Business Thinking for Designers

• Step 3: Project the potential intersections
Identify places to meet up along their journey. Suggest 
options of new destinations after you connect. Provide 
them with accountability to stay aligned in the new 
direction.
Use the scripts
Meeting the expectations of business leaders is a learned skill. 
While we all have different ways of learning, a handy script can 
often quicken the process.
In this book, I provide scripts to limit your frustration and 
keep you moving in a productive direction. Scripts are useful 
reminders that you typically don’t need to reinvent the wheel. 
Designers deal with similar business scenarios and behavior 
patterns across industries. The scripts—along with other tools 
and frameworks—should accelerate your progress. 
The step-by-step scripts are provided for real-world scenarios. 
Examples of those scenarios include:
• Getting buy-in from business partners

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Why you need to know business
• Calculating the ROI (return on investment) of design
• Connecting design objectives to business objectives
• Negotiating with non-designers
• Communicating trade-off decision risks and benefits
Conclusion
Now that you know how this book is intended for use, 
you’re ready to dive in. Just keep in mind that learning any 
new language takes time and patience. But with design 
methodologies in your tool belt, you’re better equipped than 
most to investigate and recognize patterns. And soon, you’ll 
understand how intention can directly and indirectly shape 
decision-making in your company.

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28 
Why you need to know business
Further reading
The Michel Thomas Method
Design Thinking at IDEO
Design Thinking Handbook by InVision
Design Council's Double Diamond
What is Lean UX? By Jonathan Follett, Principal of Involution 
Studios
What is Human-Centered Design? by IDEO

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29 
Explore business concepts