In the modern enterprise, design has undergone a profound metamorphosis. Once relegated to the downstream role of aesthetic polish, it has emerged as a central, strategic function capable of driving innovation, differentiation, and significant financial performance.
Yet, for many large organizations, the journey from acknowledging design's importance to systemically embedding its principles remains fraught with challenges, as the chasm between running isolated workshops and cultivating a true design culture is vast. It is within this complex landscape that Chaitrasri R Rao has distinguished herself as a leading voice and a master practitioner for actually showing impact through design at large organizations.
With deep roots in UX, research, and service design, Ms Rao brings a grounded lens to leadership-shaped by years of mapping user journeys, facilitating design thinking sessions, and designing solutions firsthand.
As a leader, she operates at the confluence of user empathy, business acumen, and organizational psychology, finding ways that transform design from a departmental capability into a core driver of competitive advantage. Her approach is about making things work. She focuses on practical, structured ways to turn design thinking into something teams can actually use and build on.
The discussion covers Ms Rao's strategies for building scalable frameworks, translating design's impact into measurable business outcomes, and cultivating strong cross-functional collaboration.
Ultimately, this creates a detailed portrait of a leader who goes beyond simply overseeing design, actively shaping a more innovative, efficient, and human-centric future for organizations.
Scaling Design Thinking
Transitioning design from a siloed function to an enterprise-wide mindset requires a strategic approach to evangelism and education. The challenge is to reframe design not as a series of deliverables, but as a core competency for solving complex business problems.
Ms Rao describes this shift in perspective as fundamental to her role. "Stepping into the Practice Lead role gave me a wide-angle view of what it takes to advocate and scale service design within a complex organization—not just as a set of methods, but as a mindset for solving messy, interconnected business challenges," she says. "I began to see service blueprinting not as a deliverable, but as a strategic conversation tool that connects the dots across end-to-end user experiences."
Building trust with cross-functional leaders is paramount, and this is often achieved through co-creation and embedding design teams directly into strategic programs.
Ms Rao explains, "Over time, these collaborations turned into proof points—clear examples of how design can bring clarity, drive better decisions, and create experiences that are not only seamless but also meaningful."
Adaptable Design Processes
For design practices to scale effectively, a rigid, one-size-fits-all process can prove ineffective in unique scenarios, while a lack of any framework leads to inconsistency.
Ms Rao emphasizes this focus on core intent. "When defining repeatable processes like workshop facilitation and journey mapping, I focus on principles, not prescriptions," she states. "The goal is always the same: help stakeholders and teams truly understand the pain points, behaviors, motivations, and emotions of the people they're designing for. That consistency of purpose is what keeps the work grounded."
To achieve this balance, leaders can build modularity into their frameworks, creating structures that scale to fit the project's complexity or the team's maturity. "I create structures that can scale up or down depending on the problem space, team maturity, or available time, without losing the heart of what makes them effective. In workshops, for instance, we start by establishing ground rules that foster safety, openness, and respect," says Ms Rao.
The structure echoes familiar design rhythms—diverging to explore, converging to decide—while always anchored in human insight.
Aligning Teams with Co-creation
One of the most significant hurdles in large-scale projects is achieving true alignment among multidisciplinary teams. Skepticism can arise when new frameworks are introduced, often stemming from a lack of clarity or a fear of the unknown.
Ms Rao recounts a global engagement where this principle was put to the test. "From the start, I made sure designers, researchers, and strategists were not just involved—but empowered," she says. "This began at the scoping and planning phase, where roles, methods, and collaboration points were clearly defined. We co-created the approach together, bringing diverse perspectives into the framework from the outset and clearly calling out moments to align."
She continued to explain that building a shared language is critical to breaking down silos. This can be achieved through alignment sessions, hands-on workshops, and transparent communication that gives every team member visibility into the project's progress—building trust and turning early caution into true co-ownership.
Balancing Business and UX
Great UX and strong outcomes aren't opposites—they fuel each other. The key is making that connection visible to everyone involved.
Ms Rao sees this as a core part of her function. "I don't see business goals and UX best practices as competing forces—they're deeply interconnected," she states. "Thoughtfully applied UX principles improve usability, adoption, and overall engagement, which directly contributes to business outcomes like retention, efficiency, and even cost savings."
To bridge this gap, Ms Rao explains, "I often act as a translator between user needs and business imperatives." This approach is supported by extensive research, such as McKinsey's finding that companies with top-quartile design scores outperform peers in revenue and shareholder returns. By making data-informed decisions, the conversation shifts from subjective preference to objective strategy.
Driving Digital Tool Engagement
The successful engagement of new digital tools is a complex challenge extending beyond technology. Low engagement rates often stem from a disconnect with user workflows or overwhelming interfaces. To streamline engagement, leaders can leverage frameworks like journey mapping and prototyping to build shared understanding and validate solutions before a full-scale rollout.
Ms Rao highlights the power of this shared visibility. "When we map the current-state journey, we don't just identify pain points—we create shared visibility into the real challenges users face," she says.
"Improving engagement starts with experience design, is enabled by the right technology, supported by thoughtful communication, and sustained through ongoing support," Ms Rao asserts. "It's this holistic view—beyond just the interface—that ensures digital tools not only get used but genuinely create value."
Evolving for New Technologies
As technology evolves, so must the methodologies used to design with it. The rise of generative AI, for example, is poised to cause a profound transformation in the design industry.
Ms Rao's vision for the future involves evolving the entire design ecosystem. "Looking ahead, my approach to scaling design goes beyond UX excellence—it's about evolving the full ecosystem of design," she says. "I lead by example, encouraging teams to engage with emerging technologies like GenAI with curiosity rather than fear or doubt. As designers, we're trained to stay open-minded and integrate new capabilities in ways that stay true to human needs."
"While the tools and methods evolve, the foundation stays the same," Ms Rao concludes.
The leadership of Ms Rao offers a powerful and coherent blueprint for transforming design into a strategic driver of business performance. She knows how to build systems that work with real people.
Whether she's untangling a messy workflow or reimagining what's next, Ms Rao brings clarity, purpose, and momentum to every challenge. Ultimately, Chaitrasri Rao's work demonstrates that modern design leadership is about architecting a core engine of sustainable business advantage, cultivating the talent that will power it for years to come, and shaping the future of the discipline itself.
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