I’ve been hearing about design’s impending rise to the C-suite for practically my entire career. On the latest episode of our design leadership podcast Finding Our Way, CDO Jehad Affoneh helps me and Peter unpack what it means now that they’ve finally arrived. Some reflections:
As a C-level function, design’s value proposition is more strategic—and consequently more fluid. For the design executive, the role inevitably becomes more improvisational and relational, as their ability to get things done relies less and less on highly structured and formalized mandates.
Instead, design’s contribution to the business and the shape of the design executive’s role itself become emergent outcomes of an unfolding conversation and negotiation within the C-suite about the best ways to leverage the organization’s existing capabilities and strategically build new ones.
In other words, the scale and scope of influence of the chief design executive relies largely on what their partners in the C-suite will permit. As Jehad’s stories illustrate, finding that alignment and permission is essential to being able to drive the evolution and elevation of design’s value to the organization.
Hope you enjoy the conversation!
Jesse James Garrett 