Reasons To Start A Design Partner Program
- Innovation Ecosystems: Design partners can foster innovation ecosystems, which encourage unique thinking and lead to unforeseen outcomes. The collaborative efforts can lead to advancements in various sectors, including healthcare, manufacturing, and technology.
- Active Participation with Client Communities: SaaS companies often collaborate with client communities for product launches, involving them in private previews to test products before a wider release. This participation enhances product quality as clients actively contribute to the development process.
- Intense Customer Collaboration: A design partner program typically involves a smaller group of customers who are deeply invested in helping to design the future of the product. They play a role in identifying issues to be addressed, evaluating new features, and assisting in prioritizing the developmental roadmap.
- Trust-Based Relationship with Design Partners: The success of these programs hinges on establishing a trust-based relationship with design partners, fostering a candid, two-way dialogue. This leads to agile and sustainable innovation pipelines.
- Identification of Problem Space by Customers: Customers play a vital role in identifying the value of a product, preventing development just for the sake of it. They help in pinpointing the actual problem space that needs to be addressed.
- Influence of Early Adopters: Early adopters are integral to a design partner program as they can influence market spaces and bring a first-mover advantage in innovation. They are typically instinctive, adventurous, and keen on being at the forefront of creating something new.
- Balancing Feedback and Avoiding the “Squeaky Wheel Syndrome”: A design partner program can balance feedback effectively, avoiding the trap of only addressing the most vocal feedback, which might not lead to significant advancements.
- Acceleration of Time to Market: Design partners can expedite the time to market by facilitating ongoing, cross-functional collaboration, which is a significant advantage in the competitive market​
“Many SaaS companies incorporate traditional client communities and have benefited greatly from their outputs. They share best practices, identify bugs and offer suggestions for improvement.”
The above quote comes from, and this post was inspired by https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/08/30/five-reasons-to-start-a-design-partner-program