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Strategy

While vision sets direction, strategy provides the framework for future actions. Design leaders develop plans that connect design work and usability to business outcomes, determine how to allocate resources, and establish how to measure success. They work closely with product and engineering leaders to ensure design strategy serves both user needs and business goals. Strategy answers "how will we get there?" and "what should we prioritize?"

Many frameworks exist to create strategies. I've found Good Strategy/Bad Strategy to be an effective and simple framework for small and large problem spaces. The framework is simple: 1. Create a diagnosis. Define the nature of the challenge by reducing a complex problem to its simplest and most urgent form. In design, this can be a critical user challenge or pain point. 2. Use guiding policies. Guiding policies provide guidance for overcoming the challenges you've identified in your diagnosis. In design, this is a set of principles that will inform your design approach. 3. Create a set of coherent actions. The work to carry out the guiding policies and are a set of steps you'll take to overcome the challenge. This will help prioritize the right actions to solve the problem.

Sample Strategy

Let's say you're a designer working on a checkout flow which is underperforming, with high abandonment rates, confusion about shipping options, and low mobile conversion.

Diagnosis: Users who start checkout with high purchase intent are encountering enough friction to reconsider their decision.

Guiding Policies

We will focus on reducing cognitive load during checkout by making each step feel trustworthy. This means:

  1. Progressive disclosure of complexity
  2. Clear, immediate feedback on all actions
  3. Flexible paths that accommodate different user needs
  4. Recovery-focused error states

This approach explicitly chooses clarity over persuasion and trust over urgency. We will not:

  • Add promotional elements during checkout
  • Require account creation
  • Hide costs until final steps

Coherent Actions

Q2 2024: Foundation

Implement server-side validation to prevent failed submissions Add inline field validation with clear error recovery Create persistent cart summary that follows scroll Build mobile-first responsive layout Add progress indicator showing clear steps

Q3 2024: Payment Innovation

Integrate digital wallet options (Apple Pay, Google Pay) Implement address verification API Add card scanning capability for mobile Create payment method management system Build secure card storage solution

Q4 2024: Optimization

Launch guest checkout with post-purchase account creation Implement smart defaults based on user location Add order status tracking system Create post-purchase feedback loop Build A/B testing framework for ongoing optimization

Q1 2025: Personalization

Launch saved addresses and payment methods Add smart reordering based on purchase history Implement customized shipping recommendations Create logged-in user fast checkout Build purchase history integration