How to sell design to founders and investors: talking the language of business

Design isn’t just about making things look good, it’s a strategic lever for growth. The challenge is learning to speak the language of founders and investors to unlock its true business value.

Design doesn’t sell itself.

And here’s the tough truth: most CEOs, founders, investors, and CFOs don’t actually care about design.

They don’t wake up thinking about typography, colour palettes, or motion systems. They wake up thinking about revenue, risk, and shareholder value.

That’s where we, as designers, often fail.

We pitch design in our language: beauty, creativity, consistency.

When we should be speaking theirs: growth, efficiency, ROI.

And if you’re a founder trying to convince your board or investors to back design, keep reading.

This applies to you too.

The design ladder a business framework for design

The Danish Design Center came up with a brilliant tool called the Design Ladder, which explains how organizations use design, and why it matters for growth.

(1) No design – Design is not considered at all.

Example: Ryanair (early years) – The focus was purely on cost-cutting and operations. The website, branding, and customer experience were secondary (often critizised as clunky or outdated). Design had no seat at the table.

(2) Design as styling – Design is aesthetics.

Example: Coca-Cola – For decades, the company used design mostly as branding and packaging. The iconic logo, colour, and visual identity are powerful, but the role of design was largely about “looking good,” not shaping business strategy.

(3) Design as process – Design improves processes, workflows, and CX.

Example: Amazon – Not known for beauty or branding, but highly design-driven in terms of customer experience and usability. From 1-click checkout to frictionless logistics, design here is about process and efficiency.

(4) Design as strategy – Design drives business strategy and innovation.

Example: Apple or Airbnb – Design is at the core of the company’s DNA. From product to retail to ecosystem, design decisions are business decisions. It defines differentiation, pricing power, and long-term growth.

Most CEOs and CFOs think of design at Level 2. They see it as styling. But our job is to move the conversation up the ladder, toward process and strategy, where design creates measurable impact.

At Level 4, design isn’t a cost. It’s an investment in competitiveness.

What I've learned in boardrooms

I’ve been in those meetings where design was dismissed as “the coloring department.” And I’ve also been in meetings where design reframed the entire strategy and unlocked millions in value. The difference wasn’t the quality of the work, it was how we framed it.

—Don’t say: “We need a new identity because the old one feels outdated.” Do say: “Our current identity is costing us opportunities with Gen Z, a demographic with $33 trillion in projected spending power by 2030.”

— Don’t say: “We need a new design system to unify our brand.” Do say: “A unified design system will reduce production costs by 30%, speed up time-to-market, and ensure a consistent brand experience that drives customer trust and loyalty.”

— Don’t say: “This interface is confusing.” Do say: “We’re losing 12% of conversions because the user journey isn’t optimized.”

Same insight. Different language.

The shift we need to make

If we want to climb the ladder with our clients and stakeholders, we need to stop presenting design as an expense and start positioning it as an asset.

(1) Translate aesthetics into economics. Show how design choices reduce churn, increase loyalty, or speed up decision-making.

(2) Connect design to KPIs. CEOs care about growth; CFOs care about efficiency and risk management. Map design directly to those metrics.

(3) Think like an investor. If €1 in design generates €5 in returns, it’s not “styling”, it’s strategy.

Too many organizations are stuck on Step 2 of the Design Ladder. If we want design to truly drive growth, it’s on us to help them climb.

Because here’s the truth: design doesn’t sell itself. We sell it. And how we frame it determines whether it gets dismissed—or becomes the growth engine of the business.

What step of the Design Ladder do you think your organization (or your client) is currently on?

Sellign design is selling yourself

Selling design is not that different from everyday life.

Think about it:

— Convincing your partner about the holiday destination.

— Persuading your kids to eat vegetables.

— Negotiating with a friend about where to go for dinner.

It’s always a sale transaction. You’re not just selling the idea, you’re selling yourself.

The mistake we often make as designers is hiding behind tons of slides and endless presentations. But here’s the truth: CEOs, investors, or board members don’t need another 50-slide deck.

— They are not buying the slides.

— They are not even buying the design.

— They are buying you, and they usually remember one powerful idea, not fifty.

So, my personal recommendation is:

— Go into every meeting with a clear objective.

— Sell one idea, not fifty.

— Position yourself from the very first moment.

Don’t forget: they are buying you, not the design.

And that’s 100% mindset.