The designer with business confidence

Whatever your design discipline, a better grasp of how business works could help you have more impact, influence decision making, and collaborate more effectively with other disciplines.

But where should you start your journey to business confidence, and will you compromise your design values in the process?

1. The designer with business confidence Starting a journey to make sense of business Tom Prior | UX Crunch | 23 March 2021
2. I’m not a business expert.
3. I’m not a business expert. 
 You don’t need to be either.
4. The designer who ‘gets’ business.
5. Deep discipline expertise Design craft Cross-discipline expertise Code Presenting Writing Agile Project management
6. Deep discipline expertise Design craft Cross-discipline expertise Code Presenting Writing Agile Business Project
7. Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash Raise some eyebrows.
8. The business confident designer…
9. The business confident designer… 1 Knows how their design aligns with strategic activities
10. The business confident designer… 1 Knows how their design aligns with strategic activities 2 Can articulate how design has business impact
11. The business confident designer… 1 Knows how their design aligns with strategic activities 2 Can articulate how design has business impact 3 Considers themselves a business decision maker
12. Why business confidence matters
13. Collaborate more effectively Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash
14. Influence decision making Photo by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash
15. Keep that seat at the table Photo by Dane Deaner on Unsplash
16. Designers have business superpowers Photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash
17. Comfort with ambiguity Business Superpower 1
18. Unlocking intrinsic value Business Superpower 2
19. Framing problems Business Superpower 3
20. The design + business dilemma
21. Some business models don’t have people or the planet’s best interests at heart. Photo by ActionVance on Unsplash
22. “This is all too often how UX design is considered and practiced. ” Erika Hall, Co-founder of Mule Design https://twitter.com/mulegirl/status/1332389999656927232
23. Be a catalyst for change Photo by Raphael Renter on Unsplash
24. We are the business
25. Opportunities
26. Business model innovation 1 Opportunities
27. Business model innovation 1 2 Digitally native vertical brands Opportunities
28. Business model innovation 1 2 Digitally native vertical brands 3 The Circular Economy Opportunities
29. Photo by Malik Skydsgaard on Unsplash Getting started
30. Strategic activities Business impact Relationships & culture
31. Strategic activities Business impact Relationships & culture
32. “The design team don’t think strategically” Business stakeholders
33. Make strategy practical
34. Strategy is what you do, and what you don’t do
35. Map your organisation’s strategic activities Blue Ocean / Strategy Canvas https://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/tools/strategy-canvas/
36. “Why aren’t we doing it like…” The design team
37. METRO BANK MONZO HIGH LOW INVESTMENT PHYSICAL DIGITAL CUSTOMER SERVICE PRODUCTS COMMUNITY https://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/tools/strategy-canvas/
38. HIGH LOW INVESTMENT PHYSICAL DIGITAL CUSTOMER SERVICE PRODUCTS COMMUNITY METRO BANK MONZO https://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/tools/strategy-canvas/
39. HIGH LOW INVESTMENT PHYSICAL DIGITAL CUSTOMER SERVICE PRODUCTS COMMUNITY METRO BANK MONZO https://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/tools/strategy-canvas/
40. HIGH LOW INVESTMENT PHYSICAL DIGITAL CUSTOMER SERVICE PRODUCTS COMMUNITY METRO BANK MONZO 1. Make the call centre experience less stressful 2. Make help documentation easier to navigate 3. Design a customer service chatbot https://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/tools/strategy-canvas/
41. HIGH LOW INVESTMENT PHYSICAL DIGITAL CUSTOMER SERVICE PRODUCTS COMMUNITY METRO BANK MONZO https://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/tools/strategy-canvas/
42. Strategic activities Business impact Relationships & culture
43. “design is often times viewe d as a cost center, rather than something that creates value for the business ” Enrique Allen, Co-Founder of Designer Fund 20 levers for communicating the business impact of Design
44. return on investment (ROI)
45. return on investment (ROI) = £££
46. return on investment (ROI) = £££ = £££
47. return on investment (ROI) = £££ = £££ or… Ability to pay staff Efficiency Customer happiness Reputation NPS score Ability to reinvest or… Time Effort R&D Training Testing Technology
48. “We want to make a customer service chatbot” Photo by Alex Knight on Unsplash
49. 20 Levers for Communicating The Business Impact of Design
50. Reduced call centre demand Lower staff turnover Training time Internal tools Customer retention Brand perception Customer satisfaction NPS 20 Levers for Communicating The Business Impact of Design
51. Identifying measures Photo by Verne Ho on Unsplash
52. Reduced call centre demand Lower staff turnover Training time Internal tools Customer retention Brand perception Customer satisfaction NPS 20 Levers for Communicating The Business Impact of Design
53. Reduced call centre demand Lower staff turnover Training time Internal tools Customer retention Brand perception Customer satisfaction NPS Number of calls Call length 20 Levers for Communicating The Business Impact of Design
54. Reduced call centre demand Lower staff turnover Training time Internal tools Customer retention Brand perception Customer satisfaction NPS Number of calls Call length More effective, more quickly 20 Levers for Communicating The Business Impact of Design
55. Reduced call centre demand Lower staff turnover Training time Internal tools Customer retention Brand perception Customer satisfaction NPS Number of calls Call length Retention rates More effective, more quickly 20 Levers for Communicating The Business Impact of Design
56. Reduced call centre demand Lower staff turnover Training time Internal tools Customer retention Brand perception Customer satisfaction NPS Number of calls Call length Retention rates NPS score More effective, more quickly 20 Levers for Communicating The Business Impact of Design
57. In fl uence, power, impact, actual design Some numbers The business Designers
58. In fl uence, power, impact, actual design Some numbers The business Designers numbers aren’t a silver bullet
59. Strategic activities Models & measures Relationships & culture
60. Photo by Ambreen Hasan on Unsplash
61. Photo by Alex McCarthy on Unsplash
62. Photo by Nastuh Abootalebi on Unsplash
63. “The real problem is not design education. The real problem is our mindset. Our reluctance to learn business.   …we are stuck between our wish for more impact and our fear of losing our identity and values. ” Alen Faljic, Founder and CEO of d.MBA 20 levers for communicating the business impact of Design
64. group dynamics Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
65. Reach out to decision makers • Start with an email • Show genuine interest • Practice empathy • Follow up Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash
67. “Them: Why are there so many names for the same thing in business accounting ? Me: Why can't you decide what we call software designers? ” Mia Blume, Design Executive Coach & CEO @designdeptco https://twitter.com/mialoira/status/1362489561075511296
68. translate for each other https://twitter.com/martynreding/status/1105073935291424768 Martyn Reding, founder of Design Leaders Studio
69. decks = currency Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
70. dogma
72. design
73. • Have a beginners mindset • Take the pressure off yourself • Choose foundation reads • Consider short courses • Newsletters & other resources Getting started
74. https://www.designbetter.co/business-thinking-for-designers https://wordery.com/creative-strategy-and-the-business-of- design-douglas-davis-9781440341557/ By Ryan Rumsey, CEO at Second Wave Dive Business Thinking for Designers By Douglas Davis, Strategist and Author Creative Strategy and the Business of Design
75. 6 weeks - $1995 6 weeks - 2.980€ - 3.200€ Second Wave Dive d.MBA
76. designersinbusiness.com
77. @tomprior thomasprior.co.uk designersinbusiness.com Good luck!