
When you think of a designer, what comes to mind? For many, the image is fairly straightforward: someone creating visually appealing logos, sleek marketing materials, or polished websites. This perception is understandable but limited. While it's true that designers are often responsible for the aesthetics of a brand or product, their role goes far beyond just making things look good. In reality, designers are problem solvers, strategists, and innovators who play a crucial role in shaping products and services from the ground up. Let’s explore what designers truly do, especially in the context of innovation teams like Astara’s.
Designers: More Than Just Visual Experts
The basic perception of design revolves around visuals—creating something that’s easy on the eyes, memorable, and effective for marketing or communication purposes. Often, it’s assumed that designers work on one-shot projects: a logo here, a website there, and maybe a brochure to top it off. But design is not just about crafting one-time outputs. Designers can, and often do, contribute consistently and iteratively throughout the life cycle of a product or service.
Meeting the Unique Needs of Innovation Teams
Innovation teams operate in fast-paced, ever-changing environments. They need to validate concepts quickly and cheaply, adapt to evolving needs at breakneck speed, and maintain a multidisciplinary perspective to avoid falling into the trap of working in silos. Designers are uniquely positioned to meet these needs.
For starters, designers excel at creating prototypes—tangible representations of ideas that can be tested and iterated upon. These prototypes don’t have to be perfect; in fact, the quicker and cheaper they are, the better for initial testing. A simple sketch or a lo-fi wireframe can save countless hours and resources by validating a concept before it's fully developed.
Moreover, designers are flexible. They thrive in environments where the requirements are constantly changing, and their ability to pivot and adapt is crucial for innovation teams. Whether it’s shifting the focus of a project or tweaking a prototype based on feedback, designers help keep the momentum going.

The Myth of the “One-Shot” Designer
One of the biggest misconceptions about designers is that their work is a one-and-done deal. In reality, design is an iterative process. It’s about constantly refining and improving based on feedback, whether that’s from users, team members, or stakeholders. This iterative approach is particularly important in digital projects, where the landscape can change rapidly.
Designers are also human-driven, despite the digital nature of much of their work. They focus on the user experience, ensuring that the end product isn’t just functional but also meaningful and engaging. And while designers often work with digital mediums—websites, apps, and interfaces—their expertise goes beyond the screen. They consider the entire user journey, which might involve physical experiences, emotions, and interactions that are not confined to a digital platform.
What Designers Really Do (That You Might Not Know)
Beyond their well-known roles, designers do several things that aren’t always recognized:
- Turning Ideas into Tangible Artifacts: Designers transform abstract concepts into tangible, testable artifacts like prototypes, tools, or canvases. These allow teams to see and interact with an idea, making it easier to identify potential issues early on.
- Iterating Efficiently: Designers iterate quickly and efficiently. They start with lo-fi prototypes—simple sketches or basic models—and gradually move to hi-fi versions as the concept evolves. This process allows for continual feedback and improvements.
- Empathizing Through Qualitative Research: Designers are often the ones conducting fieldwork, user testing, and observations. They go deep into understanding users’ needs and pain points, ensuring that the final product truly resonates with its audience.
- Aligning Teams Through Storytelling and Visualization: Designers are natural storytellers. They facilitate workshops, create frameworks, and use visualization techniques to bring cross-disciplinary teams together, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Astara Play: A Real-World Example
Astara Play is a perfect example of how designers can play a crucial role in innovation. What began as a simple experiment on a website quickly gained interest. To explore potential user needs around the vehicle, remote interviews were conducted, leading to valuable insights.
From there, designers created lo-fi sketches and prototypes to shape what the app could become. These early versions were key in refining the concept. As the project evolved, hi-fi prototypes were developed, providing a clear vision of where the app could go in the near future. By the time the first version shipped, it had already undergone several iterations, each one building on the last.
Takeaways
Designers are more than just visual experts; they are integral to the innovation process. They help turn big ideas into actionable, testable concepts, ensuring that projects stay flexible, user-centered, and aligned with team goals. So, the next time you’re working on a project that seems too big or complex, consider involving a designer early on. You might be surprised at how much they can help.
I hope this gives you a new perspective on what designers can do and how they can aid your projects. Remember, even the biggest ideas can start as a lo-fi prototype and peer testing. With the right approach, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.