Contribution
Mapped design work to business metrics to inform roadmap and strategic planning decisions
Role
Partnered with product and senior leadership
Scope
Investment level influence
Takeaway
Positioned design to contribute to long-term strategy decisions
The Challenge
Design work often reflected real user needs, but it wasn’t framed in terms of business metrics. When planning cycles began, it was hard for leadership to see how design connected to growth, retention, or operational efficiency.
Without a shared structure to map design work to the company’s key metrics, our ability to influence long-term decisions went unfulfilled.
My Response
I introduced a four-lever model to map design work to the business metrics that guided strategic planning—growth, retention, efficiency, and strategic alignment.
Each design initiative was framed through this lens, making its intended impact legible to product, finance, and strategy partners. What had once been described as UI polish or user delight now read as measurable gains or defensible investments.
This structure gave design work a seat in roadmap conversations—not as feature input, but as a credible part of long-term planning.
The Win
Design became a credible contributor to strategic planning. Executives began referencing design levers in funding meetings. Cross-functional partners aligned proposals to strategic business goals. Design shifted from a service model to a strategic signal—used to surface, shape, and justify long-range investments. Planning cycles grew more focused because proposals were grounded in shared business logic.
Key Outcomes
Framed proposals through user value and business levers to earn early trust
Equipped teams to estimate impact by tying design work to strategic outcomes
Earned design a seat in planning by aligning decisions to measurable value
Strategic Insight
Design earns strategic trust when it translates user insight into investable options:
Frameworks that map user needs to business levers enable early influence
Strategic clarity grows when design weighs tradeoffs—not just proposes features
The right work gets built when teams look to user value to drive outcomes