Business Perspectives: Communicating the strategic value of design to clients

Design has long been associated with visual appeal, but the true value of design lies far deeper—in its power to solve problems, shape strategy and support business goals. For many clients, understanding this shift requires education, trust and collaboration.

We asked RGD firm owners how they help clients recognize the strategic potential of design. From asking the right questions to embedding strategy into every stage of the process, these practitioners share how they move conversations beyond “making things look good” to demonstrating design’s role as a critical business tool.

Meggan Van Harten RGD, Co-CEO at Design de Plume

It starts with listening. When clients feel heard and understood, they become more open to new perspectives. At Design de Plume, we frame design through our IIDEAS lenses (Indigeneity, Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Sustainability) which reveals its power as a tool for systemic change, not just aesthetics. We help clients link design choices to real-world outcomes: better engagement, broader access or more inclusive experiences. When they see that design can solve business and social challenges, not just “make things pretty”, they begin to value it as a strategic asset. It’s about education, empathy and showing the impact of thoughtful design.

Vida Jurcic RGD, Partner and Co-Creative Director at Hangar 18 Design Continuum

Making things look good is just decorating if there is no strong strategy behind your design solution. A well considered, appropriate strategy is like a solid foundation of a building, it provides a strong platform on which to build your branding and design engaging pieces in various mediums that reinforce the brand. Explaining this to your clients is imperative, and this can be done by showing them examples of how successful brands have communicated with their audiences based on well-defined strategies. Understanding this is the difference between producing strong design solutions or just pretty decoration that looks good. Your target audience will be engaged and have an emotional connection with the brand if a well-thought-out strategy is implemented, and that will translate into ROIs (returns on investment). A wise client will understand this!

Elia Kanaki RGD, CEO at Rossul

Design isn't merely about aesthetics, so the term "beyond" might be misleading. It’s a practical discipline aimed at problem-solving. Problems can be addressed through various approaches; some may be more visually appealing than others. However, as long as the problem is effectively resolved, it qualifies as design. When a solution is elegant, resource-efficient and visually appealing, we refer to it as an elegant solution. Conversely, if a design is visually appealing but fails to address the problem, it cannot be considered true design.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix RGD, President and Founder at Shikatani Lacroix Design

It starts by being credible in delivering strategic value beyond good design. It's having a proven and time-tested process that demonstrates you understand their business challenges, have the strategic steps to help answer these strategic issues and have demonstrated results through the process. We coined the phrase BlinkFactor more than 35 years ago and serves as our credo on how we tackle our client’s most challenging projects. We created our ThinkBlink Manifesto which guides every facet of our strategic process, from discovery, positioning, naming to ideation and visioning. Each strategic step is well-defined with clearly defined deliverables and outcomes.

Elana Rudick RGD, Founder and Creative Director at Design Is Yummy

For us, it starts with reframing design—not as a service, but as a collaboration. When clients come to Design Is Yummy with a project, we ask lots of questions and dig deep to understand the problem they’re truly trying to solve. Often, this leads to a different scope of work entirely.

By having honest, mission-driven conversations from the start, we’re able to align design decisions with our clients’ goals to drive long-term impact. Bringing clients into the strategic process early helps them see that the true value of design lies in the thinking behind the visuals—not just the visuals themselves.

When they understand how design supports their success—and see a clear return—they begin to recognize the full value of design and of partnering with us.

Amanda Spencer RGD, Owner at OneFish Creative Inc.

I have found that strategic discussions are most effective when we begin a project by first exploring key strategic questions, like: What is the intention behind the piece? Where will it be used? How do they want their audience to perceive it? Establishing strategy as the foundation of the design process from the outset ensures it remains the primary focus throughout the development of the design. Leading with strategy also makes it easier to reinforce key objectives throughout the project, ensuring that decisions are driven by strategic intent rather than aesthetics alone.