The design process transcends the visual qualities of the results — it's something very broad and basic, but also very specific. Design is concerned with altering the world to make it more inhabitable, using tools and systems. It's the counterpart to science, which is concerned with discovering and explaining the natural world, thus providing knowledge. During the design process, knowledge comes from experience (often from accidental or unintentional discoveries) and requires explanations that science can subsequently provide. It's a hands-on, problem solving, creative process.

With the emergence of new industries that process information rather than raw materials, the design process remains crucial to economic growth. Processes, as well as objects, are designed. Massive civil engineering projects, relational databases, websites, regional distribution chains, corporate identity systems, athletic shoes, industrial food processing equipment, shampoo bottles and telecommunications infrastructures are all created through the design process.

Design as described in the diagram above can only be a team process. Design projects typically involve many complex interactions with networks of suppliers, managers, market researchers, manufacturers and end users. But it can't even begin without a critical ingredient: leadership. Teams by definition need leaders to provide vision, direction, guidance and support. Thus successfully integrating the design process throughout your organization means creating, a management structure that allows focused teams to work collaboratively on projects, with a clear leadership structure. This could mean a significant revision of your company's organizational structure.