4 Design Roles to Help You Chart Your Organization’s Future
By Lead with Purpose Research Team
February 3, 2020
The Institute of Design at Illinois Tech (ID) released the Lead with Purpose report to highlight design’s central role in realizing executive vision. The research team set out to define the future roles of designers to forecast what design roles would look like in three to five years, and what skills individuals will need to fill those roles. Here, learn more about the four design roles that are most likely to help bring organizations into the future.
The Design Roles Responsible for the Intent-to-Effect Pathway
The actual number of roles an organization implements might change depending on its size and structure. Your focus should be on the function of each role in the Intent-to-Effect Pathway.
As you move from left to right in the Intent-to-Effect Pathway, the intent remains consistent while the steps for realizing the intent become clearer and more real. Each role is informing and being informed by the others—in a continuous, iterative fashion—as the organization’s pathway emerges. Each contributor, in their unique way, is supporting the organization to take it from lofty intent to tangible effect, expressing both the vision and values of the organization.
A continuous and iterative loop of how to realize the intent of a vision needs to thrive among these roles. As the pathway takes shape, questions about what’s desirable, feasible, and viable will surface, as will questions about an intent’s justness, sustainability, and inclusivity. It also will be necessary to facilitate difficult conversations on what the organization is willing to invest in or do—both internally and externally— to yield the returns it seeks. These continuous and iterative conversations ensure that the organization is walking in lockstep, with design closing the gap between an organization’s intent (its vision) and the desired effect (how it realizes that vision).
Lead Researcher Brianna Sylver-Galvao explains the design roles that will have the most impact in organizations.
Each of the four new design roles that emerged from our research contributes uniquely to the organization’s Intent-to-Effect Pathway, including the process of making the intent clear and compelling, creating space for alignment among cross-functional teams, and serving as a check on the organization’s original vision and ongoing values.
The sample job descriptions for each of these Intent-to-Effect Pathway roles are here to help you understand the key skills required of each role so your organization’s intent (the vision) and the desired effect are clearly congruent.
Sample Job Descriptions
The Executive Vision Partner is a visionary, business-oriented design leader who helps the executive leadership team articulate its vision and then partners with the Vision Interpreter to define—in broad strokes—the pathway (the actual how) for achieving that intent and organizing the cross-functional teams best suited to yield the intended value and impact.
What are the primary attributes and activities of the Executive Vision Partner?
- Design Leader – The Executive Vision Partner has proven expertise in business and the industry and provides inspiring design leadership across the entire company. This leader articulates company vision in a way that unifies and motivates everyone and also promotes design—as a core competency, a functional discipline of expertise, and a critical enabler on the pathway to effect.
- Visionary – With expertise in identifying and articulating a vision for future growth and impact, the Executive Vision Partner has foresight and uses that mindset to detect change early, to holistically explore the implications of that change to the business, and to identify new possible directions for the business to succeed and grow.
- Steward – The Executive Vision Partner offers the confidence, influence, and expertise to lead the organization in implementing the vision defined. By appreciating the unique strengths and competencies that exist across the organization—both within and outside of design, this organizational steward knows how to connect and amplify those strengths to build better cocreated outcomes.
- Business + Design Strategy – The Executive Vision Partner has a deep understanding of the complexities of business and the forces that drive change (internally and externally) combined with the ability to mobilize diverse stakeholders around a common vision, distill complex strategies into a simple narrative, and inspire support for the Intent-to-Effect Pathway.
What are the top talents and skills needed for this role?
- Technological Competency – A working knowledge and understanding of the technologies that drive and affect the business now, as well as new emerging technologies that might represent opportunities for future growth and competitive advantage.
- Design Advocacy – Being able to lead and promote the design function and competency of the organization while building and improving the infrastructure needed to support and integrate design into existing business processes.
- Expert Skills in Communication – Being able to understand, speak the language of, and connect with people across all levels, disciplines, and functions of the organization, including the use of both persuasive storytelling and humble listening to the diverse opinions and perspectives of others.
- Leadership Strengths – Having the personal qualities and talents that ensure success for this specific leadership role (a growth mindset, a passion for people, open-mindedness, a drive to solve problems, curiosity, humility, perseverance, integrity, etc.).
Experience, training, and education for this role as suggested by our research
- 12+ years of experience in various, graduated leadership roles (manager, supervisor, director, vice president, etc.)
- 8+ years of experience in (client) industry (especially important if the industry is highly complex/specialized, as in healthcare)
- Director-level experience or more in leading strategic growth initiatives
- A master’s degree in design strategy or its equivalent, plus a master’s degree in business management/strategy (a dual master’s degree acceptable)
The Vision Interpreter is a strategic design leader who works closely with the Executive Vision Partner to translate the vision into plans of action and then determine the distinct opportunities and problems to solve that are embedded in that executive vision. For each identified opportunity and problem to solve, the Vision Interpreter establishes teams to facilitate the Intent-to-Effect Pathway.
What are the primary attributes and activities of the Vision Interpreter?
- Planner – The Vision Interpreter is skilled at translating leadership’s high-level vision into actionable steps by activating systems-level thinking and perspective and making connections between seemingly disparate parts of a constantly changing system or organization. The Vision Interpreter can foresee possible outcomes and unintended consequences of conceptual pathways that others may miss.
- Negotiator – The Vision Interpreter understands the large strategic vision of the organization and communicates it in a clear and compelling way to cross-disciplinary teams across the organizational functions. The Vision Interpreter honors the needs of both the business and its end-users /customers and regularly advocates for the needs of each party as visions take shape in the Intent-to-Effect Pathway.
- Storyteller – The Vision Interpreter crafts persuasive stories that take into account the needs, backgrounds, and perspectives of all stakeholders. In doing so, this individual knows how to characterize the vision in a way that will excite and motivate the teams.
What are the top talents and skills needed for this role?
- Business Acumen – Clearly conversant in business and skilled in strategy; understands the complex challenges the business faces in achieving its vision, with the ability to shift and reframe opportunities as they develop; ensures that the organization pivots as needed to develop a meaningful effect, while maintaining the original intent.
- Technological Competency – A working knowledge and understanding of the technologies that drive and impact the business now, as well as emerging technologies that might represent opportunities for future growth and competitive advantage.
- Collaborative Communication – Able to reach across silos and build strong, aligned cross-functional teams; makes the vision tangible, and thus actionable; empowers teams and individual members to own the way they will support the organization along the Intent-to-Effect Pathway.
- Design Scaling – Skilled in the methods, tools, and processes for scaling business for growth and sustainability, especially through internal business operations, systems, processes, and “ways of working” to improve systemic efficiency—and to meet the growing demand for connected customer experiences.
Experience, training, and education for this role as suggested by our research
- 7+ years in a design strategy or innovation role, preferably for a client organization in (preferred) industry
- A master’s degree in design strategy or its equivalent
- A bachelor’s degree or equivalent certification training in business management/strategy
The Action Aligner is a strategic design leader who works closely with the Vision Interpreter to support the organization to fully examine the details of what will be required to make the vision of the organization real. Working closely with the relevant cross-functional team, especially the Producers (described below), the Action Aligner creates space for alignment around a specific opportunity or problem to solve and defines—in a cross-functional team—the specific steps that will yield the optimal realization of the organization’s vision.
What are the primary attributes and activities of the Action Aligner?
- Problem Framer – The Action Aligner continually focuses the team on the core opportunity and /or problem to solve in pursuit of the organizational vision. The Action Aligner must be able to continually clarify and reframe the challenge. At this stage of the actualization process the real depth of opportunity learning comes into play, and thus, strategic decisions around necessary pivots need to be made.
- Inquisitor – The Action Aligner continually works to identify the specific requirements for making a designed offering or experience more desirable, feasible, viable, just, sustainable, and inclusive. Using the methods and tools of design, the Action Aligner enables team members across disciplines to work together, each one making a unique and valuable contribution, in shared pursuit of the visionary intent.
- Facilitator – The Action Aligner engages cross-functional teams to define the specific actions—internal and external—required to make the organization’s vision real and facilitates the process that aligns all stakeholder points of view into a cohesive strategy and workable roadmap.
What are the top talents and skills needed for this role?
- Business Competency – A broad understanding of the organization and a deep understanding of the business unit/ function and its role in serving the organization as a whole.
- Technological Literacy – A suitable knowledge of emerging technology and data that enables the Action Aligner to speak and understand the language of technologists and know the affordances and limitations of technology and its potential for influencing the direction of solution pathways.
- Facilitation Skills – Deep understanding of and experience in guiding groups through a structured design or knowledge-making process (design thinking workshops, strategy forums, co-creation sessions, design sprints, etc.).
- Project Process Management – Both the traditional skills of a project manager (planning, scheduling, assigning tasks, etc.) and the structured process skills of a designer (clarifying intent, framing the problem, understanding the context, etc.).
- Design Practice Fluency – Knowledge of the complete range of design practice specialties within the organization/ unit (communication design, product design, UX/UI, etc.), and the ability to leverage design methods, tools, and processes to sufficiently support each of these design practice specialties in identifying requirements.
Experience, training, and education for this role as suggested by our research
- 5+ years of industry experience in a design related discipline (product, communication, HCI, etc.) with a focus on design research and strategy
- A master’s degree in design strategy or its equivalent
- Certificate training in business management, project management, or technology a plus
With deep expertise in one or more design disciplines (UX, UI, communication design, design research, etc.), these individuals actually create the solutions, offerings, experiences, etc., that realize the desired effect. Producers regularly collaborate with the Action Aligner and other members of the cross-functional team.
What are the primary attributes and activities of Producers?
- Specialist Problem-Solvers – Producers have specific and deep expertise (UX, service design, product design, etc.) to realize the desired effect of the organization’s intent. With these specific skills and knowledge, Producers bring the conceptual aspects of that vision to life through tangible, functional, and visual outcomes, including products, services, and messages.
- Integrator– Producers know how to uphold the quality and humancentered principles of design while ensuring the functionality of products, services, offerings, etc. These individuals are the final connectors of the Intent-to-Effect Pathway, manifesting the vision of the organization into actual products and services that address the needs of all stakeholders.
- Facilitator – The Action Aligner engages cross-functional teams to define the specific actions—internal and external—required to make the organization’s vision real and facilitates the process that aligns all stakeholder points of view into a cohesive strategy and workable roadmap.
What are the top talents and skills needed for this role?
- Business Empathy – Genuine appreciation and empathy for all businesspersons and perspectives that make up the cross-functional team devoted to the intent, as well as full knowledge of the intent’s related functions.
- Deep Technological Skills – In-depth knowledge and training in multiple, specific technological capabilities and the ability to directly apply that understanding to the development of new tech-based solutions.
- Deep Design Skills– In-depth knowledge and training in multiple, specific design disciplines and capabilities, from concept to delivery, as well as deep competency in prototyping.
Experience, training, and education for this role as suggested by our research
- A bachelor’s degree in a design discipline (product, communication, HCI, etc.)
- Entry-level to two years of experience in the related field, and experience working with related tools and software
- Professional design portfolio demonstrating the designer’s skills, talents, and capabilities
- Certificate training in one or more technologies relevant to the business
Explore the full 2020 ID Report in our Resource Library. You can also download the PDF to see a chart that breaks down Design Roles, Primary Function in the Intent-to-Effect Pathway, and Primary Strengths Required (p. 36)