Disruption comes in waves—tariffs, elections, supply chain issues, labor shortages, digital transformation, changing consumer expectations, and even pandemics.

Right now, many companies are frozen. The Business Roundtable’s CEO Economic Outlook Index¹ dropped 15 points this year—its lowest since 2020. Business leaders are pulling back on hiring, spending, and sales forecasts.

Why? Trade policy uncertainty. Market unpredictability. Fear.

But standing still won’t make you resilient. Design-led organizations know that movement—not waiting—is what builds momentum.

This is your moment to zig.

Where is your business hurting most?

• Pipeline stalled?
• Supply chain unreliable?
• Product roadmap gathering dust?
• Brand messaging falling flat?
• Customer engagement plateaued?

You can’t solve what you haven’t diagnosed.

At BOLTGROUP, one of our core practices is to find the pain fast and go straight at it with curiosity, objectivity, and strategic design thinking.

Ask yourself and your teams:

• What parts of our product or brand no longer resonate?
• Where are we ignoring critical upstream or downstream shifts?
• Why are customers hesitating?
• Are competitors actually evolving, or have we just stopped playing boldly?

Fear fogs clarity. That’s why outside perspective matters. A partner with no internal bias and deep experience can help you identify friction and turn it into fuel.

In times of disruption, your product strategy and brand platform should be living, breathing tools—not static documents.

Use this moment to reassess:

• Does our product portfolio reflect our brand promise?
• Are we delivering innovation customers can feel?
• Is our messaging relevant, human, and empathetic?
• Have we removed complexity from the customer experience?

This is not maintenance. This is transformation.
And yes—it takes courage. But it also leads to competitive breakthroughs.

Golf Pride’s Reverse Taper grip wasn’t born in calm waters. It was developed during industry uncertainty. But by advancing research, design, and brand alignment, the result was a product that redefined confidence for golfers worldwide.

Or consider Matchwell, a digital healthcare staffing platform launched at the height of the national nursing shortage just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, we developed a bold, design-led brand strategy that helped them revolutionize how nurses and health systems connect, delivering critical innovation precisely when the world needed it most.

Different industries. Same mindset:

Disruption favors the bold.

So, what does bold look like in your company?
What can you do that your competitors won’t?
Where can design—through better experiences, sharper messaging, and purposeful strategy—help you lead with optimism?

Because that’s what great design really is:

Optimism made tangible.

If you’re feeling stuck, know this: your competitors probably are too.
Now is the time to challenge assumptions, ignite action, and turn hesitation into leadership.

Let’s design what’s next—together.

Zig when others stall.
Disrupt the disruption.
And build what’s brave.

1 https://www.businessroundtable.org/media/ceo-economic-outlook-index/ceo-economic-outlook-index-q2-2025