The short answer is yes, you do need Dentist design. What do we mean by that? We’re talking about how you, as a dentist can truly benefit from investing thought, time and resources in to design, logo, imagery, graphics and online assets that your dental practice uses.

Put simply, great design matters. Sometimes we don’t notice how much of an effect is has on our mood or interacts with our life. When you last walked around Ikea, you were attracted to a number of items. It wasn’t because of their function, or even what you went in for, After all, a cup is a cup, a bookcase is a bookcase. What you were attracted to was the design. It has had an emotional effect on you. You like it and want to engage with it

When you consider design, you’re considering the purpose of that design. You want to make your dental practice easy for patients and potential patients to use. Your website should attract the right people to your brand, and convey your values quickly and effectively. Great design and branding can be the catalyst for customer loyalty, if they like the look of your practice customers are more likely to book an appointment – after that, it’s up to you and your staff. https://www.coronadental.co.uk/dental-marketing-services/branding/

A well-designed logo and corporate image is one of the most important facets of any business. Businesses can spend millions on promoting their brand; think of Coca Cola or McDonalds.

If you are looking for inspiration and ideas, a great blog to start with is Adobe’s – https://99u.adobe.com/

‘Brand image’ is as important to a dental practice as it is to Coca Cola. Your logo and corporate image will define how you are perceived by your patients and potential patients. It could be the difference as to why a potential patient calls you, or someone else!

Paul Rand, designer of the IBM logo (yes, you’re picturing it now aren’t you?) is famously quoted with this:

“Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.” – Paul Rand

Dentist design does not need a lot of money spent on branding, dental marketing and advertising. However, your dental practice will significantly benefit by having professionally designed:

• logo
• stationery
• website
• literature
• welcome pack

And, any online and social content needs to be ‘on brand’ too as well as communicating in a consistent ‘voice’.

Reception Perception

It must be remembered that potential patients can only make the decision about the quality of dental care that they might receive by the way that they are dealt with and the standard of material they view (click here to read my article on customer service).

This needn’t cost the earth – in fact it shouldn’t! But, it is the basis from which all your practice image and literature will come, and a great deal of thought should be put into it. Give some thought to the type of practice you are:

• a family practice in a rural area?
• more cosmetically minded practice in a large urban area?
• A specialist practice?

These three different types of practice all need design, logo and imagery, but they will be significantly different.

New patients should be of vital importance to all practices, and a good practice design and brand image, that conveys your Expertise and Trustworthiness, will ensure that you get more of them.

Design is Fiscally Beneficial

Let’s be blunt – a word about the numbers. In short, design is fiscally beneficial.

In 2005, a group called The Design Council studied 63 portfolios of companies that traded on the FTSE over the course of a decade. Those companies that put a priority on good design did a great deal better than those that didn’t. Outperforming the FTSE by 200%! Check out the graph below that shows just how much better the companies that put an emphasis on design (red line) do when up against the top 100 businesses on the FTSE (green line)!

Graph courtesy of Eglinski
See the performance of design-led businesses (red) against businesses that aren’t (yellow) and the FTSE 100 average (green).

Imagine that you are speaking to a patient and suggesting a course of treatment of implants and crowns that may cost £10,000. This is the kind of money that most people spend on a car or the holiday of a lifetime. Would you spend £10,000 on a new car if it were laid out and presented on a piece of paper that looked like it had been down the back of the fridge?! No? And neither will your patients! Image is important!

In conclusion, it could be suggested that dentists are often not in competition with each other; but with the new car, family holiday, home improvements etc. Great design and a considered practice image and literature could make all the difference.