Most designers are trained to focus exclusively on the User. We advocate for usability, solve pain points, and immerse ourselves in user research. This user—the end user who interacts with your design—is customer number one.

However, there is a second, equally critical customer that designers often forget: The Stakeholder. This is the person or group funding the project and giving the final sign-off.

Ignoring either customer guarantees project failure.

The Dual Mandate: User vs. Stakeholder

A great product must satisfy both parties to survive.

1. The User Mandate (Viability)

If you ignore the user, your UX might be clean, but the product will solve the wrong problem. It will be abandoned, ultimately failing to deliver on its promise. This ensures the product is viable and useful.

2. The Stakeholder Mandate (Sustainability)

If you ignore the stakeholder, the beautiful design you create won't matter. The business won't see value, and the product won't last. If the business can't sustain itself, the design will never even reach the user. This ensures the product is sustainable and can grow.

Design Leadership: The Art of Balancing Both

Design Leadership isn't just about creating elegant prototypes; it’s about balancing the needs of both customers—the User and the Stakeholder.

Great design solves user problems and helps the business stay alive and grow.

To achieve this balance, always translate user insights into business language:

• Instead of: "We need a better search feature for the user."
• Say: "Improving search efficiency by 20% will directly reduce customer support tickets, saving the business $X dollars per month."

By speaking the language of metrics, ROI, and constraints, you elevate UX from a service function to a strategic business partner.