Nowadays, people get it: To have a successful business, you have to pay attention to your users. That much is clear. But "how" to make that happen isn't quite as clear. And that's where design teams come in.

Organizations have started building design teams to make certain their products meet their customers' needs. They're hiring user experience designers, visual designers, content strategists and product managers. Some teams are small – two or three people. Others are over 200-people strong. 

However, while there's a growing and deepening understanding of the value of design, many managers and leaders are still trying to figure out the best way to structure a design team. In addition, they need to find ways to encourage these design teams to engage with business units and how to set up processes that work across the entire organization. What's been missing is the understanding that design is a bigger and more important part of the organizational puzzle than it used to be.

In the past, there weren't nearly as many designers on staff at most companies. Instead, they were more of an afterthought – called in to make a product look "pretty" after it was already completed – than an integral part of the process as a whole. Design is playing a more crucial role than ever before. Today, design is a lot more than just picking out nice colors; it's about creating products and services that help users actually do things: learn, purchase, connect, and so on. That's why design teams need to be involved even in the early stages of product development.

Fortunately, from startups to Fortune 50 companies, we're seeing trends and patterns emerge regarding how to best structure, organize, and develop processes for design teams. Understanding these trends and patterns can help you make deliberate and actionable decisions to elevate your team.