.
Having a strong design vision helps companies succeed. According to research by the Design Management Institute, design-driven companies outperform the S&P 500 by more than 200%.
One of the most famous design-driven companies is Stripe. And it's not about their trendy appearance that many startups want to copy. It's about the company's design culture.
How to Implement a Design-Driven Development Approach in Your Product
Very few companies can immediately change their approach, and it's not easy, especially if you're not the CEO. The benefits of DDD come with challenges, but there are small steps that can bring you closer to a design-driven development process without making big changes right away.
- Encourage collaboration between designers and developers. In practice, they often work separately and only meet to deliver their work. So instead of telling developers that they should now put design first, simply let them communicate more with designers. Involve designers in meetings where new features are discussed and give everyone a chance to speak.
- Focus the team's attention on the problem, not the solution. When everyone is excited about a new product or feature, it's easy to forget why they were created in the first place.
- Propose early-stage testing. Explain that it's a good opportunity to test the product before investing a lot of time. Start small—don't insist on full-scale user testing from the beginning.
- Don't impose your vision of the perfect design-driven development model on the team. If developers or designers are not used to working in this way, it won't lead to success. Gradually implement this model, adapting it to your product.
- Reserve extra time in the project schedule if you are trying to implement a design-driven development approach for the first time. It's about efficiency, not speed. Often, the extra time spent in the initial phase is compensated by a faster development process.
- Make sure your team is ready to try the new approach. If you're hiring new employees, mention this in the interview. If you're hiring an agency for design or development outsourcing, communicate this in advance to find a team that understands and shares design-driven development principles.
- Don't worry if things don't go as perfectly as you imagined. DDD is not about following a crystal-clear process; it's about applying a sensible approach that helps save time and create better products.