The truth is that most designers don’t know (or care) enough about the underlying business to have the kind of impact they aspire to.
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I guess understanding the business also comes with experience & seniority. I can’t imagine someone on a design lead position not having that kind of understanding. On the other hand more junior positions are often gives digested information to work with.
Everything is a gradient relative to experience and seniority. You should still understand the business.