Session Recap: Unlocking Influence for Design Leaders with Andy Budd

A recurring theme in Andy’s coaching sessions with design leaders is the frustration of not being understood at the highest level. Many feel like they’re constantly having to “educate” leadership on the value of design. However, as Andy pointed out, no executive wants to sit through a lesson on why they’re wrong, especially from a designer.

Instead, he emphasized that influence starts with understanding. Just as designers conduct user research to gain insights into customers, they need to apply the same level of curiosity to their business partners. What are they trying to achieve? How do they measure success? What challenges are they facing? Aligning design conversations with business priorities is essential to making an impact.

The Wrong Way to Advocate for Design

Andy shared a scenario many design leaders have experienced—finally securing a rare 30-minute slot in a leadership meeting, preparing a compelling presentation filled with case studies from Apple and Airbnb, showcasing how design-led companies outperform others, and making the case for moving away from the “feature factory” mindset.

Despite high expectations, the outcome is often underwhelming. Leadership acknowledges the presentation, asks a few polite questions, and moves on—no additional headcount, no shift in strategy, and no sudden realization that design should take the lead.

Why? Because, as Andy explained, business leaders don’t respond well to being told they’re doing things wrong—especially by someone who hasn’t yet earned their trust. Influence isn’t about evangelizing design; it’s about positioning design as a critical partner in achieving business outcomes.

How to Build Influence Effectively

Andy outlined several key strategies for gaining influence as a design leader:

1. Speak the Language of Business
Business leaders prioritize revenue, growth, and efficiency. Rather than positioning design as a creative function, successful design leaders connect their work to these priorities. Demonstrating how design reduces churn, increases conversions, or speeds up product development makes design an essential part of business strategy.

2. Build Cross-Functional Alliances
Instead of struggling against sales and marketing teams, design leaders should collaborate with them. Providing design insights that enhance their efforts—such as refining sales materials or improving customer onboarding—creates advocates for design in the broader organization. When sales and marketing leaders see the value of design, leadership listens.

3. Identify the Right Timing
Executives often dismiss design early on because they believe their vision is clear and simply needs execution. However, when growth stalls, user engagement drops, or conversion rates decline, they become more receptive to design solutions. Design leaders should be present at these critical moments to offer insights and interventions.

4. Demonstrate Impact Through Actions, Not Just Words
Rather than demanding a seat at the table, design leaders must prove why they belong there. By identifying and delivering small, high-impact design interventions, they can showcase tangible business results. Once leadership sees the business value of design, they will naturally seek more design input in strategic discussions.

Avoiding the Pitfall of “Design Evangelism”

A key theme in the session was the risk of being perceived as a “design evangelist.” Too often, designers position themselves as the only ones who “get it,” dismissing other teams as obstacles or failing to understand design. This mindset isolates design rather than elevating it.

Andy advised taking a different approach: “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” Instead of resisting and defending, successful design leaders approach conversations with curiosity, assume good intent, and frame design as a business partner rather than a disruptor.

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For those looking to go deeper, Andy will be leading an in-person session at the next Leadership Ateliers event in Berlin, where we’ll unpack these topics in more detail. If you’re serious about increasing your impact as a design leader, this is a session you won’t want to miss.

You can get €100 discount until March 20th using the code MARCH at checkout for any of the 3 events!