Design’s role in an organization changes as it grows. I like to use the metaphor of a restaurant. At first, the design team is like a diner—there to serve up the expected results. The homepage is a grilled cheese. User onboarding is pancakes. Checkout flow is a BLT. These are the basic things necessary to satisfy the customer, more about execution in a recognizable form than innovation.
However, as the fundamentals are established and the company grows, the design team diner evolves into more of a bistro. Creative spins on the classics increase customer happiness and create return users. Designers can start iterating on the basics based on their knowledge of what the users like.
Over time, this design expertise in user behavior can have a meaningful effect on the business. People start coming to taste the newest dish with an open mind to flavor combinations— in this case, innovative UX. The role of design shifts from execution to strategy, influencing product decisions at the highest levels.
As a design leader, my job is to notice and capture these moments and articulate the opportunity to company leadership. In other words, making the business case for design. Showing that design-led thinking is not just about aesthetics or usability—it’s a critical driver of business success. A well-integrated design team can contribute to higher conversion rates, improved retention, and greater user satisfaction, all of which directly impact revenue and customer loyalty.
That means translating what a designer on the team knows instinctively into language and data that can be demonstrated. I work with marketing, PMs, and business leaders to transform design intuition into testing that yields data-driven proof. This not only helps secure buy-in but also elevates design as a key player in business growth. For example, at Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT), we used A/B testing to validate design improvements in navigation, which led to a 12% increase in search engagement and resource discovery. By leveraging data to justify design choices, we turned what might have been seen as subjective design improvements into clear business wins.
Beyond advocating for the value of design, I love leading the company in design-thinking exercises that broaden perspectives. One of my favorites is the classic “design a wallet” exercise (which I picked up from the head of design at Intuit). These exercises show non-designers the power of user-centered problem-solving, strengthening cross-functional collaboration and embedding design thinking deeper into company culture. At Namely, I led similar exercises to help product managers and engineers better understand how users interact with HR software under high-stakes conditions, which improved alignment on product decisions. Many of the PMs had deep domain expertise but were newer to the role of product management. By guiding them through best practices in user research, prioritization, and iterative design, I helped them develop stronger PM skills, ultimately leading to better collaboration and more effective product decisions.
Another key aspect of design advocacy is ensuring that design has visibility within the organization. This means creating regular opportunities for designers to showcase their work—whether through weekly design critiques, company-wide design showcases, or embedding designers in strategic discussions early. At Vimeo, we ensured that designers were involved in cross-functional planning from the start, allowing UX considerations to shape product decisions rather than be retrofitted at the end of development. At Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT), I made sure that at least one designer spoke at the weekly all-hands meeting, giving the broader company visibility into ongoing design efforts. Additionally, I created a monthly design progress update where the entire team had the opportunity to present their work, fostering transparency and reinforcing the impact of design across the organization.
By fostering a culture where design is recognized as a strategic advantage, designers transition from short-order cooks to Michelin-star chefs. A great design leader doesn’t just ensure great execution—they champion design as a fundamental part of how the company operates and innovates. Through clear communication, structured advocacy, and data-backed decision-making, design leadership can elevate the role of design from execution to influence, driving both user satisfaction and business success.
Can I help you advocate for design?
I’m available for consultation, contract, or full-time work.
Justin Dickinson 