Data driven. Evidence based. Effective design.
As the year draws to a close we have been reflecting on our successes for 2023. It was a real highlight for the team at M Worldwide to win three DBA Design Effectiveness awards this year. It feels great to receive recognition for our work and these wins are particularly satisfying because the ethos of the Design Business Association aligns so closely with our guiding principles at M Worldwide. Our founders, Michael Heanue and David Martin, set up M Worldwide to deliver highly creative, data driven and evidence based design to drive performance for their clients.
The DBA Design Effectiveness Awards are open to entries from across the globe. Entries include all types of design from all industry sectors. The most important stipulation is that measurable evidence can be presented to show that the design made a clear and significant contribution to the business.
Entered jointly by the agency, or in-house design team delivering the work, and the client commissioning it, these awards celebrate the collaborative partnerships that deliver success. The awards are rigorously judged by client-side business leaders against clear effectiveness criteria in three rounds of judging and a win provides independent and authoritative recognition of the value of the work.
Our DBA Effectiveness Award wins this year demonstrate the power of design to transform business performance. While these are three very different clients and projects, we are proud that M Worldwide’s commitment to achieving measurable results was recognised by the DBA judges across all of them.
Metro AG
German multinational, Metro AG, approached M Worldwide to develop its franchisee model as part of a global strategy to improve sales by elevating its convenience store format for the Asian market.
Challenges: The design solution had to reflect local market consumer trends and enable localised format evolution. The project had tight, financial constraints and franchisees had to be engaged throughout the creative process.
Results: A sales increase of +20% with improved margin mix and improved Cash & Carry buying of +50% along with improved customer perception.
Husasmidjan
Denmark’s Bygma group tasked M Worldwide to transition a functional DIY supermarket, Husasmidjan, into a building and home improvement hub with the aim of capturing market share in Iceland’s competitive DIY sector.
Challenges: The project involved a review of the store proposition for domestic and trade customers. The existing estate had to be repurposed to provide an updated product and service mix.
Results: Increased sales per square metre, reduced store running costs and increased customer satisfaction. A second store is opening using our winning design and M Worldwide has been retained to design the new, Husasmidjan flagship store.
Midtown, Selfoss, Iceland
Selfoss is a town in southern Iceland on the banks of the impressive Ölfusá river. This social enterprise project used placemaking design to focus all decision-making and keep end-users at the core of this community led town centre design.
Challenges: Placemaking design in its purest form. Built from the ground up, the town centre needed to cater to residents and tourists offering a healthy and environmentally friendly lifestyle that combined a warm, human-friendly environment with easy transport access and efficient visitor access.
Results: A once dormant town is now a visitor destination with the fastest growing community in Iceland. A previously sceptical community that is now fully engaged with Phase 2 embraced and planned to open in 2024.
At M Worldwide, we know that the best way to show the value of design is by measuring its effectiveness. It is an honour to have our work recognised by a global authority on design effectiveness like the DBA which champions design that responds to challenges, finds novel solutions, and delivers competitive advantage.
