✨ The Missing Link in Most Businesses: Design Principles

Most founders obsess over their vision, refine their mission, and proudly post their values on their websites. But there’s a silent piece of the puzzle that often goes unspoken — and it’s the one that truly holds the business together when things get loud, fast, or uncertain:

🎯 Design Principles.

Not about fonts or logos (though those matter too).
Design principles are your operational compass. They answer the question:

“How do we behave, build, and make decisions — no matter what?”

In a world of shiny offers, endless advice, and “scale at all costs” pressure, design principles protect the soul of your business.

Let’s explore where they came from, how they fit into your business ecosystem, and how to create your own — even if you’re a team of one.

🌱 A Brief History of Design Principles

Design principles originated in the worlds of industrial and graphic design, offering guidance for building things that were not only functional, but also beautiful, ethical, and enduring.

Icons like Dieter Rams (Braun) and the Bauhaus movement championed clarity, form, and purpose. Their principles influenced everything from product design to modern UI/UX.

As design thinking evolved (thanks to pioneers like IDEO), principles moved beyond objects — into experiences, systems, and companies. Today, teams at Airbnb, Atlassian, and Google use design principles to:

• Make faster decisions without burning out

• Maintain consistency as they scale

• Build with empathy, integrity, and intentionality

And now, it’s time for smaller businesses, purpose-led founders, and growing teams to reclaim them.

🧭 Where Design Principles Sit in Your Business Strategy

Design principles aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re the bridge between what you believe and what you do.

Here’s where they live in your business ecosystem:

🌟 VISION

(why we’re here + future we believe in)

🔽

🛤️ MISSION

(what we do, for whom, and how we do it daily)

🔽

❤️ VALUES

(what matters most to us in spirit and ethics)

🔽

✨ DESIGN PRINCIPLES

(how we make decisions, build, and behave in alignment)

🔽

🧰 STRATEGY + EXECUTION

(what we’re doing this quarter, and how we’ll do it)

Think of vision as your North Star, mission as your path, values as your soil — and design principles as the roots holding it all in place when storms hit.

🧠 What Makes a Great Design Principle?

Design principles are:

• Specific: No vague statements like “be authentic” — instead, “We only scale what we’re proud to be seen doing slowly.”

• Actionable: They help you choose — what to build, what to say no to, who to hire, how to lead.

• Timeless: They grow with you, even as the business evolves.

• Aligned: They reflect your values in motion.

💡 Real Examples from the Field

Airbnb

• “Be a host”

• “Every frame matters”

• “Simplify”

These guided product and culture decisions during one of the most intense growth periods in startup history.

IDEO

“Design is not only about aesthetics, but also about intention. Good design is human-centred.”

Dieter Rams’ 10 Principles of Good Design

Which deeply influenced Apple’s design DNA:

1. Innovative

2. Useful

3. Aesthetic

4. Understandable

5. Unobtrusive

6. Honest

7. Long-lasting

8. Thorough down to the last detail

9. Environmentally friendly

10. As little design as possible

Wonder & Wander / Evolve X (my own principles)

• “We prototype with empathy — every decision touches someone’s nervous system.”

• “We only scale what we’re willing to do slowly.”

• “We make space for nuance, not just noise.”

✍️ How to Create Your Own (Even if You’re Just Starting Out)

Try these five prompts:

1. I always want people to feel…
   (e.g. safe, seen, empowered, excited)

2. I never want my business to contribute to…
   (e.g. hustle culture, exclusion, manipulation)

3. If someone else ran my brand for a week, I’d want them to remember…
   (e.g. “Clarity over cleverness,” “Kindness before conversion”)

4. I’m willing to lose opportunities if it means…
   (e.g. staying honest, honouring energy, protecting family time)

5. Write your Design Principles (3–5 max):
   Use bold, guiding statements like:
   → “We centre dignity.”
   → “We design with future humans in mind.”
   → “We lead with questions, not assumptions.”

Then… test them.
Hold them up to a real decision you’re making.
If they guide you clearly? You’ve nailed it.
If they confuse or conflict? Refine until they resonate.

✨ The Quiet Power of Living By Design

Design principles aren’t loud.
They’re not meant to be flashy.
They’re meant to be true.

And in a noisy world where everyone’s copying tactics and chasing speed — your principles will be what make you unmistakable.

So whether you’re a solo coach, a family business, a startup, or a legacy builder…

Craft your design principles.
Print them. Revisit them. Share them with your team.
Let them guide your offers, your client experiences, your culture.

Because the way you build is just as important as what you build.

And your business, at its best, isn’t just a product —
it’s a pattern of care.