AIGA’s Latest Design POV Installment Emphasizes How Design Can Lead in Organizations and Enhance the Bottom Line

Highlighting Design’s Strategic Role and Value it Brings to Organizations and Society 

New York, NY—Today, AIGA, the professional association for design, released the third installment of its 2021 AIGA Design POV Research Initiative: Design Leads and Value of Design. This deep dive into the design industry’s value and workplace ecosystem unpacks how to navigate and impact business as strategic bridges.

“There are numerous opportunities for design and designers to lead and not only in the design profession but also in helping businesses to transform and shape experiences. We are working to create and foster opportunities that bring visibility to our profession and highlight the value design brings to the table,” said AIGA Executive Director Bennie F. Johnson. 

Findings suggest that while design is prioritized in executive decision-making, designers have not always been part of the decision process. Leading organizations were shown to be more likely to understand and see the design team as a strategic business partner, working with senior management to implement organizational strategies with respect and investment in mutual growth. However, there is a lot of room for growth. AIGA found that only 9% of respondents noted their organizations have a design scorecard to measure design performance creating an opportunity for design to become a more strategic player in organizations. Another interesting finding is that only 15% of Fortune Top 100 Companies have a Chief Design Officer, highlighting the fact that design is not as integrated in senior management as other functions. Designers are more than five times less likely than Human Resource and Finance professionals to be listed as part of the executive team among the 100 world's most admired companies. 

Workplaces with a strong culture of respect foster designer empowerment and value through fair pay and benefits, encouragement of healthy work-life balances, and care for existing and future skills. The research likewise supports increasing designers’ business competency to develop a more effective strategic vision and organizational facilitation. 

As with the previous Market Reset and Future Forward chapter of the AIGA Design POV, this chapter features interactive visioning worksheets, this time for business organizations seeking to understand the value of design and develop design as a strategic driver.

Additional information about the report can be found here. To request a copy of the report, which is available free to members of the media, please email us.

In July, AIGA will release new chapters on designer trajectories diving into what it means to be a designer and pathways to becoming a designer, in addition to data on the design market.

The AIGA Design POV was made possible thanks to the support of PepsiCo.