Design Compass
18 questions to
develop a
successful
product
The Design Compass offers a structured approach to balance profitability, environmental sustainability and social responsibility in product design and innovation.
The Design Compass is a practical, interactive tool that turns complex product decisions into 18 clear questions.
It helps innovation leaders, designers and educators see the whole picture, so every project moves from idea to market with people, planet and profit considered from the start.
By guiding teams through three rings of questioning; market fit, environmental impact and social responsibility, the Design Compass brings structure to unstructured problems. It expands thinking, challenges assumptions and captures evidence, delivering better brief clarity, stronger concepts and a clear record of why decisions were made.
The Design Compass is built on more than two decades of real-world product development at Bang Creations, refined across hundreds of projects where most reach market. Developed with designers, university partners and industry experts, and supported by an Innovate UK grant, it integrates AI, The Design Council Skills for Planet guidance and academic input to advance responsible, evidence-based design.
How we’ve used the Design Compass
Maeving
The Design Compass allowed us to define and understand the USPs and target market for this project and to balance the retro styling with state of the art technology.
Evaclite
The Design Compass allowed us to make a much safer evacuation sign. By working with safety bodies we created new standards that influenced the market. We created multiple versions of the product to expand the target market (how many need it, who needs it) and to make the variations more efficient.
Alora
We used ‘What else could it be?’ to promote discussions with the client and match the best solution to their business model. We also focused on materials and safety to create a cot that is both sustainable and functional.
Shuffler
We used the Design Compass to balance cost and materials with longevity. Focusing on creating a more robust and reparable product by switching many parts out for a sheet metal construction.
Got a product idea?
If you’ve got a product idea, get in touch and learn more about how Bang, and the Design Compass, can help your project.
Want to try the Design Compass?
Start free with the basic version and explore all 18 questions at your own pace. Use Learn to build better product thinking and generate to spark fresh ideas, concepts and directions.
Upgrade to Advanced when you want deeper support through Expert Chat, where eight design expert perspectives sit alongside your journey. Coming later this year, Projects will add an interactive compass experience that helps track decisions, highlight opportunities and build a shareable design record over time.
Basic
- Evaluate
- Generate
- Benchmark
Think
For individuals or teams starting out in product design who want to explore the basics of marketable, sustainable, and responsible design without financial commitment.
Advanced
- Evaluate
- Generate
- Benchmark
- +AI personal assistant
Learn
For designers or teams who need more in-depth guidance on balancing commercial viability with sustainability and social responsibility in their product designs.
Pro
- Evaluate
- Generate
- Benchmark
- +AI personal assistant
- +Develop
Develop
For businesses or startups looking to develop new products that are commercially viable while minimising negative impacts on people and planet.
Ultra
- Evaluate
- Generate
- Benchmark
- +AI personal assistant
- +Develop
- +Innovate
Innovate
For larger organisations or enterprises aiming to integrate sustainability-focused practices into their business operations and product development processes at scale.