Yves Béhar: Design's Return as Brand Shepherd

This PSFK talk features designer Yves Béhar discussing the evolving role of design in connecting with consumers. Béhar argues for a non-specialized, integrated approach, where design acts as the "shepherd" of a brand, overseeing strategy, industrial design, software, and user experience. He highlights how the rise of the internet and consumer reviews has shifted power away from traditional advertising, making the core product and its holistic experience paramount. Béhar also introduces "venture design," a model involving long-term partnerships, often with equity or royalty, emphasizing that designing the business model is as critical as the creative output for sustained brand curation. 📑 CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro: Non-Specialized Design 01:46 360-Degree Design 03:38 Return of Design's Golden Age 05:14 Product Shapes Brand 06:51 Venture Design Projects 10:00 Long-Term Partnerships 12:06 Designing the Business 14:13 Core Idea Approach 📌 KEY INSIGHTS ▸ "Design firms should embrace non-specialization to offer fresh perspectives across diverse fields, solving a wider range of problems." — Yves Béhar (0:08) ▸ "The "golden age of design" is returning, where designers act as brand shepherds, integrating strategy, branding, industrial design, software, and user interface for a 360-degree consumer experience." — Yves Béhar (3:38) ▸ "The internet and consumer reviews have diminished the power of traditional advertising, making the core product and integrated experience the primary shapers of a brand." — Yves Béhar (5:17) ▸ ""Venture design" involves long-term partnerships with companies, often including equity or royalty models, to ensure ongoing design involvement and curate a brand over years." — Yves Béhar (11:00) ▸ "Designing the business model is as crucial as designing the creative output, requiring bespoke contracts and arrangements that support long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships." — Yves Béhar (12:06) ▸ "Successful design studios operate with a horizontal structure, mixing diverse talent, and focusing on identifying a core breakthrough idea before applying it across all aspects of a project." — Yves Béhar (14:17) ❓ FAQ Q: What is Yves Béhar's philosophy on design specialization? A: Yves Béhar believes design firms should avoid over-specialization to bring fresh, unconstrained perspectives to a wide array of problems. This approach allows design to tackle diverse challenges, from developing world solutions to entrepreneurial ventures. (0:08) Q: How has the internet changed brand building for designers? A: According to Yves Béhar, the internet has empowered consumers through reviews and direct communication, reducing the influence of traditional advertising. This shift means brands are now primarily shaped by their core product and the overall integrated experience, placing designers back at the center of brand leadership. (4:35) Q: What is "venture design" as described by Yves Béhar? A: Venture design is a business model where design firms engage in long-term partnerships with companies, often receiving equity or royalties instead of traditional fees. This allows for continuous involvement in curating and refining a brand over many years, ensuring design remains central to its evolution. (11:00) Q: Why is designing the business model important for design firms? A: Yves Béhar emphasizes that the business model itself needs to be designed creatively to support long-term partnerships and ensure mutual benefit. Unlike traditional consulting, venture design requires flexible, tailored contracts that adapt to different company stages and foster ongoing collaboration. (12:06) ── Fuseproject — https://www.fuseproject.com ── PSFK — 20+ years of trend research powering smarter decisions — https://www.psfk.com Fodda — Give your AI expert insights about integrated design and brand strategy with PSFK's Fodda — https://www.fodda.ai PSFK Newsletter — https://newsletter.psfk.com