The One on How Customer Centricity supports Growth, Efficiency and Innovation

The concept of the Experience Economy was first used by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore in an article in 1998. While it has been around for a while, it is in the last five years that customer centricity and "everything UX" have seen a true takeoff.  While few can challenge the fact that good design centered in the user/customer supports successful innovation, does it also support operational efficiency? How can design, sometimes considered a “nonessential matter” in business, support growth?