Abstract Different types of indicators have been developed to measure the value of design in companies. As with any tool developed for research, indicators must be developed according to a scientific approach. One of the important steps in this development is validation. The main validation problem for design indicators lies in the following challenges: Design often involves multiple variables and factors that interact with each other. This can make it difficult to isolate the impact of any one indicator on the overall design. Furthermore, design operates differently in each industry. These issues make benchmarking against standardized metrics problematic. Most existing design metrics are qualitative, subject to interpretation, or closed to the public. It is possible that there is no data collected in the companies to evaluate their performance. To the authors’ knowledge, the literature does not describe a systematic validation process for indicators that present difficulties like those exhibited by design indicators. Therefore, this paper presents a proposal for a validation process for design indicators that can be replicated during the indicator development process, which provides a possible solution to these challenges. Four dimensions are considered: face validity, content validity, criterion validity and construct validity. This research is part of a current project that aims to demonstrate the value that the application of design could bring to companies and provide design managers with the tools to support their decision-making.