My design manifesto: leading with purpose and impact

As a designer, I see design as more than a craft; it’s a powerful lever that shapes business, society, and ourselves as leaders.

Here are the four pillars that guide my work and reflect the values we, as designers, should strive to embody. These priorities enable me to maintain a clear focus and drive my efforts towards achieving exceptional results.

1.

Empathy for all

Empathy shouldn’t stop at our users—it’s just as vital for our colleagues. When we treat our team members with the same care and thoughtfulness we offer customers, we create trust and foster psychological safety. For me, this means leading by example: hosting communities of practice, sharing resources, facilitating design critiques, and providing candid yet constructive feedback. These small, intentional actions cultivate a culture where collaboration and creativity can thrive. Just like nurturing a garden, when we care for our relationships, the entire ecosystem flourishes.

1.

Caring for Colleagues as Much as Our Customers

Empathy is often seen as something we owe to users, but why stop there? Our colleagues are just as human and deserving of our care. When we treat our teams with the same thoughtfulness we extend to our customers, we build trust and foster communities where people feel psychologically safe and supported.
For me, this has meant leading by example: hosting bi-weekly communities of practice, sharing resources like articles and podcasts, facilitating design critiques, and providing candid yet constructive feedback. These small acts of care plant seeds that grow into a culture of trust and collaboration.
We, as designers, have the unique opportunity to design our interactions with the same intentionality we bring to user experiences. It’s like cultivating a garden: nurture the soil—our relationships—and the ecosystem will flourish, allowing innovation and creativity to thrive.

2.

Extending Design’s Reach Beyond Digital Products

Design is too often confined to screens and interfaces, but our skillset is a treasure chest that can transform entire systems. We hold tools like design thinking, prototyping, and journey mapping, which can be applied far beyond product design. Imagine using these tools to reimagine internal communication flows, prototype more effective team rituals, or streamline customer acquisition processes by mapping interactions between customers and frontline teams. These aren’t just tasks—they’re opportunities to amplify our impact on the organization and the people it serves. We, as designers, must embrace this broader perspective. It’s like discovering that your Swiss Army knife can do far more than you ever imagined. By stepping beyond traditional boundaries, we unlock new potential for collaboration, innovation, and value creation.

2.

Not just interfaces

Design isn’t just about screens and interfaces—it’s a toolkit for transforming entire systems. Tools like design thinking, prototyping, and journey mapping can reimagine internal communication, team rituals, or customer acquisition processes. These aren’t just tasks; they are opportunities to amplify our impact across the organization. Embracing a broader perspective unlocks new potential for collaboration, innovation, and value creation.

3.

Designing Organizational Structures

Even the most well-crafted products and services can falter if the organization isn’t designed to support them. We, as designers, can apply our principles to the systems and structures within our companies, ensuring they align to create value.

Organizations are like complex machines: if the gears don’t align, nothing runs smoothly. By designing systems—team structures, decision-making processes, and cultural practices—we can transform organizations into engines of innovation and growth.

Peter Merholz captures this perfectly: “I don’t just need to get the design right—I need to get the strategy right.” We, as designers, are uniquely equipped to bridge these gaps, using design as a compass to guide strategic alignment and long-term success.

3.

Designing organizational structures

Even the best products can fail if the organization isn’t designed to support them. Designers can apply their principles to internal systems—team structures, decision-making processes, and culture—to create alignment and value. Organizations are like machines: if the gears don’t align, nothing runs smoothly. As Peter Merholz says, “I don’t just need to get the design right—I need to get the strategy right”. Design becomes the compass for strategic alignment and lasting success.

4.

Building Business Acumen as Designers

At the heart of great design lies the balance between user needs and business goals. Yet, too often, we, as designers, overlook the importance of understanding the business landscape. This gap can lead to friction, but when we develop business acumen, we create stronger designs and forge better relationships with business teams.

This realization drove me to embark on a side project: translating my company’s strategy into a Business Model Canvas. This tool became a shared language, helping designers, product teams, and business leaders align their efforts. It demonstrated how balancing user empathy with business strategy is like tuning a guitar: too tight and it snaps, too loose and it makes no music. But when the tension is right, it creates harmony—and truly great products.

4.

Building business acumen as designers

Great design balances user needs with business goals, but designers often overlook the importance of understanding the business landscape. This gap can cause friction, but developing business acumen strengthens designs and builds alignment. To bridge this, I translated my company’s strategy into a Business Model Canvas, creating a shared language for designers, product teams, and leaders. It’s like tuning a guitar: too tight and it snaps, too loose and it’s off-key, but with the right balance, it creates harmony—and great products.

1.

Empathy for all

2.

Not just interfaces

3.

Designing organizational structures

4.

Building business acumen as designers

Final thoughts

Design is not just a profession; it’s a mindset and a call to action. When we, as designers, care deeply for our colleagues, expand the scope of our work, rethink organizational systems, and embrace business acumen, we transform design into a force for lasting impact. These pillars guide me every day, and I hope they inspire others to lead with purpose and creativity.