Business Thinking for Designers

Update the Venn diagram
Terms like innovation, success, and adoption are used a lot in 
business, but their meanings vary depending on who you’re 
talking to and their type of organization. Clearly defined 
and shared definitions for terms is one of the “conditions” 
necessary for design teams to reach higher maturity levels. 
It’s a necessary foundation for designers to communicate the 
value of their work. One way to establish this foundation is to 
connect these terms to a competitive advantage. Here’s an 
example of what I mean.

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78 
Create conditions for design maturity
Innovation is one approach to gaining a competitive 
advantage, and designers are regularly included in these 
decisions. But designers are often shut out of the process 
when other approaches are considered. For example, when an 
insurance company decides to reduce its prices for coverage, 
or a bank targets frequent travelers for a credit card offer, or a 
hardware company updates its supply chain. 
Shutting designers out of these decisions isn’t malice; it’s 
a lack of trust. Many organizations aren’t prepared to trust 
designers beyond aesthetics or problem-solving techniques 
because designers, by in large, don’t speak about their work in 
terms of competitive advantage. This is where one of our most 
sacred Venn diagrams lets us down. 

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79 
Create conditions for design maturity