Design Impact Report

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Template sections

• Quarter summary — 3 headlines that capture design's impact this quarter in business terms
• Key projects — top 3–5 design initiatives with outcome, not output, descriptions
• Adoption & quality metrics — design system coverage, handoff cycle time, design debt
• Team health — capacity utilisation, satisfaction score, and attrition
• What didn't work — one honest reflection on a failure or learning this quarter
• Next quarter focus — top 3 priorities and what leadership decisions they depend on

HOW TO USE

Best practices

1. Lead with outcomes, not output. "We shipped 47 screens" means nothing. "Checkout redesign reduced drop-off by 18%" is a business result. Translate every project.
2. Use the same metrics every quarter. Changing your metrics each report hides regression. Pick 4–6 design health metrics and track them consistently.
3. Include something that didn't work. A report with only wins reads as spin. One honest failure builds more trust with leadership than five success stories.
4. 4 pages maximum. A 12-page design impact report will not be read. Four pages with strong visuals and clear numbers will.
5. Send it before the meeting, not during. Walking through a report slide-by-slide in a meeting wastes leadership's time. Send it 24 hours ahead and use the meeting for discussion.