Is a Fractional Chief Design Officer Right for Your Business?

More business leaders are recognizing that design expertise is critical to building a differentiated produce offering, distinguishing oneself from the competition, and discovering new market opportunities. Even so, few business leaders have discovered how to leverage this expertise. In most cases, this is either because they don’t understand how to recruit and integrate design expertise or they can’t afford to hire a designer at the C-suite level. 

Design expertise needs to reside in the C-suite, at least if you’re committed to fully leveraging the growth potential of well-integrated design. This article will examine how to fully integrate design, even if the size, scale, or stage of your organization isn’t yet able or ready to invest in a full-time CDO.

The limited reach of siloed design teams 

The most common and least effective way to integrate design expertise into an organization is through the establishment of a siloed design team. If this is a common yet generally ineffective model, it is likely due to the fact that many organizations continue to cling to an outdated understanding of design—one that assumes design is only about execution.

While designers do contribute to user research and service and product development, design expertise is about more than execution. In fact, design expertise is about the transformation of one’s entire organization. As such, design expertise shouldn’t simply be leveraged after the fact to ensure a service or product can be delivered to consumers.

Ideally, design expertise should live at the heart of an organization, defining its core mandate, systems, and approach to business. Since siloed design teams typically have little or no contact with the C-suite, it follows that they are unable to engage in this transformational work. 

The feasibility of recruiting a Chief Design Officer 

Over the past decade, a small but growing number of organizations have started to hire chief design officers. The key advantage of hiring a CDO is that it brings design expertise into the C-suite, where the need for such expertise may be especially acute.

Notably, a 2018 McKinsey study of 300 publicly listed companies found that less than 5% of those surveyed “reported that their leaders could make objective design decisions (for example, to develop new products or enter new sectors).” This explains the pressing need for CDOs. 

The very best CDOs are able to influence organizations cross-functionally. They help transform not only the end products, but also the way concepts are initially explored and given the time, attention, and investment needed to be developed and launched in the most sustainable, efficient, and meaningful way possible.

In addition, the presence of a CDO in the C-suite can also help an organization make better decisions about how to recruit entry-level design talent and, as needed, bring in outside design consultants to work on specific projects.  

Understandingly, for most startups and even established small to mid-size organizations, investing in a new executive position isn’t feasible or may simply seem too risky. In this kind of situation, one option to consider is recruiting and retaining a fractional CDO instead of a full-time CDO.

I’ve consulted as a fractional CDO for several companies that recognize the value of design-driven leadership but aren’t yet ready to commit to a full-time CDO. When I am brought in, I’m there to disrupt and transform an organization, from reshaping internal processes to reimagining the company’s mission, brand, and even its entire way of operating.

Should you recruit and retain a fractional CDO?

Whether you are a startup or an established small to mid-size business, a fractional CDO can be an effective way to leverage the unique benefits of working with a CDO without the associated cost.