Design Leaders Must Forge Their Own Path

Design leaders often feel pressured by the dominant influence of product functions, risking alignment to external models that may not support their success criteria. To counter this, they should proactively establish their own operational models that resonate with their teams and organization. Engaging with existing frameworks that have organizational relevance, such as customer journeys, and effectively communicating their benefits to product leaders can help gain traction. Furthermore, drawing inspiration from engineering practices, which are evolving to enhance customer-centricity and agility, can provide valuable insights into structuring design processes and improving feedback loops. Leveraging techniques like event storming and behavior-driven design from engineering can significantly influence design effectiveness and accelerate delivery.