THERE'S no better time to conduct an audit of design and marketing materials than now, when the market is uber-competitive, and to retain and build business requires excellence in all areas of operation.

Consumers of products and services are design-savvy — whatever their age or interests, they are consummate consumers of design. Just think of the millions large manufacturers spend building and promoting their brands.

A widely held view is that a company or organisation using engaging, fit-for-purpose design will also deliver in terms of quality of products and services. Conversely, the implication is that the organisation with poor design does not deliver.

At a time when the economic recovery is fragile it is entirely understandable that marketing budgets — along with all areas of operation — come under intense scrutiny. But slashing marketing spend in times of slower growth could prove to be a false economy.

Design incorporates innovation and creative thinking which are vital in an economic downturn. Applying skills, such as collaboration, traditionally used by designers to business problems, leads to innovative solutions.

Visual design is communication. Every piece of information we ingest or that has been communicated to us has been 'created' whether by man or nature — with purpose or by accident.

Designers put order in the way the message/idea/information is communicated. Whatever the point of the message is — who the intended recipient is, what voice you want the message relayed — dictates how we approach the concept and/or execution.

Whether this a web page, a vehicle livery, a business card, people will make judgements about a business, based on the quality of the visual put in front of them.

Design positions a brand as high end, low end, middle of the road. It provides distinctiveness and individuality, demonstrating difference from competitors and it reassures clients and potential clients that promises will be kept.

This is why design is so important in difficult times. Consumers want to spend money, in fact they still need to spend money, but they want to be reassured from the outset that they are making the right choice as they can't afford to get it wrong. What's more, of course, is that the competition may be reigning in their marketing spend which means that money spent now will buy greater market share; £1,000 spent today is equivalent of around £3,000 spend two years ago.

All design should yield a return on investment.

The days of simply doing something to raise profile are probably over, for the time being at least.

When setting a design budget or conducting a design audit, examine (a) the objectives of the design and (b) how design and other marketing activities can be measured.

Two organisations who are using good design to tell their story and retain and grow their customers are a provider of arts and crafts activities for children and the county's largest agricultural show.

Creation Station are experiencing phenomenal growth as a result of investment in a website to grow the business by a further 50 franchises in the UK in the next 12 months.

And Devon County Show enjoyed another terrific year. The 'look' of the show's marketing materials ties in with their brand values, linking the best of modern with the best of tradition.