As designers, we’re inherently motivated to solve problems. In a perfect world, we follow best practices, we run user testing, we review analytics data. Some of us extends this to visually pleasing experiences. Our talent lies in providing delightful solutions to the problems we solve.
What if we just can’t get a solution over the line with our product managers? What if we need to negotiate time or resources to do our testing? What if within the design team, there’re multiple seemingly good solutions for our customers?
This is when as we look at our ideas from a business perspective, not only it helps us make informed design decisions, it helps us influence our stakeholders in such decision making, when decisions are considered from different angles.
At times, this has lead me to making difficult decisions, as I swap my designer hat for my product manager hat. However, often during this process, a few things happen
- I know that I am building a stronger relationship with my product manager, as I empathise with what he/she is trying to achieve
- It has also empowered me to make decisions or pushback accordingly, as I understand the business or operation impact of a design decision
- It has helped me accept rejections on my proposed solutions and negotiate an alternative with my team, after understanding such impact
Whether we’re employed in an organisation or our own business, design is there to help the business grow, and as a result, design can grow within the business as we strengthen the collaboration between the two.
How can design bring value to the business? Or realistically, how can design help business make money, or save money?
It could be that with a design to streamline a product flow, we could increase conversion, retention and revenue for the business, as we improve the user experience and minimise drop offs.
It could be that by reusing an existing pattern or component, we could avoid doubling up engineering and testing efforts and consequently lower production costs for the business, as we promote coherence of UI and interactions across the organisation, as well as maintaining brand identity of the product.
It could be that by adding additional effort in customer communications in new implementation, we could minimise impact to call centres for the business, so our call centre staff can allocate their time to help other customers in need, as we can help our customers to self serve in their own convenience.
This is why it is immensely valuable for designers to understand the values of a business. This understanding will ultimately help us with our design decision making and influence our stakeholders as we empathise their point of view, ultimately bringing well designed solutions with business viability.
