Creative types: these days, they’re often dismissed as less essential to business goals than other team members. Beyond hiring a graphic designer to work on the logo or other quick projects, many companies don’t prioritize having in-house creative talent. Unfortunately, this way of thinking does a great disservice to everyone involved. Creative employees bring a lot to the table, and their “soft” skills can be just what’s needed to shake things up and produce the growth every business needs to thrive. It’s important to have a mix of different personalities within every organization—here are 5 reasons every business team needs a creative member.

  1. Consumers Love When Art & Quality Mix

Apple has earned a loyal following among consumers worldwide, but when you think about it, their products aren’t all that different from other hardware produced by rival manufacturers. What has made them so popular? A lot of their success can be contributed to the creative mind of Steve Jobs, who successfully mixed art and quality to create sleek, beautiful products that are reliable and high-quality. An innovator in the field of industrial design, Jobs’ work has allowed Apple products to catch the eye (and the dollars) of consumers for decades, even inspiring other manufacturers to step up their design game over time.

Delivering a quality product with impeccable creative design leaves a lasting impression on consumers—and keeps them coming back. Creative minds can bring the art perspective to the table, allowing for more innovative product design that will help attract customers.

  1. Creative Minds Provide Unique Perspectives

Because creative minds work a bit differently from analytical minds, they often ask questions and see problems from unique perspectives that can help businesses improve. Different outlooks and perspectives on the business’s challenges are essential for moving past them and getting into the mind of consumers. Creative people will often ask the right questions before customers do, and turn around with creative solutions to problems—allowing teams to shift their strategy and come up with better ways to serve their target market.

  1. Deepen & Expand Potential

Even companies that offer STEM-based products can use a creative team member to deepen and expand their potential. Studies have shown that students who have art curriculum in their academic roster are generally more successful in school and business. In fact, STEM field entrepreneurs who opened their own businesses or filed patents were 8 times more likely to have been exposed to the arts at a young age. These findings can also be applied in a business setting, since integrating art and science can increase the potential reach of a company’s product and attract new customers. Having a creative team member brings that much-needed perspective to any company, regardless of the products offered.

  1. Creatives Don’t Get Complacent

Continuous innovation is crucial for business growth, and creative team members aren’t afraid to shake things up—and in fact, usually can’t stand NOT shaking things up. It’s easy for business teams to get complacent as the business becomes more successful and creates reliable revenue streams. However, complacency leads to stagnation, which will prevent the business from growing and adapting in our ever-shifting economy. Having a creative perspective on the team will help others avoid complacency, and keep everyone looking toward the next goal and the next big idea.

  1. Aesthetics Can Separate You from the Competition

One question business owners have to ask themselves on a regular basis is “what sets me apart from the competition?” Without a clear answer to this question, there’s not much opportunity to launch ahead of competitors, and lower probability of long-term growth.

Creative minds can help businesses stand out from the crowd. How? By subconsciously influencing purchasing decisions. Researchers have found that employing aesthetically pleasing packaging design has a significant positive impact on purchasing decisions. Beautiful designs alone can help a company’s product stand out—especially if competitors are sticking to standard packaging templates that are functional, but not aesthetically pleasing. Creative intuition allows businesses to design products and packaging that will appeal to consumers. This is why having someone creative on the team who has deep knowledge of the company and the line of products can be key for businesses who want to distinguish themselves from the competition.