Summary

Design is creativity on demand--people get paid to invent and deliver experiences, and design teams operate in the context of specific business settings. Just like anyone else, they have a job to do, and this job is important to the success of the company that employs the team, and to the product the team works on.

Companies and organizations realize that design is an integral part of product development and are switching their approach to hiring design talent. From a nearly exclusive reliance on external design expertise from consultancies, organizations are establishing their own in-house teams. Some of the influencing trends are:

• The demonstrated value of user experience in e-commerce and other domains
• The business case for strong design focus made by brands such as Apple and Tesla
• The fast pace of technological innovation

As in any field, experience helps in dealing with change and its associated complications. It is common for designers to work in different settings throughout their...