Design Strategy vs. Design Vision: What's the Difference?


Design Strategy vs. Design Vision: What's the Difference?

by Jeff Humble


Dear Reader,

There's a rookie mistake that I see design strategists make over and over.

They think that a vision is a strategy. But vision and strategy are wildly different.

What's the difference, you say? Well, vision is more about where you want to be, while strategy is more about how to get there.

Why don't I show just show you? Check it out below:

Source, shared by Linus Mimetz in the Guild

Last night we hosted a Fishbowl event called Empowering Design Teams, and you can grab the recording below. We delved into the art of leadership in design. In the recording, you will hear stories and uncover insights to foster a culture of empowerment within your design team.


COURSE: Facilitating Workshops
Learn to turn meetings into momentum and clear decisions.
Next cohort: March 23–April 30, 2026
Buy a Seat
Only 1 coaching seat left!


COURSE: Defining UX Strategy
Learn to design a winning strategy that aligns design with business.
Next cohort: Autumn 2026
Buy a Seat
Self-paced seats available!


Until next week, give yourself a break. You've done enough for the week!

Jeff Humble
UX Strategist & Co-Founder
The Fountain Institute

P.S. We've got a few seats left for Defining UX Strategy starting in 2 weeks. Join us and master design strategy in 6 weeks with videos, workshops, and tons of feedback. Join here

The Fountain Institute

The Fountain Institute is an independent online school that teaches advanced UX & product skills.

Read more from The Fountain Institute

The System You Can't See By Hannah Baker Dear Reader, Here's a question I get more than any other: "How do I handle the person who talks too much?" Or the flip side: "How do I get quiet people to speak up?" And every time, I want to say: you're asking the wrong question. Not because those moments aren't real or frustrating. They are. But because treating them as people problems is like looking at algae blooming in a pond and asking, "how do I fix the algae?" You don't. The algae isn't the...

I Bought a Mac Mini to Try OpenClaw, the Most Hyped AI Tool of 2026 by Jeff Humble Dear Reader, You've probably heard of OpenClaw 🦞 by now. 145,000 GitHub stars. Headlines everywhere. "The AI that actually does things." This tool is the O.G. dream of AI...automation, not slop. This was the missing piece to my automation system. I had to try it. So I bought an entry-level, 2024 M4 Mac Mini for €590 (on sale in Germany, but they're reportedly selling out in the U.S.) and spent two days trying...

A collage-style image showing two identical women in long dresses near a revolving door, one entering and one stepping away, with abstract starburst shapes behind them.

Why Decisions Feel So Hard Right Nows By Hannah Baker Dear Reader, Over the last few months, I’ve been talking with design and product leaders across very different organizations, large companies, smaller teams, fast-moving environments, and slower ones. And I keep hearing the same thing. Their teams are being asked to make decisions faster than ever, and yet, deciding feels heavier than it used to. Not slower, exactly. Just harder. At first, people often explain this in familiar ways: too...