The present article addresses some key constraints to enable amore strategic role of design within corporations, with a focuson the large opportunities set by the demands of sustainability.In order to illustrate such implications the author reportsa case study developed within a Base-Of-Pyramid project of alarge corporation where the challenge was the design of a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) shelf for low income houses. The project requirementsinvolved the possibility of manufacturing, selling,distributing, assembling and maintaining the product withinthe low-income community. The project was aligned with thecorporation’s strategic goals of expanding their socially inclusivebusinesses, thus enabling design to act strategically forthe implementation of sustainable ideals.