The digital ecosystem
You may have heard the term “digital ecosystem” before, but what does it actually mean? In the world of web design and brand development, a digital ecosystem refers to a variety of different digital solutions which connect and communicate with one another. For Kooba, this generally includes websites, brand assets, and an underlying design system. What makes this an ecosystem rather than a set of separate pieces of work is the mutual connections between each element. No single solution exists in an isolated manner, but is instead dependent on the design choices of each other element within the ecosystem. Like a natural ecosystem, each species interacts with and relies upon one another.
The upside
So why go to the effort of building such a complex ecosystem? Ultimately, each part of the ecosystem strengthens and reinforces the others. A secondary website, for example, can increase the functionality and appeal of your main website by adding features and flexibility that would otherwise be impossible. Building a broad digital ecosystem can also be cost effective. Consider Kooba’s work with the National Treasury Management Agency, which included a full suite of websites for subsidiary agencies and firms. By building an entire interrelated range of sites at once, resources and insights could be gathered and shared from one project to another, greatly reducing the time and money needed for each individual site.
Long term dividends
One key feature of digital ecosystems is that they offer progressively more value over time. A broad asset library for design and branding purposes, for instance, will initially represent a major investment of effort, but will eventually pay dividends and save time and money. By developing a range of assets at once, the coherence of your brand and image will also be better preserved, rather than being gradually distorted over time. With a single design system being developed in advance, every subsequent project can align and complement one another.
Adaptable growth and development
Not only does a digital ecosystem offer coherence and stability, it also provides flexibility long into the future. Rather than having to go back to the drawing board every time your business grows or changes, a true digital ecosystem will allow you to make minor tweaks and additions to your digital presence in a responsive and easy manner. Of course, as you make these changes the ecosystem will develop further and adopt new elements, which themselves can feed back into new projects even further in the future.
Flexible brand messaging
By empowering you with a wide range of resources, tools, and assets, a digital ecosystem also provides your brand with the scope for more ambitious and flexible marketing campaigns. Want to host an event for a set of clients? A mini-site can be built using your previous design system. Looking for content on a new platform? Existing assets can be easily repurposed as needed. With a significant bank of useful resources developed in advance, your marketing efforts can move as quickly and agilely as required.
The long game
In web design, endurance matters. By investing time and thought into a suitable digital ecosystem early in the design process, Kooba can build a solution that adapts and grows stronger over time, ensuring long term success on the metrics that matter most to clients. We also welcome the chance to work on existing solutions wherever possible, with an understanding that improving and adding to a well designed digital ecosystem can provide a range of benefits far into the future.
