# Strategic vision, experience narratives and business cases

*Platform Strategy Designer Study Guide · Value Design · Last updated November 2, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-strategy-designer/value-design/strategic-vision-experience-narratives-and-business-cases*

How to defend a strategic direction: narrow concepts through visualize, analyze and critique cycles, turn the strongest into a strategic vision told as an experience narrative, present it with context and a case, and back it with a business case built on value levers, stated assumptions and answers to executive objections.

- Certification: Salesforce Platform Strategy Designer
- Exam section: Value Design
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-strategy-designer

**Official exam objective:**

> Defend the rationale for strategic directions, including how they satisfy business and user needs, and future implications.

## What the exam expects

- Distinguish a concept from a strategic vision, and narrow many concepts to a few through repeated visualize, analyze and critique cycles.
- Build an experience narrative that ties standout features to moments that matter, cuts non-value screens and fits its fidelity to the audience.
- Present a vision in the right order: context first, then the narrative, then the case, feedback and alignment.
- Show the vision's implications for technology, organization, capabilities and leadership.
- Build a business case on value levers, stated assumptions and estimates, and answer executive objections with evidence.
- Key terms: **concept** (the core idea of what you're designing); **strategic vision** (an aspirational view of a future state that communicates the strategy's end state); **experience narrative** (a linear story focused on a single scenario); **killing your darlings** (eliminating a concept you invested in, for good reasons); **value levers** (the value drivers a business case focuses on).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Concept vs vision | Core idea vs communicating the strategy's end state for buy-in | [Create a Strategic Vision](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/strategic-vision-creation/create-a-strategic-vision) |
| Narrowing cycle | Visualize, analyze, critique | [Analyze and Narrow Concepts](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/strategic-vision-creation/analyze-and-narrow-solution-concepts) |
| Concepts to present | A few unique ones; three is usually good | [Analyze and Narrow Concepts](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/strategic-vision-creation/analyze-and-narrow-solution-concepts) |
| Viability help | Business analysts | [Analyze and Narrow Concepts](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/strategic-vision-creation/analyze-and-narrow-solution-concepts) |
| Feasibility help | Developers or architects | [Analyze and Narrow Concepts](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/strategic-vision-creation/analyze-and-narrow-solution-concepts) |
| Feature rule | Every standout feature maps to a moment that matters | [Create a Strategic Vision](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/strategic-vision-creation/create-a-strategic-vision) |
| Fidelity rule | Bigger, more diverse audience: more likely to need higher fidelity | [Create a Strategic Vision](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/strategic-vision-creation/create-a-strategic-vision) |
| Value levers | Revenue, cost, productivity, strategic capabilities | [Business Case and Roadmap](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/innovation_solution/innovation_solution_build_business) |
| "Need time to decide" | Show cost of waiting vs early quick wins | [Business Case and Roadmap](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/innovation_solution/innovation_solution_build_business) |
| Roadmap deliverables | Capability map, technical architecture, implementation plan | [Business Case and Roadmap](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/innovation_solution/innovation_solution_build_business) |

## Check yourself

- Which three formats can communicate a strategic vision?
- Why might stakeholders judge the same vision differently?
- Why does the page's roadmap example describe the Aqua Box as including only clothing and shoes at first?
- What does a business capability map show?

## Sources

- [Create a Strategic Vision](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/strategic-vision-creation/create-a-strategic-vision)
- [Analyze and Narrow Solution Concepts](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/strategic-vision-creation/analyze-and-narrow-solution-concepts)
- [Build the Business Case and Roadmap](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/innovation_solution/innovation_solution_build_business)
- [Learn About Value Design](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce-strategy-designer-certification-prep/learn-about-value-design)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 15 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Platform Strategy Designer pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams