Design needs a seat at the table! – if only I had a pound for every time I have heard (and sadly used) this line over the years. Have we got that seat now? Frankly, forget about the seat, in some cases we might have been asked to leave the room while the grown-ups are discussing strategy – it’s infuriating, I know.
The idea has always been to establish Design as a key player in corporate strategy, just like technology or finance. While that sentiment surely still has value, I’ve come to realise that simply demanding that position was never going to get us there. The conversation around Design needs to evolve from merely advocating for the customer to proactively delivering measurable business value. In my own way, I have been trying to influence that change by advocating a move away from for trying to build 'design-led businesses' to developing 'business-led designers'— the next generation of practitioners who understand the commercial goals of their organisations and use their design skills to drive outcomes that matter. This shift isn’t just necessary; it’s overdue
I’ve always practised what I call 'Outcome Driven Design.' It’s a simple yet powerful approach—one that I not only apply in my work but also in how I make decisions. The process starts with establishing the outcome I want to achieve, mapping out the logical steps needed, and executing them. In design, this means understanding what outcomes users want and designing experiences that help them reach those goals effortlessly. But it doesn’t stop there.
When leading design teams, I apply the same approach. The question isn’t just about what users need; it’s also about what the business values. What is the business trying to achieve? I’ve led teams where we’ve tailored our approach to improve customer engagement metrics or drive retention, and in every instance, it was crucial to align our efforts with the larger strategic outcomes the business was chasing. For example, I remember working on a digital product overhaul where our design improvements weren’t about aesthetics—they were focused on reducing friction points that directly impacted conversion rates. This wasn’t just about making the product ‘nicer’; it was about aligning the design work with a tangible business metric: revenue.
For over two decades, designers have pushed to be seen as strategic leaders, positioning design as essential to shaping the direction of businesses. But here’s the reality: functions like technology, marketing, and engineering are directly tied to a business’s ability to deliver products and services—design often isn’t.
I’ve worked with clients where the absence of design didn’t necessarily stop them from shipping products or delivering services. Sure, design could improve usability and appearance, but businesses could still sell their products without it. In fact, many companies I’ve worked with had suboptimal products that sold well purely because their customers were used to the experience. Humans are creatures of habit, and I’ve seen time and again how familiarity can outweigh a better design. It’s a pattern that’s hard to ignore—change, even for the better, is often met with resistance. This is why just making something ‘better’ doesn’t always translate into business success.
We need to face a fundamental truth: businesses exist to make money. Everything else—values, missions, customer-centricity—is secondary. These elements are important for brand positioning and reputation management, but if a business isn’t profitable, it doesn’t survive. This means that whether it’s an individual or an entire team, unless they are actively contributing to profitability, their value is limited. It’s a tough but necessary realisation.
This isn’t about reducing everything to pure transactions, though. Businesses have strategic imperatives—clear goals that guide their growth. These are translated into programs, projects, and specific tasks, all designed to ultimately contribute to the bottom line. I’ve seen this in action when working with companies undergoing digital transformations. The only design work that gained traction was the kind that tied directly to these strategic goals. If design wants to be valued, it must align with these business imperatives and show a quantifiable impact.
Designers often lead with concepts like ‘human centricity’ and ‘customer empathy,’ but these can feel detached from the hard metrics that businesses care about. This disconnect is a major reason why design’s impact is sometimes undervalued. I’ve seen stakeholders dismiss conversations around ‘delight’ or ‘user journeys’ when they don’t see how these translate to business outcomes.
I remember one project where we initially approached the solution from a purely user-first perspective. It looked great on paper, but when we presented it to leadership, it didn’t land. The stakeholders didn’t care about the journey maps; they wanted to know how the work would impact the metrics that mattered to them—things like customer lifetime value and acquisition costs. That was a turning point. We had to pivot our approach and reframe the design outcomes in terms of business impact. Once we did that, the support came quickly.
This brings me to the idea of cultivating 'business-led designers.' For too long, the focus has been on turning businesses into 'design-led' entities, with the assumption that designers are the ones with the right perspective and that companies need to adapt to our values. But the truth is, successful companies have been thriving long before the idea of ‘experience design’ emerged.
I believe the future of design isn’t about trying to mould businesses to fit our ideals but instead about equipping designers with the skills and knowledge to align with business objectives. This requires a shift in how we educate and train designers. It’s not enough to master the craft of design—designers need to understand the mechanics of the business they’re in. This means learning about business strategies, finance, and operational metrics.
In my own career, I’ve made a conscious effort to bridge this gap. Whether that’s been leading large-scale digital transformation programmes or working with clients to refine their strategic goals, I’ve focused on understanding the commercial landscape and aligning design outcomes with those business goals. When design supports the business in a measurable way, it becomes an indispensable part of the strategy rather than an isolated function fighting for relevance.
Influence is earned, not granted. I’ve found that the designers who gain traction and become valued are those who show up with solutions that directly address business challenges. It’s not about waiting for an invitation to the table—it’s about earning your place through results.
When I was leading a team on a major digital overhaul for a financial services client, our focus wasn’t on pushing for ‘design influence.’ Instead, we identified the key pain points that affected their bottom line, like high customer drop-off rates and poor conversion metrics. We built our solutions around these business priorities. By tying our design decisions directly to commercial outcomes, we didn’t need to ask for influence; it was granted based on the value we delivered.
Ultimately, if we want design to be valued, it has to be embedded within the business strategy. It’s not enough to lead with the language of empathy and user journeys—we need to speak in terms of commercial impact. This isn’t about losing the essence of design; it’s about amplifying its value by showing how it contributes to the business’s success.
The future isn’t about creating ‘design-led businesses’; it’s about developing business-led designers who can operate within the business context and drive real results. When we align design outcomes with business goals, we become essential, not optional.
Usman is a digital veteran and a renowned expert in human-centric innovation and product design. As the founder of Pathfinders, Usman works directly with businesses to uncover disruptive opportunities and helps create tangible business value through design and innovation.
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