Business Strategy
Basics

Business Strategy
Basics

Learn how a good business strategy is defined, crafted and connected to your day-to-day projects and tasks.

Learn how a good business strategy is defined, crafted and connected to your day-to-day projects and tasks.

  • Learn the components that define a strategy

  • Learn the components that

    define a strategy

  • Recognize what makes a strategy good, or not

  • Recognize what makes a strategy

    good, or not

  • Bridge the gap between strategy and tactics

  • Bridge the gap between strategy

    and tactics

Apply Now

Apply Now

What You'll Learn

What You'll Learn

Business Model Building Blocks

Business Model Building Blocks

Learn a tried-and-true framework for deconstructing any company’s business model to understand how it creates, delivers and captures value.

Learn a tried-and-true framework for deconstructing any company’s business model to understand how it creates, delivers and captures value.

Designing Good Strategies

Designing Good Strategies

What is a good strategy, and how will you know when you have one? Learn the components that make up a good strategy, and principles that will enable you to execute on it.

What is a good strategy, and how will you know when you have one? Learn the components that make up a good strategy, and principles that will enable you to execute on it.

Business Strategy Foundations

Business Strategy Foundations

How do you make sure your business will always stay ahead of competitors? Learn the different ways a company can create defensible and durable barriers to the competition.

How do you make sure your business will always stay ahead of competitors? Learn the different ways a company can create defensible and durable barriers to the competition.

Exploring Competitive Landscapes

Exploring Competitive Landscapes

How can you understand your competitors strengths versus your own? Learn to break down a company’s competitive advantage to better shape what you offer, and how, so that you can stay ahead of the competition.

How can you understand your competitors strengths versus your own? Learn to break down a company’s competitive advantage to better shape what you offer, and how, so that you can stay ahead of the competition.

Visions, Missions and Metrics

Visions, Missions and Metrics

You know that a company’s strategy is connected to its mission and objectives, but how exactly? Learn an easy framework for understanding how strategy connects to your day-to-day work, and how it becomes measurable.

You know that a company’s strategy is connected to its mission and objectives, but how exactly? Learn an easy framework for understanding how strategy connects to your day-to-day work, and how it becomes measurable.

How You’ll Learn

In one week you'll complete five interactive courses with a cohort of designer peers.

Each course is asynchronous, takes about 25 mins and includes actionable frameworks and tactics that you can immediately practice and apply.


This is NOT a live, lecture-based, Zoom workshop. It is a unique learning experience designed to be accessible and efficient. Learning while working is very challenging but this format makes it easy to level-up during your work week 25 minutes at a time.

Five interactive, asynch courses taken over five days

Private Slack channel for discussion and feedback

Summary artifacts
for reference and application

  • I love, love, love the conversational format! I already sit in meetings and watch videos of people talking all day so I get tired of watching people lecture. This conversational format was different, unique, refreshing, and engaging!

    Staff Product Designer,Shopify

  • Love this format! I never would have thought an interactive experience would work for self-directed learning, but it worked really well for me. I think part of it has to do with keeping me engaged in a “conversation”, versus clicking through a bunch of slides. Loved it!


    Product Designer,

    Google

  • These courses were short and impactful which is key. I love learning, but time is so hard to make for things these days, so this really was great.

    Sr. Principal Experience Designer,

    Autodesk

  • I loved this format! Easy to grasp content, easy to fit into my workday because is so quick and straight-forward.

    Product Designer,

    Dropbox

  • I love how I can easily set the pace as my responses determine the content that follows. The material is more personalized to my learning style.

    Lead Product Designer,

    Zendesk

  • I loved how fast and efficient this course was. I felt like I was sprinting (in a good way) the entire way through. The integrated notifications saying peers completed threads kept me going and accountable.

    Product Designer,

    Google

  • I like that you get to participate and put things into practice. This felt like a natural flow with breaks to explicitly try out what you just learned!

    Product Designer,

    Figma

  • Other formats tend to give you all of the information up front and leaves it up to you to decide how much you want to learn. It often leads to me being overwhelmed. Threads are more manageable and approachable. It felt more like a conversation rather than reading blocks of text.

    Product Designer,

    Gusto

  • The courses were concise yet engaging! I wasn't just watching someone talk about some topic for an hour. The lessons were straight to the point while still allowing me to be involved.


    Product Designer,

    Shopify

  • I love, love, love the conversational format! I already sit in meetings and watch videos of people talking all day so I get tired of watching people lecture. This conversational format was different, unique, refreshing, and engaging!

    Staff Product Designer,Shopify

  • Love this format! I never would have thought an interactive experience would work for self-directed learning, but it worked really well for me. I think part of it has to do with keeping me engaged in a “conversation”, versus clicking through a bunch of slides. Loved it!


    Product Designer,

    Google

  • These courses were short and impactful which is key. I love learning, but time is so hard to make for things these days, so this really was great.

    Sr. Principal Experience Designer,

    Autodesk

  • I loved this format! Easy to grasp content, easy to fit into my workday because is so quick and straight-forward.

    Product Designer,

    Dropbox

  • I love how I can easily set the pace as my responses determine the content that follows. The material is more personalized to my learning style.

    Lead Product Designer,

    Zendesk

  • I loved how fast and efficient this course was. I felt like I was sprinting (in a good way) the entire way through. The integrated notifications saying peers completed threads kept me going and accountable.

    Product Designer,

    Google

  • I like that you get to participate and put things into practice. This felt like a natural flow with breaks to explicitly try out what you just learned!

    Product Designer,

    Figma

  • Other formats tend to give you all of the information up front and leaves it up to you to decide how much you want to learn. It often leads to me being overwhelmed. Threads are more manageable and approachable. It felt more like a conversation rather than reading blocks of text.

    Product Designer,

    Gusto

  • The courses were concise yet engaging! I wasn't just watching someone talk about some topic for an hour. The lessons were straight to the point while still allowing me to be involved.


    Product Designer,

    Shopify

  • I love, love, love the conversational format! I already sit in meetings and watch videos of people talking all day so I get tired of watching people lecture. This conversational format was different, unique, refreshing, and engaging!

    Staff Product Designer,Shopify

  • Love this format! I never would have thought an interactive experience would work for self-directed learning, but it worked really well for me. I think part of it has to do with keeping me engaged in a “conversation”, versus clicking through a bunch of slides. Loved it!


    Product Designer,

    Google

  • These courses were short and impactful which is key. I love learning, but time is so hard to make for things these days, so this really was great.

    Sr. Principal Experience Designer,

    Autodesk

  • I loved this format! Easy to grasp content, easy to fit into my workday because is so quick and straight-forward.

    Product Designer,

    Dropbox

  • I love how I can easily set the pace as my responses determine the content that follows. The material is more personalized to my learning style.

    Lead Product Designer,

    Zendesk

  • I loved how fast and efficient this course was. I felt like I was sprinting (in a good way) the entire way through. The integrated notifications saying peers completed threads kept me going and accountable.

    Product Designer,

    Google

  • I like that you get to participate and put things into practice. This felt like a natural flow with breaks to explicitly try out what you just learned!

    Product Designer,

    Figma

  • Other formats tend to give you all of the information up front and leaves it up to you to decide how much you want to learn. It often leads to me being overwhelmed. Threads are more manageable and approachable. It felt more like a conversation rather than reading blocks of text.

    Product Designer,

    Gusto

  • The courses were concise yet engaging! I wasn't just watching someone talk about some topic for an hour. The lessons were straight to the point while still allowing me to be involved.


    Product Designer,

    Shopify

Designer Fund Teaching Team
Ben
Blumenrose
Mamie
Rheingold
Enrique
Allen
Robyn
Park
Dave
Baggeroer
Ben
Blumenrose
Mamie
Rheingold
Enrique
Allen
Robyn
Park
Dave
Baggeroer
Ben
Blumenrose
Mamie
Rheingold
Enrique
Allen
Robyn
Park
Dave
Baggeroer

Join Top Teams in Tech

Join Top Teams

in Tech

Apply Now

Who will benefit from this workshop?

This is an introductory workshop for a wide range of creative roles including: product designers, brand designers, design program managers, content designers, content strategists and UX researchers. The workshop content will benefit anyone who wants to learn the basic skills, concepts and mindsets required to successfully define and communicate the business value of their work. The workshop format will benefit anyone who learns by doing and doesn’t have the time or budget to commit to a multi-week, cohort-based zoom course.

What is the workshop format?

We created a unique learning format that fits easily into tight budgets and busy workdays. In one week you'll complete five interactive courses with a cohort of designer peers. Each course is asynchronous and takes about 25 minutes. After completing each course you’ll connect in Slack to discuss the course topics and takeaways with instructors and peers. This is NOT a live, lecture-based Zoom workshop. It is a unique learning experience designed to be quick, concise and a very efficient use of your time and money. Every workshop is: Interactive — The format requires active participation, engagement and personalized application – no long-winded one way lectures Accessible — Allows you to learn at your own pace at a time that works for you. Expect about 25 minutes per day for five days. Applied — Shares simple, actionable frameworks and tactics that you can immediately practice and apply back at work. Social — While each course is completed independently, the overall workshop experience brings together the collective wisdom and accountability of the entire group.

Will I meet other designers?

You will be part of a cohort of designer peers from a wide range of companies and industries. Each cohort is connected via a private Slack channel which serves as your hub for collaboration, connection and discussion. Exceptional participants will be considered for membership in the Designer Fund Collective.

Can I take it with my team?

Yes! Participants share with us that this program is even more impactful if taken as a team. Teams return to work with a new shared language, understanding and mindset, ready to apply what they learned together. Contact us at connect@designerfund.com for teams of 10 or more.

What is the refund policy?

We understand that learning is very personal and we care deeply about delivering effective educational outcomes. If for any reason your unsatisfied with the workshop, please connect with us directly and we’ll discuss a full refund.