Your designers are sharp. Your marketers are strategic. Your team has the potential to make an impact—so why does the output rarely show up on your performance reports?
In our experience, it’s not a talent issue.
It’s a maturity issue.
“Even the most gifted teams underdeliver when they aren’t structurally integrated into business strategy. Design maturity is what turns potential into predictable performance.”
— Eliott Wahba, CEO, DolFinContent
At DolFinContent’s recent virtual gathering, Scaling Strategic Design in Enterprise, we asked: What does it take to bring design out of the support role and into strategic leadership?
Here’s what we shared—and how you can put design maturity into action.
What Is Design Maturity, Really?
Design maturity has nothing to do with how long your team has existed or how many designers you’ve hired. It’s about how integrated your design function is within your organization’s operations, strategy, and decision-making.
When design is mature:
- It’s involved in strategic planning
- It contributes to product direction and innovation
- It works cross-functionally to solve real business problems
- It’s measured, optimized, and respected
When it isn’t, design becomes a bottleneck—or worse, an afterthought.
From Service Provider to Strategic Partner
“Mature design teams help shape the business, not just decorate it. They don’t wait for briefs—they’re co-creating them with product and marketing leaders.”
— Eliott Wahba
Design maturity is what enables teams to:
- Develop internal tools that visualize complex data
- Support revenue teams with modular, account-specific assets
- Simplify onboarding and training materials
- Lead the brand narrative with visuals that connect emotionally and strategically
These aren’t just deliverables—they’re differentiators. And design maturity is what makes them possible.
The 5 Stages of Design Maturity
Stage 1: Design Is a Service Provider
Design is isolated. Requests go in, assets come out. Designers aren’t involved in strategy, and most stakeholders view creative as a necessary function—not a business partner.
What you need:
- Basic project tracking
- Clarity on scope
- Recognition that design is cross-functional
Stage 2: Design Is a Collaborator
Design is included earlier in the process and has growing influence. Teams begin working together more intentionally and explore tools like shared briefs, user testing, and integrated brand systems.
What you need:
- DesignOps leadership
- Access to research and analytics
- A seat in product and marketing syncs
Stage 3: Design Is a Systems Architect
Design builds reusable systems—pattern libraries, component sets, internal design tools. The team supports other departments and helps scale brand storytelling across multiple channels and markets.
What you need:
- Strong documentation
- Embedded designers or strategists in other departments
- Ops and analytics dashboards to track creative performance
Stage 4: Design Is a Data-Driven Strategist
Design work is planned, measured, and optimized like any other growth lever. Leaders proactively tie design outcomes to business KPIs and experiment with new methods of storytelling and testing.
What you need:
- A framework for experimentation
- Clear KPIs tied to business outcomes
- The ability to run design sprints, not just respond to them
Stage 5: Design Is a Visionary Force
Design is embedded at the highest level. It contributes to forecasting, brand positioning, internal culture, and innovation. The creative team leads market research and helps shape executive decision-making.
What you need:
- Exploratory research capabilities
- Close alignment with leadership
- A team culture of strategic inquiry
“At the highest maturity level, creative work isn’t reactive—it’s predictive. The team is not just building assets. They’re building direction.”
— Eliott Wahba
Why Design Maturity Matters (More Than You Think)
Companies that operate at high design maturity:
- Grow revenue 2x faster
- See stronger brand loyalty
- Outperform competitors in user experience and market perception
And internally, they benefit from:
- Better cross-functional collaboration
- Fewer creative bottlenecks
- Higher designer satisfaction and retention
How to Accelerate Design Maturity: 7 Proven Steps
- Make Business Integration Your North Star
Design should touch every department—not just marketing. Build relationships across ops, product, HR, and sales. - Take the Seat, Don’t Wait for It
DesignOps and creative leads should attend cross-functional strategy sessions—even if they’re not invited (yet). - Clarify Roles
If you’re a DesignOps lead doing PM work, something’s off. Strategic thinking is your domain—own it. - Protect Creative Time
Audit how much time your designers spend doing actual design. Fix what’s pulling them away from their craft. - Survey Your Team Often
Use perception-based questions like “How often do you rework assets?” Then cross-reference with project data. - Track Project Drift
Look at how many of your creative projects are delivered as planned. If scope creep is the norm, your processes need work. - Lead From the Middle
Creative leaders often think they need permission to influence. You don’t. Just start creating value upstream and pull others in.
It’s Time to Lead With Design
Design maturity isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the difference between a design team that ships assets—and one that drives growth, innovation, and differentiation.
And the sooner you start maturing your design practice, the faster your business starts performing like a brand.
Ready to bring strategy and structure to your creative team?
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