“Designers need to be more than ambassadors, they need to be fully functioning and fully aware members of strategic decision-making teams in a company.” – Nathan Shedroff

Read Kate Rutter’s interview with Nathan Shedroff for more thoughts on the role of design in business.
Edit: Fixed article URL – sorry about that

1. Design and business leaders must take the time to understand each other
2. Designers think through problems from the “outside in.”
3. Designers must deliver not just beautification, but substantial change
4. Delivering great user experiences plays a significant role in your company’s success
5. UX designers need to possess both creativity and vision