55 companies mapped by executive design authority and observable product quality — Blixt & Dunder, February 2026 · v1.1 updated 5 March 2026
The horizontal axis shows where design sits in the organisation, from invisible (left) to represented in the C-suite (right). The vertical axis shows how good the product experience actually is, assessed across coherence, craft, and end-to-end quality. The diagonal line marks alignment: where organisational structure matches product outcome. Companies above it are punching above their weight, often through individual talent rather than organisational support. Companies below it have more authority than their product reflects. Most European digital companies cluster in the bottom left.
Design authority at executive level →
Observable product quality →
Tier 1: Design at the core
Tier 2: Design has influence
Tier 3: Structurally limited
Tier 4: Absent from leadership
Tier 5: Invisible or excluded
Edit log
5 Mar 2026 — v1.1 Monzo repositioned from Tier 4 to Tier 2 following direct input from CDO Vuokko Aro. Original placement was based on the public leadership page, which does not list the CDO among the executive team. In practice, the role reports directly to the CEO and is embedded in Board-level strategy. Gap indicator updated from "Quality exceeds structure" to "Aligned".
Feb 2026 — v1.0 Initial publication. 55 companies assessed.