Paul is a leader in conversion rate optimisation and user experience design thinking. He has over 25 years experience working with clients such as Doc

The Design Leader Dilemma

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2024-12-23 20:30:09

Paul is a leader in conversion rate optimisation and user experience design thinking. He has over 25 years experience working with clients such as Doctors … More about Paul ↬

Many design leaders find themselves in an impossible situation. On one side, senior management have read articles trumpeting the incredible ROI of user experience design. McKinsey tells us that design-led companies achieve 56% higher returns to shareholders. Forrester reports that every dollar invested in UX brings 100 dollars in return.

Yet the reality I encounter when talking to design leaders is very different. Most are desperately under-resourced, with tiny teams expected to support hundreds of projects across their organizations. The result? We’re spread so thin that we can barely scratch the surface of what needs doing.

The problem isn’t just about resources. It’s about expectations and how we define our role. Too often, we position ourselves (or are positioned by others) as implementors — the people who do the user research, create the prototypes, and run the usability tests. But with the scale of digital touching every corner of our organizations, that’s simply not sustainable.