How I design
As a corporate designer, Figma screens are only the start of the story.
Collaboration is at the heart of my design practice, both when communicating opportunity and ensuring execution.
Always look for problems that need solving
There’s always room to improve, but figuring out what’s impacting engagement, sentiment, or sales can be tough. Sometimes problems are dropped on the doorstep of designers. Sometimes, proactive probing into user or market research, analytics, and coworkers’ experiences may be necessary to highlight what needs to get done.
Once problems are identified, a designer can build a pitch or even a proof of concept to help others understand what opportunities lie ahead.
Align early and often, but thoughtfully
Design doesn’t have all the answers on its own. However, by harnessing the power of SMEs in other fields, we are uniquely positioned to paint a picture for everyone that illuminates the way forward.
Anyone impacted by a solution should have a chance to add insight. The trick is keeping the door open for input without overwhelming stakeholders through unnecessary meetings. Having a simple communication plan and adjusting it for the working styles of different departments can keep wasted hours to a minimum.
This thoughtful alignment allows emergent issues within a project to be resolved with minimal overhead.
Use constraints to help iterate
Creative restraints force designers to consider ideas beyond their gut instincts. Practical constraints can shrink the gap between desire, design, and development. When working on complex problems, both are a vital tool to break down rigid thinking and design paralysis.
Having multiple options to consider, even on tight timelines, can often be the difference between ‘good enough’ and ‘great’ design work.
Support execution from start to finish
A designer’s work doesn’t end with the approval of their design. Partnering with managers, developers, researchers, and quality engineers during the development and distribution cycle is critical. It can help those roles eliminate uncertainty, pivot quickly when unexpected issues are found, and build trust in the designers who work with them.
Teams who trust their designers to have their backs, whether they’re helping with delivery or presenting new designs to the users, are more likely to execute fearlessly and reach out to designers on their own. A strong relationship between designers and those who execute their designs strengthens all future projects.