Business Thinking for Designers

Assess and target the appropriate level of design 
maturity
Companies like Apple, Airbnb, and IKEA use design as a 
competitive advantage, so having high maturity makes 
sense. On the flip-side, companies like Geico, Jiffy Lube, or 
Supercuts use low prices to gain a competitive advantage, so 
while having a highly mature design team would be amazing, 
it might not be the highest priority for the organization. In my 
experience, not enough organizations consider this when 
hiring designers and design leaders. 
When designers, leaders, and teams are pushing to reach 
level-5 maturity inside business models and strategies that are 
set up for level 2, it can be problematic. These designers will 
need to be really clear on how the business model will improve 
when they level up.
Pragmatically speaking, not all organizations need a high 
maturity design team in order to run a successful business. If 
the business model and strategy help the organization gain a 
competitive advantage without negatively impacting ethics, 
morals, inclusiveness, accessibility, etc., a level 4 or 5 design 
team might be a nice-to-have rather than an imperative. 
That said, the lessons in this book will help you assess the 
maturity of design you should be fighting for. Also, keep in 

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mind the appropriate level of maturity could be different from 
team to team, and that’s OK. 
Why is all of this important to you? Because the ambitions of 
design teams are affected by decisions made at the business 
level. If a company is changing its business model and strategy 
every year or every quarter, they have bigger issues than 
whether or not to support the development of a mature design 
team. If you’re in a situation like this, don’t be too hard on 
yourself because you’re not at a level 5 yet.
Conclusion
My hope is that, after reviewing the lessons and tips I’ve 
recommended, you not only feel better equipped to work with 
colleagues, but you also feel some relief about your day-to-day 
responsibilities. 
By developing a business perspective, you know how to 
anticipate the needs and behaviors of your colleagues. You 
know how to visualize your business to learn your business. 
You recognize that meaningful, productive, ethical, and 
transformative designs also need to create competitive 
advantages. Finally, you know how to speak in the languages 
that help your colleagues understand the full value of design.

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While these tips provide pragmatic steps, leveling-up design 
maturity takes time. You’re part of a journey, and with these 
skills, you’ll be in a position to progressively impact your 
organization in exciting new ways. As you begin to use what 
you’ve absorbed here, you’ll not only be seen as an effective 
designer, but also as an effective collaborator. 
Thank you for inspiring me to share what I’ve learned. I can’t 
wait to see what your future holds!
Kim Williams from Minted on the value of diverse voices (Watch 
online)

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Further reading
The Balanced Scorecard by Robert S. Kaplan, Harvard 
Business School professor of accounting
The UX Scorecard for Apps by Lori Kaplan from Atlassian
What Consultants Do by John Kim from Consultants Mind

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