Quotes from Marty Neumeier

If you can surprise your customer with something more than baseline satisfaction, you'll spark the kind of emotion that leads to loyalty.

Here's a simple (but headache-producing) test. Complete the following sentence: "Our brand is the only ? that ?." In the first blank, put the name of your category (robotics company, online university, fast-food chain). In the second blank put your key differentiator (sells voice-mimicking parrots, makes you the teacher, caters to vegans).

Caution: When staking out your onlyness, remember that whatever seems unique to you may not seem unique to everyone else. you're viewing your product close up, while they're seeing it from farther away. Make sure your product is not just unique, but really unique. Crank up the onlyness to eleven. Make it incredibly easy for customers to notice it, choose it, and share it with friends. Don't compete. Differentiate.

Contant afdition without subtraction always make a mess.

Here's how the Ritz looks at touchpoints, as written in the company's credo: "The Ritz-Carlton experience enlivens the senses, instills well-being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests.

Marketing psychologist Kit Yarrow notes that customers want five things from a purchasing decision: 1) to feel more in control, 2) to reduce the fear of making a mistake, 3) to simplify the decision process, 4) to offer clear and immediate emotional benefits, and 5) to be free of obstacles. Of these five, she says, customer control is the best "antidote to anxiety." Anxiety goes far to explain the extraordinary power of customer reviews.

We are not Human Beings, we are humnan becomings

Does design pay off? The Design Management Institute partnered with Motiv Strategies to measure the return on design investment where it counts—in stock values. Over a 10-year period, a $10,000 investment in design-centric companies would have yielded returns 228 percent greater than the same investment in the S&P 500. And this is only an average.

It's almost impossible to reconcile creativity with cleanliness. The sculptor gets metal dust all over his studio. The writer must wade through a clutter of notes, books, and crumpled drafts to get to her desk. The rock musician must weave through a tangle of cables, black boxes, guitar stands, and song notes to sit down and create.

Moore's Law, the 1965 prediction that the amount of computing power you can buy for a dollar will double every 18 months. Gordon Moore's formula has surprised everyone with its consistency.

When the external actions of a company align with its internal culture, the brand resonates with authenticity.