Most teams use design to make things. Ian Batterbee uses it to make people think.
I had a great talk with Ian Batterbee about how design can help teams think better together.
When companies focus too much on business goals or tech constraints, design can lose its human side. Ian argues that designers can act as systems conveners, connecting people across teams so decisions are grounded in real understanding, not assumptions.
Big ideas:
- Design = better thinking → Design helps teams make sense of complex problems together.
- Systems reveal hidden dynamics → Surfacing pain points and power structures leads to better decisions.
- Shared understanding beats consensus → Alignment comes from clarity, not agreement.
- Empathy can’t be automated → Designers help amplify care inside large systems.
- Keep design connected to people → Great design always links back to human impact.
Ian reframes design as more than craft. It’s a strategic connector that keeps organizations human as they scale. By making the invisible visible and creating shared understanding, designers help teams navigate complexity without losing sight of the people their work impacts.
His ideas fit well with Glare: using UX metrics like comprehension, usefulness, and sentiment, teams can anchor conversations in actual user experiences, not just opinions.
Design is about smarter, more empathetic decisions.
Discussion
How is your team using design to bridge business goals and human needs? Do you have ways to keep empathy alive as systems grow more complex?
