We continue to explore how design and creativity influence business growth. That's why we asked 29 leaders of the design and creative teams at Apple, BMW, Orange and VML, who are graduates of our Executive Programme for Design Leaders, to share their perspectives on how creativity can transform businesses and shape the future. Get inspired by their vision.
'Organisations across every industry benefit when design leaders help translate human needs into strategic decisions. We bring clarity, empathy, and a unique perspective that balances business goals with human outcomes. Designers bring a problem-solving approach that often reveals alternative solutions that may not be considered initially.'
'Designers bring a mindset grounded in human-centred thinking, systems awareness, and the ability to make abstract ideas tangible. This expertise can shape far more than just products or marketing – it can influence strategy, culture, and the long-term vision of a company. When C-level leaders are genuinely open to it, designers offer exactly the kind of perspective needed to navigate complexity and drive meaningful innovation.'
'Beyond the obvious creativity and problem-solving skills, I think good design leaders bring energy and freshness to organisations. They know how to generate and sustain momentum, and bring people with them. Design is equal parts creativity and pragmatism and we're good at identifying where to spend effort/energy and where not to, when to be in the detail and when to think big picture. When that kind of thinking is undervalued, things get stale and businesses suffer.'
'Design brings a unique and often overlooked perspective to the boardroom. Some of the best-performing and innovative companies in the world are design-led. The world needs more organisations with design leaders at the helm to confront everything from climate change to AI. Ignore the value of design at your own peril.'
'Design isn’t just how things look – it’s how systems function, how people interact and how culture evolves. When design leaders sit at the decision-making table, they bring long-term vision to the business. Especially in African contexts, where design is both cultural and economic capital, our presence in leadership spaces is essential.'
'Design leaders are dreamers. Design is in everything we do, in how we think, lead, build and live. Any boardroom needs this at the table. When design leaders have a seat, they bring curiosity, play, and vision. Decisions become more intentional, more human.'
'We bring empathy, abstract thought and listening with intent to the table to help create equitable experiences for all.'
'Designers do need to be in the boardroom, but it’s not just about being there – it’s about being prepared to contribute real value. For a design leader to be truly effective in the boardroom, they must understand the business. That means knowing how decisions are made, what the key drivers are, and how to speak the language of strategy and results. Without that, their voice won’t be heard – no matter how strong their creative vision is.
In my experience, when design is part of the conversation from the beginning – and when it's backed by business understanding – it has the power to connect brand, strategy, and user experience in a way that drives both innovation and growth. It’s not about making things look good; it’s about making them work better for people and for the business.'
'Design leaders need to understand what their business and companies are trying to achieve from the C-level point of view. They need to have that level of communication and thinking skills. More employees in general need to understand how their business actually works. That way they can contribute to it beyond their technical skills and in a way that is inline with the company’s goals.'
'Designers often bring a sort of bird’s-eye view, driven by curiosity and constant questioning. This genuine interest in making things work – not just economically, but also for the people who will use them – is a key quality of good design.
That’s why designers should be in the boardroom. Because those rooms often lack someone with an innate sense for what's missing – beyond the functional or financial. Sometimes it's something crucial, sometimes just a detail, but as they say: the devil is in the details.'
'For companies that don’t sell commodities, design can make a critical difference – it shapes not just products but the entire user experience and emotional connection with the brand. Design leaders bring a unique perspective that blends creativity with strategy, and that voice needs to be present at the highest level to guide meaningful innovation and long-term value.'
'In agencies, we often celebrated creative success without ever knowing if the work moved the needle. In-house, success is tied to impact – leads, conversions, revenue. Design leaders translate complexity into clarity. We make the invisible visible. When we’re in the room, we don’t just support strategy – we help bring it to life.'
'Design is a strategic tool. Design leaders bring creativity, empathy, and systems thinking to the boardroom, ensuring decisions are human-centred, innovative, and future-ready.'
'In technical organisations, design leadership provides the essential counterbalance to engineering-dominated thinking. While technical teams focus on capabilities and feasibilities, design leaders navigate the equally crucial territories of desirability and purpose.
Tech environments often assume superior technology automatically translates to market success. Design leaders challenge this by reconnecting technical possibilities to human needs and broader contexts. When design leaders participate in board-level decisions, they ensure technological advancement serves meaningful change rather than advancement for its own sake.'
'Without design leaders at the table, strategy risks becoming disconnected from the people it’s meant to serve. If businesses want to move from being product-centric to truly people and planet-centric, design leadership needs to be at the heart of decision-making.'
'Design leaders need to be at the C-level and in the boardroom because design is no longer just about aesthetics; it is a strategic function that shapes customer experience, drives innovation, and directly impacts business performance. Design influences how a brand is perceived, and without a design leader’s input in C-level decisions, design risks becoming misaligned with the core business values and vision.'
'Design leaders are a rare breed. We open the aperture to see the business and impact through different metrics – equipped with the ability to make intangible correlations, influence culture, build connection and commonality, that creates brand resonance beyond what charts, numbers and forecasts can achieve.'
'Design leaders belong in the boardroom – not just to advocate for design, but because companies need to care about experience. Design isn’t just how something looks; it’s how it works, how it feels, and how it builds trust. When companies prioritise design at the highest level, they make space for clarity, empathy, and innovation to drive the business forward. Experience is the product – and that deserves a seat at the table.'
'I see design as bridging the gaps between different departments. I’ve already seen it at work when design gets to bring everyone to a common ground and exponentially have bigger impact on the business and the people. After all, businesses are also users.'
'We are trained to think out of the box and look for solutions, with the ability to connect with people on different levels.'
'Design absolutely belongs in the boardroom and at the C-level. Design needs to be part of the ethos of every company, not just an execution layer. As we move into a world where AI can rapidly replicate and commoditise digital products, design will be the engine to expand the perspective from a narrow product-driven focus into a user context-relevant experience.'
'Design Leaders in the C-suite drive innovation, solve complex problems with fresh perspectives, and craft visionary strategies that keep companies competitive and adaptable. Design leadership fosters a culture of agility and inspiration, essential for thriving in today’s fast-changing business landscape.'
'The most successful companies transcend themselves. And as design leaders, that’s what we create: transcendence.'
'I believe the more points of view we can get into the boardroom, the broader and more complex the view of leadership becomes, therefore allowing us to really see the full big picture. And having a multidisciplinary boardroom, just as on any team, allows for more creative and efficient outcomes.'
'Everything involves design at the end of the day — thinking about it from the start should be a given.'
'I think the design thinking needs to be there. The logic. The principles. That might mean a person representing it. Or everyone in the boardroom having some design thinking and doing in their toolbox.'
'I think C-level personnel must understand design in the same way, designers must understand business.'
'It can be useful, but it’s not mandatory. You can act as a design leader in a transversal role inside (and outside) your company.
Inside: engineers, finance experts, any corporate role can find alignment with you when they understand design goals and your dedication to a common vision.
Outside: your vision and approach can be shared with partners, schools, governments.'
'Design leadership allows us to take care of customers’ real needs and wants by increasing the intrinsic value of the product offering, differentiating from the competition, and creating great bonds.'
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