2. Do You Matter?

Who are you? What do you do? Why does it matter? Would the world be a darker place without you?

If someone took a poll today of your customers, constituents, followers, whatever, and asked if you matter to them, how do you think you would come out? If you ceased to exist tomorrow, do you think anyone would really care?

In other words, has your product, service, or brand established an emotional connection with your customers to the extent that they are invested in the interest that you not only survive, but also prosper?

In his book The Brand Gap (Peachpit Press, 2005), Marty Neumeier pitched this notion from a graphic design point of view. We would like you to consider the question in the context of a fully integrated definition of design.