CPO vs. CDO: Who Really Owns the Experience? A quick read on how to give design a voice and move from pixels to profit.

In product-led organizations, where strategies are deeply rooted in delivering value through exceptional user experiences, a common question arises: How should the roles of Chief Design Officer (CDO) and Chief Product Officer (CPO) be distinguished? With product experience and design playing a pivotal role in success, and these responsibilities often falling under the CPO’s remit, what unique value does a CDO bring to the table?

When companies are born, their purpose is often to solve a problem, innovate, or create something better. Even with groundbreaking technology, success hinges on the belief that an outstanding experience will captivate users and win the market. Experience, ultimately, is the key value proposition. However, as products scale, they become increasingly complex. Features are added. Technical architectures expand. Product teams focus on balancing business needs and production realities. At the boardroom level, the CTO and CPO represent these domains. But who represents design—the cornerstone of human-centricity and great experiences?

Many would argue it’s the CPO’s job. After all, experience is essential to product success. But technology is equally crucial, and the CTO ensures its representation at the highest level. Design, by contrast, is often overlooked, relegated to “how things look.” The problem is a fundamental misunderstanding of what design truly is.

Design defines how people interact with products—be it through graphical interfaces, voice commands, or gestures in virtual or augmented realities. Rooted in human-centered principles, it goes beyond aesthetics to focus on usability, accessibility, and solving real problems. It requires structured processes like research and testing, specialized skills, and tools. Yet, design often operates as an image and impression—something everyone feels entitled to comment on.

This is where a CDO can make a profound difference. Design is the connective tissue of a company’s user experience, ensuring consistency and quality across products and features. It creates a shared language for delivering value and helps bridge gaps between strategy and execution. Without a dedicated design leader, organizations risk fragmented experiences and missed opportunities.

From my experience, two approaches can elevate the role of design within an organization:

• Integrated Design within Product.

Titles matter less than ensuring design is taken seriously. In this approach, design works closely with product teams but isn’t reduced to “pushing pixels.” Designers help elevate user experiences, uncover opportunities, and ensure solutions are thoroughly tested with users. In smaller companies or simpler products, this model works—provided the CPO champions collaboration between design, product, and technology and has a deep understanding of design and its principles. This is a very tricky approach where design often is lost between technology and business.

• Distinguished Design Leadership

As products grow in complexity, separating design from product becomes essential. Just as the CTO handles technological complexities across platforms, the CDO ensures exceptional user experiences at every touchpoint. This separation allows design to focus on human-centricity while product tackles business and operational goals. At both strategic and executive levels, design, product, and engineering must collaborate as equals.

Design Leadership: the bridge between vision and value

In product-led organizations, solutions revolve around the value they bring to people. As product management evolves, roles like product operations emerge to address business needs. Similarly, designers support product managers by championing user-centricity. While this starts at the squad level, it must extend to leadership. A dedicated design leader aligns vision and strategy with user needs, driving growth and purpose. As Steve Jobs famously said, “Design is not just how things look but how they work,” highlightning design’s role as a visionary and foundational element. This is where strong design leadership creates real value.