Dell Bets Splashy Design Will Sell Its New Laptops

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Boyd is bringing color and images to Dell's once-stodgy personal computers Brent Humphreys/Redux

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He also signed off on an undersized keyboard for Dell's first mini-notebook PC, a decision the company's founder clearly disagreed with. "Michael Dell wanted the full keyboard experience," says John Thode, Dell's vice-president for small consumer devices.

Then the sales figures for these products started coming in. A limited edition laptop designed by Ming and the mini-notebook, released in recent months, both exceeded expectations, company executives say. "I got an e-mail from Michael saying: 'Keep going, going, going,'" Boyd says.

Boyd's design staff has now grown to 120 people scattered from Austin to Miami to Singapore. There are a dozen PhDs in the group, whose degrees include engineering, computer science, and cognitive psychology. Besides new products, they're working on such cost-saving packaging as an inflatable cushion made from recycled plastic. They're also trying to overhaul the online shopping experience at Dell.com by, among other things, moving to replace choppy point-and-click navigation with more fluid scrolling through images. "Design isn't just cosmetic," Boyd says.

Last year, Dell tried offering consumers the choice of a dozen different colors for their laptops, but the company couldn't deliver the computers as speedily as promised. The delays angered customers and sparked numerous critical blog postings and news reports. Boyd says Dell will be prepared this time as it tries to deliver an even more complicated mix of designs and colors.

Rivals will be tempting consumers with their own new designs. Apple has just unveiled a line of sleek laptops, made from a single piece of aluminum. The toughest competition may come from HP, which has been investing in design much longer than Dell and used that edge to surpass Dell as the world's No. 1 personal computer maker two years ago. This fall, HP is bringing out a touchscreen PC, the thinnest laptop on the market, and a $700 mini-notebook with a red-and-purple peony design from fashion designer Vivienne Tam.

These sorts of products may be a tough sell this holiday season. But if Boyd and Dell keep investing in design, they may ultimately find a more receptive audience. "People want gadgets that look cool on campus or in a café," says Gartner's Kitagawa. "Customization will be more and more important. In the long run, it's the way to go."

Jana is the Innovation Dept. editor for BusinessWeek.