Ep 123 Value of Design P1: Understanding the power and stigma of the word ‘Design’

Show notes

Welcome to the 123rd episode of The Crazy One Podcast. I’m your host, Stephen Gates, and this is the show where we talk about creativity, leadership, design, and everything else that empowers creative people.

You can listen to all episodes, get show notes, and more at thecrazyone.com—that’s thecrazy and the number one. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, and if you enjoy the show, take a second to leave a quick review. That’s the only cost of admission I ever ask for—and I appreciate it every time.

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A New Three-Part Series: The Value of Design

This episode kicks off a special three-part series about a question I get more than almost any other:

“How do I—or my team—articulate the value of design?”

Whether you’re trying to get headcount, funding, a seat at the table, or just get taken more seriously, this is a tough problem that demands a real, structured approach.

Here’s how we’ll break it down:

• Episode 123 (this episode): The power and stigma of the word “design”

• Episode 124: How to create demand for design

• Episode 125: How to effectively articulate design’s value

 

Don’t jump ahead—each episode builds on the last. Without the foundation, you’ll just be trying to build influence on quicksand.

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Why We Need to Start With the Word “Design”

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the word design.

I’ve had hundreds of conversations over the years—at companies, during consulting and coaching, and in mentoring sessions—where I offer one piece of advice that often catches people off guard:

“If you want to scale design or have it taken more seriously, stop calling it ‘design.’”

It sounds strange coming from a design leader, but it’s rooted in a hard truth:

We see design as a process, a way of thinking, a tool, a methodology, or a way to solve problems collaboratively.

But that’s our perspective.

To others, especially cross-functional partners, the word “design” often sounds like:

• A power grab

• A silo

• Something exclusive or exclusionary

• Something only visual or surface-level

 

Ask someone to join a “design thinking session” and one of the most common reactions is:

“But I’m not a designer.”

That one word creates division before the work even starts.

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The Real Problem: Design vs. Creativity

This all stems from a core misunderstanding: the difference between design and creativity.

Here’s how I break it down:

• Creativity = the problem-solving process.

  It’s the thinking, ideation, iteration, and exploration.

• Design = the expression of those ideas.

  It’s the craft, the visual execution, the deliverables.

 

Substitute “design” with coding, writing, or music. The same distinction holds. One is thinking, the other is making.

Most people can be creative. They’ve just forgotten how.

Watch a five-year-old. They sing, paint, pretend. Creativity flows. But over time, school, society, and work teach us to:

• Conform

• Minimize risk

• Follow rules

 

Inclusive creative methodologies, like design thinking, reawaken that. They invite others in. When people participate, they see value. When they see value, your team’s influence grows.

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Why Design Gets Devalued

Design is often seen as:

• Something that happens at the end

• Something to “make it pretty”

• Something visual, not strategic

 

Why?

Because when we only show the output, and not the thinking behind it, we become a commodity.

And in a commodity mindset:

• You’re not at the table

• You’re not consulted early

• You’re not seen as a partner

 

“Design is an output. Creativity is an outcome.”

That’s the perception we need to shift.

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The Power of Outcomes Over Outputs

When design is reduced to just execution, it becomes easy to:

• Debate endlessly (“I don’t like that blue”)

• Ignore entirely (“We’ll involve design later”)

 

But when design is rooted in creativity, problem-solving, and outcomes, it becomes essential.

Great design presentations aren’t just visuals.

They include:

• The problem

• The insights

• The breakthrough

• The process

• The why

 

The visuals simply validate the thinking.

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Measuring and Sharing Value

If you want to break the cycle, start by gathering data:

• Team velocity

• Usability metrics

• Conversion rates

• Customer feedback

 

Use that data to tell stories about your impact. Don’t wait for someone to notice.

Share it:

• In emails

• At company all-hands

• During retrospectives

• With leadership

 

Never assume people understand the value of your work. You have to show it.

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Partnership, Not Ownership

This isn’t about design “ruling the world.” It’s about partnership:

• With product

• With engineering

• With marketing

• With leadership

 

Great digital product design is inherently collaborative.

Everyone contributes to design.

Design thinking, design sprints—whatever the methodology—are tools that:

• Put the customer at the center

• Align diverse voices

• Generate real data

• Push beyond opinions and ego

 

But beware: they require neutral facilitation. This isn’t a way for design to push its own agenda. It must be inclusive, open, and outcome-focused.

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The Mario Fireball Analogy

Shout-out to my friend Sina Mossayeb for this brilliant metaphor:

• Walking around your company asking people, “Do you want to eat a flower?” (aka “Join our design thinking session”) gets weird looks.

• But ask them, “Do you want to throw fireballs?” (aka “Solve real problems, unlock creativity, make real change”)—they’re in.

 

Then you explain: “To throw fireballs, you just need to eat this flower.”

It’s simple. It’s powerful. It shifts focus from process to outcome.

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Reframe the Opportunity

A lot of our frustrations come from misalignment.

We see people who:

• Don’t understand us

• Don’t value us

• Want to leave us out

 

But maybe they:

• Want to be creative again

• Don’t know how

• Are afraid of the uncertainty

 

Corporate culture rewards certainty, not exploration. Timelines, roadmaps, OKRs—those are safe. Creativity is not.

We have to be the bridge.

Help others rediscover their creativity. Help them become comfortable being uncomfortable. That’s how you build trust—and how design becomes a strategic asset.

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Summary: The Foundation

If you remember nothing else, remember this:

Design is seen as an output. Creativity is an outcome.

Most teams that struggle to show value are stuck in the “output” box. They aren’t known for the thinking. They aren’t part of the problem-solving.

So ask yourself:

• What is your team known for?

• Do you lead with outputs or outcomes?

• Do people see your work or your thinking?

 

Until you change that, no tool, framework, or methodology will make a difference.

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Coming Next: Creating Demand for Design (Episode 124)

Now that you understand the foundation, it’s time to build on it.

In the next episode:

• How to create demand for design

• Why inclusive methodologies work

• How to go from “make it pretty” to “solve this with us”

 

This is where we turn ideas into action.

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Wrap-Up

Thanks, as always, for spending time with me. You can find show notes and related articles at thecrazyone.com.

Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review—it helps more people discover the show.

And of course, legal wants me to remind you: the views here are my own and don’t represent any of my former employers.

Time is the only true luxury any of us has, and I’m incredibly humbled you chose to spend some of it with me.

Until next time…

Stay crazy.

Tagged as:
business value of design creative leadership creativity vs. execution data-driven desi design data design impact design influence design leadership design process design strategy elevating design Stephen Gates team development value of design