In this paper, a displacement-based design (DBD) methodology commonly used for seismic design and evaluation of structures is adopted to determine the performance of structures to blast loading. In this method, structural performance is linked to measurable quantities such as the displacement ductility. To verify the applicability of the method and the accuracy of the results, a simple structural shape, including a square steel plate, is subjected to out-of-plane blast loading with different explosive charge weights and stand-off distances. With the adaptation of the AUTODYN software, the above-mentioned examples in a similar condition are also subjected to blast loading. It is found that the results of the DBD method agree favorably with the results obtained from a numerical method. It is also shown that a good prediction of the damage level can be made for steel plates subjected to different charge weights and stand-off distances.