I’ve observed that once an organization institutes a design process before development, the design function effectively replaces what’s traditionally done by IT business analysts. This makes sense, as this article from UC Berkeley points out, since the pendulum swings from what the stakeholders say to what the users need.

The recent focus on data science, however, is an area of opportunity (or perhaps, refuge) for displaced BAs. (Note the purple area at the lower right.) Many designers have an art school background and are disinclined to attack data problems.

I’m generalizing in a way that’s insulting to both groups, but the larger trend is undeniable: as businesses incorporate more design to stay competitive, the days of those that transcribe stakeholder dictums into documents are numbered.