1. Design-Led Firms Outperform
   DMI created a Design-Centric Index tracking 14 U.S. firms (e.g., Apple, Coca‑Cola, Ford, Nike, Procter & Gamble, Disney, Target, Whirlpool) from 2003 to 2013. The index grew 299%, compared to 75% for the S&P 500—a 224 percentage point outperformance.
2. Design is Strategic, Not Just Aesthetic
   The DMI value framework categorizes design’s impact into three strategic roles: Tactical Driver(aesthetics/function), Organizational Driver (catalyst/integration), and Strategic Driver (business model and market innovation). Source
3. Six Selection Criteria for Inclusion in the Index
   To qualify, companies needed to demonstrate sustained design commitment via:

1. Publicly traded for 10+ years
2. Design as an organizational and cultural catalyst
3. Increasing investment in design resources
4. Design embedded in org structure
5. Senior-level design leadership
6. Executives actively championing design
   Source
7. A Multi-Dimensional Design Value Scorecard
   The Scorecard evaluates development/maturity on two axes:

• Vertical: project management → efficiency → standardized → feedback-driven → optimized processes
• Horizontal: from pure aesthetics to full-scale business-integration; across strategy and business models
  Source

5. Three-Part Framework for Design Value

• Design as a Service: aesthetic improvements, faster time-to-market, cost saving
• Design as an Organizational Driver: budget growth, cross-function integration, new markets
• Design as a Strategic Resource: stronger brand perception, valuation, profitable growth
  Source

6. Evidence of Performance Gaps
   A $10,000 investment in the design index would have been 128% higher than in the S&P 500 by June 2013. The outperformance persisted through market upswings, downturns, and recoveries.
   Source
7. Measuring and Embedding Design Value
   Organizations that excel:

• Combine quantitative metrics (budgets, returns, time-to-market) with qualitative insight (influence, culture change)
• Use frameworks like Balanced Scorecard and APQC Process Clarity to link design activities to business outcomes
• Conduct internal surveys and workshops to benchmark maturity and guide improvements
  Source

8. Quotes from Leading Design Executives

• GE Healthcare: “All I know is … customers see and understand the difference, and we sell more stuff.”—highlighting design’s tangible sales impact
• P&G: uses “design key element assessments” to align with business leaders and secure resources
  Source

9. Why Companies Must Get This Right
   Design is complex and interwoven—not easy to isolate. Leading design firms achieve organizational change, improved customer experience, and new business models through strategic design investment.
   Source
10. Next Steps: Building Design Maturity
    To escalate design’s impact:

• Map current design maturity using the value scorecard
• Align design metrics with business objectives
• Invest in both hard resources (budgets, tools, headcount) and soft measures (culture, influence, brand perception)
• Empower senior design leadership with clear ties to commercialization, organizational transformation, and branding
  Source

Bottom Line
Design yields massive returns—but only when it’s systematically embedded, measured, and led from the top. Companies that do so outperform peers by more than 200 percentage points over a decade.
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