Business Thinking for Designers

The opportunities ahead
The opportunities designers have in today’s marketplace 
are robust. Traditional, for-profit companies are transitioning 
from purely financial priorities to customer-first. Non-profit or 
government organizations are transitioning from economic 
models to community- and citizen-led. And designers are 
being asked to participate in these transformations, large and 
small. 
Business-aware designers have the ability to influence 
outcomes in ways no other function can. We have the power 
to impact the professional and personal worlds we want to live 
in. The next step for designers is to go beyond having a seat at 
the table, to being a leader at the table. With our influence, we 
can build healthier societies through healthier businesses. But 
we must know business to begin.