Designers play a key role in helping businesses achieve product/market fit and increase revenue while decreasing expenses. Designers find product/market fit by understanding user needs. They help increase revenue by expanding into new markets, increasing consumer spending, and growing market share. Designers also help decrease expenses by improving operational efficiency and reducing material costs. Having design integrated into the business allows companies to advocate for design, increase productivity, and effectively run the business.

1. design means
business
Alissa Briggs
Head of Design ● PlanGrid ● Tweet @alissadesigns

2. Raise your hand if you eat
cereal for breakfast.
✋

9. design means business
business means design

12. design
+
business

13. defining
business

14. Businesses are collections of systems that…
provide value that
customers want
at a price they’re
willing to pay
to make enough money
to be worth continuing.
DEFINITION

16. Product/market fit describes a product or service that
meets users’ needs
DEFINITION

17. everything starts and
ends with the customer

18. Designers find product/market fit
impact

20. y Designers Are Not Uncommon
21%aise in CB
e designer
of the so-called global “unicorn” startups across all sectors
have co-founders who have embraced design or come from a
design, arts, or human-centered background including
architecture, design, music, visualization, fine arts, media arts.
23andMe, ActiFio, Adyen, African Internet Group, AirBnB, Aiwujiwu, Anaplan, AppDirect AppDynamics,
AppNexus, Apttus, Apus Group, Atlassian, Auto1 Group, Automattic, Avant, AVAST Software, Avito, BeiBei,
Beijing LaKala Billing Services, BlaBlaCar, Bloom Energy, Blue Apron, Buzzfeed, Carbon3D, China Rapid
Finance, CJ Games, Cloudera, CloudFlare, ContextLogic/Wish, Coupa Software, Coupang, Credit Karma,
Dada, Datto, Decolar, Deem, Delivery Hero, Dianping, Didi Kuaidi, DJI Innovations, Docker, DocuSign,
Domo Technologies, DraftKings, Dropbox, Ele.me, Eventbrite, Evernote, Fanatics, FanDuel, Fanli, FarFetch,
Flipkart, Forescout, Funding Circle, Gilt Groupe, GitHub, Global Fashion Group, GrabTaxi, Greensky,
Guahao Technology Co., Gusto, HelloFresh, Home24, Hootsuite, Houzz, Illumio, Infinidat, InMobi,
InsideSales.com, Instacart, Intarcia Therapeutics, IronSource, Jasper Technologies, Jawbone, jet.com,
Jiuxian, JustFab, Kabam, Kabbage, Kik Interactive, Klarna, Koudai Gouwu, Lazada, Legendary
Entertainment, Lookout, Lufax, Lyft, Magic Leap, MarkLogic, Medallia, Meituan, Mercari, MindMaze,
Moderna, Mogujie, MongoDB, Mozido, Mu Sigma, MuleSoft, NantHealth, Nextdoor, Nutanix, Okta, Olacabs,
One97 Communications, Oscar Health Insurance Co., Palantir Technologies, Panshi, Pinterest, Pluralsight,
Powa Technologies, Prosper Marketplace, Proteus Digital Health, Pure Storage, Qualtrics, Quikr, Razer,

22. Businesses provide value
that customers want
at a price they’re
willing to pay
to make enough money
to be worth continuing.

23. Businesses provide value
that customers want
at a price they’re
willing to pay
to make enough money
to be worth continuing.

24. Businesses provide value
that customers want
at a price they’re
willing to pay
to make enough money
to be worth continuing.

25. Revenue - Expenses = profit

26. increasing
revenue

28. Increasing Revenue
Increase market share
Expand into new markets
Increase consumer spending

29. Increase market share
Expand into new markets
Increase consumer spending
Increasing Revenue

30. Your target market is a particular group of consumers
at which your product or service is aimed.
DEFINITION

31. Your market share is what portion you have of your
target market
DEFINITION

36. Designers increase market share
impact

46. Increasing Revenue
Increase market share
Expand into new markets
Increase consumer spending

51. Designers expand into new markets
impact

57. Increasing Revenue
Increase market share
Expand into new markets
Increase consumer spending

60. Designers increase consumer spending
impact

63. Increasing Revenue
Increase market share
Expand into new markets
Increase consumer spending

64. decreasing
expenses

66. you have to spend
money to make money

67. Revenue - Expenses = profit

68. Improve operational efficiency
Reduce material costs
Reduce personnel costs
decreasing expenses

69. Improve operational efficiency
Reduce material costs
Reduce personnel costs
decreasing expenses

70. Operations are the processes used to create
products and services for customers.
DEFINITION

73. Designers improve operational efficiency
impact

77. Improve operational efficiency
Reduce material costs
Reduce personnel costs
decreasing expenses

81. Designers reduce material costs
impact

84. Improve operational efficiency
Reduce material costs
Reduce personnel costs
decreasing expenses

89. Improve operational efficiency
Reduce material costs
Reduce personnel costs
decreasing expenses

90. design’s
impact

91. Revenue - Expenses = profit

92. Advocate for design
Increase productivity
Run the business
design + business

93. afterword

96. with great power comes
great responsibility

97. lead by design

98. Keep on learning at
alissabriggs.com/dmb
hello@alissabriggs.com
tweet @alissadesigns

99. references and credits
History of Cereal
• history: http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/03/history-of-breakfast-cereal-mascots.html
• more history: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/02/22/dining/history-of-cereal.html?_r=0
• future of cereal: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/23/this-is-the-height-of-laziness/
• changes in earning calls: http://nypost.com/2015/02/13/americans-eating-less-cereal-for-breakfast/
• cereal pricing: http://www.pricingforprofit.com/pricing-strategy-blog/are-there-so-many-different-types-cereals.htm
• change of the cereal industry: http://www.stealingshare.com/pages/breakfast-cereal/
Photo Credits
• Irish breakfast: http://blog.travelinsure.com/2016/03/travel-tips-for-your-trip-to-ireland-usi-affinity.html
• Unicorn: https://edblogging.wordpress.com/2015/05/09/the-billion-startup-unicorn-trend-is-going-global/