Business Thinking for Designers

01. Growth focus: When a business aims to gain market share 
or diversify the products or services it offers, sometimes 
at the expense of short-term profits.
02. Profit focus: When a business aims to maintain profits 
over reinvesting in the production of new products.
The job of those “at the table” is to know how to make 
decisions that support the strategic focus. Are you pushing to 
create new products at a time when your company is focused 
on profits? If so, you’re out of step with the organization. Are 
you showing how accessibility improvements can help gain 
market share for your startup? If so, you’ll likely have an easier 
time gaining support. Take a few minutes now to consider 
whether or not your approach to design is in line with your 
company’s current business focus.
In Chapter 3, we’ll review several ways to quickly determine 
where your company plays, what and how the company aims to 
win, and the strategic focus they pursue.

---

39 
Explore business concepts
Pro tip
As a designer, the strategy your company chooses to gain a 
competitive advantage is important to your work. Of equal 
importance is whether your company is focused on growth 
or profit. Generally speaking, startups are focused on growth 
in hopes of finding revenue models later, while established 
companies tend to be focused on profit while keeping an eye 
out for new growth opportunities.