Summary
Have you ever wondered, “what is the value of design?” In this talk, Shahrzad will not answer that question. Instead, she’ll share the mistakes she made while chasing the question of value across both consulting and in-house design. Through these embarrassing stories, she’ll share lessons learned for how designers and design leaders can own and deliver on their value.
Key Insights
-
•
Individual designers must understand the broader strategic context to play their role effectively.
-
•
Being a 'pawn' in a larger business game is not powerless; small roles can have big impact.
-
•
Clients may have hidden agendas, such as satisfying investors, that influence design decisions.
-
•
Sometimes consulting projects lack clarity, purpose, or champions, making them unsalvageable.
-
•
Designers create value by making tangible artifacts even before fully learning the business.
-
•
Long onboarding periods in enterprises can hinder designers from contributing early impact.
-
•
Overwork and unclear priorities damage team morale and output until addressed operationally.
-
•
Fighting to prove design’s value often backfires; consistent delivery builds trust instead.
-
•
Invisible enemies often stem from misunderstandings, resolved through personal relationship-building.
-
•
Knowing when to exit situations with no champion is crucial to protecting personal value.
Notable Quotes
"If the game is chess and you’re playing darts, no one is going to think you have any value."
"We were a pawn, but a pawn can win the game."
"Sometimes you’re hired by people you never meet but who are really calling the shots."
"Some situations are not worth saving, even if nobody is openly threatening you."
"Designers are one of the few professions that can create value before fully understanding the space."
"If we aren’t making, we actually do have no value at all."
"Your value as a person matters just as much as your value as a designer."
"Proving the value of design is a fool’s errand; instead, focus on your own value and impact."
"Fighting invisible enemies only diminishes your own impact."
"Building authentic relationships with supporters helps make a giant impact."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"We want teams to have autonomy and power to make pivot, shelve, and proceed decisions, not leadership dictating."
Standardizing Product Merits for Leaders, Designers, and Everyone
June 15, 2018
"The Red Queen effect means if others adapt, you must adapt or lose."
Simon WardleyMaps and Topographical Intelligence (Videoconference)
January 31, 2019
"Bias is a tendency, feeling or opinion for or against something without reason or evidence."
Sandra CamachoCreating More Bias-Proof Designs
January 22, 2025
"Reviewing decision points creates a source of truth and makes it harder to forget or scrap earlier agreements."
Darian DavisLessons from a Toxic Work Relationship
January 8, 2024
"ChatGPT didn’t have the full context of what was most important to stakeholders, so I had to edit its output before sharing."
Fisayo Osilaja[Demo] The AI edge: From researcher to strategist
June 4, 2024
"Craft cultivates customer satisfaction, loyalty, and even forgiveness when functional issues arise."
Uday GajendarThe Wicked Craft of Enterprise UX
May 13, 2015
"Trust is often underestimated but is critical when designers face public critique and feedback."
Davis Neable Guy SegalHow to Drive a Design Project When you Don’t Have a Design Team
June 10, 2021
"Once cash prizes were gone, people stopped feeling ownership of the design system."
Eniola OluwoleLessons From the DesignOps Journey of the World's Largest Travel Site
October 24, 2019
"Product managers feel design is a black box; they want visibility, transparency, and accountability on timelines."
Aurobinda Pradhan Shashank DeshpandeIntroduction to Collaborative DesignOps using Cubyts
September 9, 2022
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
How might subscription services be redesigned using thinking styles to better address user financial and emotional concerns?
In what ways is AI’s increasing energy usage influencing the green software discussion?
How can solo researchers or small teams scale their impact without dedicated operational resources?