Despite overwhelming evidence of its impact on business success, many companies still fail to fully embrace design as a driver of growth and innovation.
Research consistently shows that businesses that prioritize design see significant returns, with top performers in design achieving faster revenue growth and higher returns to shareholders. Yet, design often remains underfunded and undervalued, especially when compared to other business functions.
Why is this? The problem often lies in the way design is perceived within organizations. Too often, design is seen as a luxury or an afterthought, rather than a critical element of business strategy. While companies might allocate substantial resources to marketing, sales, and operations, design frequently gets sidelined. In some cases, it’s confined to middle management and disconnected from the C-suite, leaving its full potential untapped.
A lack of clear metrics to measure the value of design also contributes to its undervaluation. Without concrete ways to assess design’s impact, leaders may struggle to justify investments, especially when faced with competing priorities. Furthermore, many businesses still see design as solely the domain of designers, rather than a cross-functional practice that can benefit all areas of the business.
The truth is, design is a bargain. As companies increasingly face pressure to innovate and differentiate themselves in crowded markets, investing in design offers one of the most direct paths to business growth. Those who invest strategically in design – aligning it with business goals, using data to guide decisions, and integrating it across functions – are reaping the rewards. The question remains: why do so many businesses continue to overlook this opportunity? The answer may be a matter of changing mindset and making design a top-priority business asset.
Canva’s Design Trends of 2025
- Analog Meets AI – Out with the old, in with the new? In 2025, expect the two to come together. Inspired by analog techniques like collage, this intersection of the past and present opens up new design possibilities in the age of AI.
- Searches for “scrapbook” on Canva are up 92% since last year.
- Shape Theory – It’s hip to be square again. Well, any shape, really. This modular style uses bold shapes to create structure while adding back-lit photography and warm colors to create a personal touch. It’s functional meets friendly.
- Search terms ‘shapes’ and ‘modular’ have grown 56% and 23% respectively in the past year.
- Opulence Era – Step into a life of luxury. This trend pairs minimalist aesthetics with rich, intricate details balanced by generous negative space. It evokes understated glamor through a striking yet harmonious design composition.
- The search terms ‘elegant’ and ‘luxury’ are up 33% and 30% respectively.
- Serious Fun – A fun way to mix business with pleasure. This playful yet strategic style blends humor and casual elements in unexpected ways to reimagine what professional designs could be. It’s everything you need to love your work.
- The search terms ‘silly’, ‘funny’ and ‘humor’ are up 92%, 36% and 27% respectively.
- Future in Motion – A little movement goes a long way. This trend confidently incorporates motion to enhance the storytelling experience. Think subtle motion gradients and dynamic motion typography to create rhythm and flow.
- Search terms ‘motion’, ‘animation’ and ‘interactive’ are up 109%, 78% and 46% respectively.
- Refined Grit – Sometimes, less really is more. This trend challenges conventional aesthetics with a stripped-back style that encourages unique visual identities and distinctive voices. It’s doing its own thing effortlessly. How cool.
- Search terms ‘cutting-edge’, ‘bold’ and ‘edgy’ are up 71%, 40% and 23% respectively.
- Mechanical Botanical – Technology, say hello to biology. This trend blends dreamy nature textures with the intentional use of gradients and negative space to create harmony. It seems like opposites really do attract.
- The search terms ‘techno’ and ‘cyber’ are up 30% and 32% respectively
Design Drives Business Growth
McKinsey & Company’s latest study reveals a clear link between exceptional design practices and superior financial performance. Companies that integrate design into their strategies experience higher revenue growth and stronger shareholder returns. McKinsey’s research, based on 300 companies across various sectors, found that top-quartile design performers achieved 32% higher revenue growth and 56% better total returns to shareholders compared to their competitors.
The study emphasizes that successful companies view design not as a siloed function but as a cross-functional strategy. These companies involve leaders from all areas of the business in design decision-making and ensure design is part of their overall strategy. Companies that break down silos between physical, digital, and service design also see improved customer experiences and business results.
Despite the clear benefits, many companies fail to engage with users during design, and many lack measurable design goals. McKinsey’s research highlights the importance of iterative design and continuous testing to meet customer needs effectively.
Ultimately, the study suggests that for companies to stay competitive, design must be a core part of their business strategy. Investing in design is no longer optional—it’s essential for long-term success.
Design could be the key during this holiday season
Australia is leading the way in design investment, with businesses increasingly recognizing its role in driving innovation and operational success. Recent surveys by Figma, including the “How Australia Builds By Design Report” and “Design: APAC’s Growth Engine,” show that 63% of Australian companies have upped their investment in digital design tools over the past five years, outpacing the APAC average of 46%.
Notable trends include a significant rise in the use of design tools in the government sector, which is more than 4.5 times higher than the global average. The finance sector also shows a 30% higher adoption rate than international norms. Additionally, two-thirds of weekly design tool users in Australia are non-designers, such as marketers, product managers, and developers, indicating growing cross-functional collaboration.
Other key findings from the surveys highlight that 38% of Australian businesses have adopted cloud-based design tools, with nearly two-thirds reporting a competitive edge due to early adoption. Businesses using these tools also report increased sales, faster time-to-market, and improved digital experiences.
Figma is further investing in the region, opening its first Australian office this November to strengthen its ties with local companies like Atlassian and Telstra, while supporting the country’s expanding design-driven innovation.
Top design tools for your business needs
Here’s a look at some of the top design tools making waves in the industry today.
1. Adobe Creative Cloud
Long considered the industry standard, Adobe’s suite of tools remains a staple for graphic designers, illustrators, and creative professionals. With Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign leading the charge, Adobe offers a comprehensive set of tools for everything from photo editing to vector design and page layouts. For many designers, Adobe remains a go-to choice for high-quality, versatile design solutions.
2. Canva: Accessible and User-Friendly
Canva has taken the design world by storm with its intuitive platform that allows even beginners to create polished designs. With an array of templates for everything from social media posts to presentations, Canva offers a user-friendly interface that enables quick and easy design creation, making it perfect for small businesses and individual entrepreneurs.
3. Figma: Collaborative and Cloud-Based
Figma is reshaping the future of UI/UX design. This browser-based design tool emphasizes collaboration, allowing multiple designers to work on the same file in real-time. Its robust prototyping and vector editing features make it ideal for teams working on web and mobile apps. With Figma’s cloud-based approach, the software is accessible from any device, streamlining the workflow for design teams worldwide.
4. Sketch: A UI Designer’s Best Friend
Popular among digital product designers, Sketch is a vector-based design tool that focuses on interface design for web and mobile apps. Its simplicity, combined with powerful features like artboards, symbols, and plugins, has made it a go-to tool for UI/UX designers. Sketch’s focus on collaborative workflows and integrations with other tools like InVision and Zeplin make it a staple for professional design teams.
5. InVision: Prototyping Made Simple
InVision is an all-in-one prototyping tool that allows designers to build interactive prototypes, collaborate with stakeholders, and streamline the design handoff process to developers. By integrating features like live collaboration, design versioning, and project management tools, InVision has become an essential part of the design toolkit, especially for those working on high-fidelity web and mobile interfaces.
6. Axure RP: For Complex Prototypes
For designers seeking to build sophisticated, interactive prototypes, Axure RP stands out. This comprehensive tool lets users design wireframes, flowcharts, and complex interactions, all while maintaining precise control over functionality and design. It’s particularly useful for projects that require advanced interactions or conditional logic, such as enterprise software interfaces.
7. Miro: A Digital Whiteboard for Collaboration
Miro has become a favorite among teams looking for a collaborative space to brainstorm, plan, and create design ideas. This online whiteboard tool allows teams to collaborate in real-time, share visual ideas, and map out workflows. Perfect for remote teams, Miro is widely used in design sprints, workshops, and strategy sessions to capture ideas and collaborate effectively.
8. Proto.io: From Concept to Prototype
Proto.io is a web-based tool that makes it easy for designers to create interactive prototypes without writing any code. Its drag-and-drop interface, combined with a rich library of pre-made assets, allows designers to quickly turn their ideas into functioning prototypes. Proto.io is especially popular for those needing to present and test app and website designs with stakeholders or users.
9. Blender: The Power of 3D Design
For 3D designers, Blender remains the go-to open-source tool for modeling, animation, and rendering. Offering an extensive array of features comparable to high-end commercial software, Blender allows artists to create everything from 3D animations to intricate visual effects. It’s become a powerful tool for animators, game designers, and motion graphics artists seeking high-quality, customizable solutions.
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