Ep 124 Value of Design P2: Creating demand for design

Show notes

Creating Demand for Design

Welcome to the 124th 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 in between—designed to empower creative people.

You can listen to all episodes, find show notes, and more at thecrazyone.com—that’s thecrazy and the number one. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, and while you’re there, leave a quick review. It’s the only payment I ask and it helps bring more listeners into the show.

And remember, The Crazy One is also on YouTube. I post content there around career coaching, design tutorials, keynotes, and more. Check it out at thecrazyone.com/youtube.

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Why This Series Matters

This is Part 2 of a three-part series on how to show the value of design.

• Part 1 (Episode 123): We explored how design is often seen as ownership vs. process, the difference between outputs and outcomes, and the mindset shift required to move from commodity to strategic asset.

• Part 2 (this episode): We’re diving into how to create demand for design—turning high-level ideas into practical action and business impact.

 

Let’s talk mindset, planning, and the real work of turning design into a sought-after strategic asset.

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Start With a Plan (That Isn’t Perfect)

Creating demand starts with something deceptively simple: a plan. But most people get stuck thinking a plan means “having all the answers.”

A plan isn’t the solution—it’s a starting point. It’s permission to figure things out.

Four Principles of a Great Plan:

1. Informed – Ground it in real data, insights, and observed behaviors. Show what’s broken, inefficient, or misaligned.

2. Clear – Define what needs to change and what everyone’s role in that change is.

3. Inclusive – Empower the team and partners to co-own the change. Transformation fails when people are spectators instead of participants.

4. Human – Make people feel seen and valued. Communicate clearly. Listen deeply. Lead with empathy.

 

Change isn’t about dictating answers—it’s about inviting others into the process.

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Three Proven Ways to Create Demand for Design

These are the three methods I’ve returned to time and again. They work because they’re practical, human-centered, and scalable.

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1. Use a Design Methodology (Without Calling It That)

Whether it’s design thinking, a design sprint, or your own hybrid, you need a repeatable, inclusive, insight-driven process.

But here’s the trick:

Don’t call it design thinking—that triggers ownership bias and exclusion.

Instead, focus on what the methodology enables:

• Cross-functional collaboration

• Real-time problem framing

• Prototyping and validation

• Evidence-based decision making

 

It helps move teams beyond opinions, breaks down silos, and brings everyone into the same room, on equal footing.

Bonus Tip: Run a “Sprint Zero”

Before diving into agile sprints, run a pre-sprint phase:

• Validate the problem

• Align on goals

• Build empathy

• Inform backlog with purpose

 

You’ll save time, avoid rework, and build better alignment across design, product, and engineering.

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2. Create a Single Source of Truth

One major reason design gets marginalized is the lack of shared understanding across teams. Everyone works from different roadmaps, different KPIs, and different mental models.

You need to build a single source of truth that aligns everyone on the problem you’re solving.

There are two effective tools for this:

A. Customer Journey Mapping

• Maps the full experience—from awareness to retention

• Based on real data, not opinions

• Clarifies pain points, moments of opportunity, and prioritization

• Reveals where dysfunction is hurting the customer (and business)

B. North Star Concepts

• Visualize where you want to be in 18–24 months

• Break it down into incremental milestones (12 months, 6 months, 3 months, etc.)

• Align with product and engineering to ensure feasibility

• Create consequence: Show how short-term distractions delay or derail the big vision

 

These frameworks shift the conversation from reaction to intention, and elevate design to a planning partner—not just an execution arm.

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3. Build a Shared Mindset and Cultural Model

You’re trying to change behavior, not just processes. And behavior starts with mindset.

Most teams are reactive. They address problems only after they happen—or when something is on fire.

You need to get ahead of that by defining shared behaviors and expectations—a cultural model that’s intentional, not accidental.

How to Do It:

• Define behaviors that drive trust, inclusion, and collaboration

• Address long-standing friction points (like late invites, misaligned goals, etc.)

• Document them

• Start meetings with them

• Celebrate people who model them

• Model the behavior you want—don’t just criticize what’s broken

Avoid the “Negativity Bias”

Don’t fall into the trap of only calling out what’s wrong. Champion what’s working. Show people what great looks like. People follow what they see celebrated.

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Where to Start

Start small. Start quiet.

Begin with a project no one cares about—seriously.

That’s often where you’ll find teams:

• Hungry for help

• Open to change

• Grateful for partnership

 

Prove it works. Build a case study. Then scale. Show the value, don’t just claim it.

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Coming Next: Telling the Story of Your Value (Episode 125)

You’ve got the mindset. You’ve got the demand. Now, how do you demonstrate the value of design in a way that resonates?

That’s what we’ll tackle in the next and final part of this series.

• How to show impact with data and metrics

• How to build feedback loops and reviews

• How to tell compelling stories about your work

• And how to show up as a strategic partner, not just a visual decorator

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Wrap-Up

Thanks, as always, for spending time with me. Remember:

• Subscribe at thecrazyone.com

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• Reviews help the show grow—please take 60 seconds to leave one

 

The views in this show are my own and don’t represent any of my past employers.

And as always:

Time is the only real luxury any of us have. Thank you for spending some of it with me.

Go out, assess your role—commodity or asset? Make a plan. Start small. Shift the mindset. And above all…

Stay crazy.

Tagged as:
building a design plan business impact of design creating demand for design creative lea design in business design influence design leadership design methodologies design strategy elevating design Stephen Gates team empowerment value of design