"Design has a seat at the table." "Be more strategic." "Learn to speak business."
You've heard it. It's vague. Here are the specific reasons.
The Selfish Reasons
1. Protection during layoffs. Leadership keeps people essential to business outcomes. Can you prove that's you?
2. Salary negotiation leverage. "I improved conversion by 23%" beats "I shipped a beautiful redesign."
3. Career progression. Every VP job description mentions business acumen.
4. Autonomy. Designers who speak business get trusted with more decisions. Those who don't get micromanaged.
5. Option to go independent. Freelance and consulting require business skills. No one else handles it for you.
The Impact Reasons
6. Better decisions. Understanding constraints makes your design decisions smarter.
7. Faster approvals. Frame work in business terms, get faster decisions.
8. Real problems. Get invited into problem definition instead of being handed solutions to pretty up.
9. Product direction. Contribute to strategy, not just execution.
10. Protecting your team. Leaders who prove ROI keep their teams funded.
The Industry Reasons
11. AI is changing the game. Judgment calls about what to build are business decisions.
12. Skepticism is rising. The "design-led" hype has faded. Companies want proof.
13. Design isn't novel anymore. The bar for proving value has risen.
14. Remote demands clarity. You can't rely on hallway conversations. Your work needs to speak for itself.
15. The best designers already do this. Look at the designers you admire. They all have business fluency. Not a coincidence.
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