The short answer is, a product’s design language tells the story.
The long answer is…
Fueled with insights from design research, the design team will know who the product should speak to and what the product should say.
For the sake of an example, let's say your product needs to convey to an aging person that "I am the walking cane you'll want by your side."
From here it is the design team’s responsibility to create and apply a design language that embodies this message through the product’s aesthetic (look, feel, sound, smell, taste).
Here is a typical process we follow for establishing a product’s design language:
Rooted in user insights, we choose three words that define the character your product should embody. These words clearly communicate the aesthetic objective to the design team while also serving as the backbone for upcoming design decisions. An example would be, "Simple. Friendly. Sophisticated."
We then gather images that exemplify these three words into an inspiration board. We analyze and dissect the common aesthetic attributes that span across the inspiration images we've collected.
With that understanding, we develop a design language strategy (think of this as a design guideline or rulebook) and apply the design treatment to your product’s forms, styling, colors, and materials.
In this way, we design your product to resonate with your customer, conveying its message visually, physically, and emotionally.
If you pair the right message with proper execution of the design language, your product will speak to your customer and ultimately be irresistible.