Two noteworthy articles, and harbingers for the rise of the design executive were published this August:

Wanted: VPs of Design (Businessweek, Aug-07)

Enter the chief design officer!: hail to the chief! (ACM Interactions, Aug-07)

Motivated by these articles, I did a quick Google search on “vice president of user experience” and found this role at several well known companies including Google, Yahoo, eBay, Microsoft, and Oracle, as well as countless lesser-known and smaller companies. I didn’t bother searching other possible titles.

It’s apparent that companies are beginning to recognize the value and need for design leadership as an integral part of the executive team. More so than ever before users demand more from products, and if a company is looking to achieve competitive advantage, innovate, and be an industry leader, it must elevate design as part of its strategy.