As a designer and a newcomer to the bay and valley I find this thread incredibly refreshing. I came to the bay to do exactly the kind of design described here: larger picture problem solving, going beyond what something looks like to connect aesthetics and communications more meaningfully with core functionality and belief.
But so far I've found that virtually no part of process of starting and running a company currently allows for this ki d of design thinking. There is only ever a design budget for what amounts to a fresh coat of paint, way after all the meaningful design decisions have been made.
How can design become a more meaningful part of the process?
