Not work
Thoughts and sidenotes
01 Writing
02 Mentoring and membering
03 Listening and reflexing
The Future of Service Design in the Age of AI (51): ➡️ Design is shifting from pixels and tools to facilitation, systems thinking, and team alignment. Modern design is about connecting people and shaping organizational flows – not fiddling with Figma. ➡️ AI automates routine work, but elevates the designer’s role as an observer, hypothesis-maker, and orchestrator. Designers move into “choreographers of decisions” – focusing on meaning, not just visual layout. ➡️ The most critical skill for the future is language – stories, dialogue, facilitation, and meaning-making. As tech becomes conversational, design becomes more verbal than visual. ➡️ Service blueprints remain essential – they’re the scripts for AI-enabled, agentic experiences. They map not just journeys, but also systems, contingencies, and human roles behind them. ➡️ The future of design is human-centered, empathetic, and focused on real-world impact. It’s not about growth for growth’s sake – it’s about helping people thrive, connect, and endure.
show more
Responsible AI for Research (50): ➡️ AI acts as a helper for narrow tasks – but requires human oversight. It’s great for transcription, quote extraction, and sparking analysis – but needs researchers to guide, refine, and validate its output. ➡️ AI has clear limits – it hallucinates, lacks nuance, and skims the surface. It can’t grasp strategy, emotion, or intent. It’s a tool for support, not a substitute for thinking. ➡️ The researcher’s role is to connect the dots, bring context, and build empathy. The true value comes from sensemaking, pattern-spotting, and involving others – not just speed. ➡️ New researchers should master fundamentals – not chase the hype. Their mission is to ask sharper questions, use AI wisely, and frame research as a strategic backbone – not a vending machine for answers.
Design Leadership (49): ➡️ UX is an outcome – not a department. User experience is shaped by the whole team – not just designers. Engineering, product, and business decisions like pricing or launch timing deeply influence it. Design is a function, but UX is everyone’s responsibility. ➡️ Scaling design teams requires structure. As design orgs grow, they need clear roles, titles, and career paths. Without a framework, hiring becomes inconsistent and growth chaotic. Scaling should be intentional, not reactive. ➡️ Talent alone isn’t enough – environment matters. A strong team can underperform in a broken system. Just like in sports, culture, leadership, and structure can elevate or hinder performance. Good designers need good conditions to thrive. ➡️ Common pitfalls: vague roles, no quality benchmark, missing design ops. Without defined expectations, quality standards vary. Without design ops, managers spend time on logistics instead of people and craft. These gaps lead to burnout and misalignment. ➡️ Agile models like Spotify squads often fail design. These models focus on delivery – assuming you already know what to build. But design thrives in exploration. Dual-track agile (discovery + delivery) creates space for research, prototyping, and better decisions. ➡️ The #1 leadership principle – be intentional and explicit. Don’t leave things unsaid. Define what “good” looks like. Write it down. Clarify how growth works. This builds alignment, empowers people, and helps design scale sustainably.
The Future of Service Design in the Age of AI (51): ➡️ Design is shifting from pixels and tools to facilitation, systems thinking, and team alignment. Modern design is about connecting people and shaping organizational flows – not fiddling with Figma. ➡️ AI automates routine work, but elevates the designer’s role as an observer, hypothesis-maker, and orchestrator. Designers move into “choreographers of decisions” – focusing on meaning, not just visual layout. ➡️ The most critical skill for the future is language – stories, dialogue, facilitation, and meaning-making. As tech becomes conversational, design becomes more verbal than visual. ➡️ Service blueprints remain essential – they’re the scripts for AI-enabled, agentic experiences. They map not just journeys, but also systems, contingencies, and human roles behind them. ➡️ The future of design is human-centered, empathetic, and focused on real-world impact. It’s not about growth for growth’s sake – it’s about helping people thrive, connect, and endure.
show more
Responsible AI for Research (50): ➡️ AI acts as a helper for narrow tasks – but requires human oversight. It’s great for transcription, quote extraction, and sparking analysis – but needs researchers to guide, refine, and validate its output. ➡️ AI has clear limits – it hallucinates, lacks nuance, and skims the surface. It can’t grasp strategy, emotion, or intent. It’s a tool for support, not a substitute for thinking. ➡️ The researcher’s role is to connect the dots, bring context, and build empathy. The true value comes from sensemaking, pattern-spotting, and involving others – not just speed. ➡️ New researchers should master fundamentals – not chase the hype. Their mission is to ask sharper questions, use AI wisely, and frame research as a strategic backbone – not a vending machine for answers.
Design Leadership (49): ➡️ UX is an outcome – not a department. User experience is shaped by the whole team – not just designers. Engineering, product, and business decisions like pricing or launch timing deeply influence it. Design is a function, but UX is everyone’s responsibility. ➡️ Scaling design teams requires structure. As design orgs grow, they need clear roles, titles, and career paths. Without a framework, hiring becomes inconsistent and growth chaotic. Scaling should be intentional, not reactive. ➡️ Talent alone isn’t enough – environment matters. A strong team can underperform in a broken system. Just like in sports, culture, leadership, and structure can elevate or hinder performance. Good designers need good conditions to thrive. ➡️ Common pitfalls: vague roles, no quality benchmark, missing design ops. Without defined expectations, quality standards vary. Without design ops, managers spend time on logistics instead of people and craft. These gaps lead to burnout and misalignment. ➡️ Agile models like Spotify squads often fail design. These models focus on delivery – assuming you already know what to build. But design thrives in exploration. Dual-track agile (discovery + delivery) creates space for research, prototyping, and better decisions. ➡️ The #1 leadership principle – be intentional and explicit. Don’t leave things unsaid. Define what “good” looks like. Write it down. Clarify how growth works. This builds alignment, empowers people, and helps design scale sustainably.
The Future of Service Design in the Age of AI (51): ➡️ Design is shifting from pixels and tools to facilitation, systems thinking, and team alignment. Modern design is about connecting people and shaping organizational flows – not fiddling with Figma. ➡️ AI automates routine work, but elevates the designer’s role as an observer, hypothesis-maker, and orchestrator. Designers move into “choreographers of decisions” – focusing on meaning, not just visual layout. ➡️ The most critical skill for the future is language – stories, dialogue, facilitation, and meaning-making. As tech becomes conversational, design becomes more verbal than visual. ➡️ Service blueprints remain essential – they’re the scripts for AI-enabled, agentic experiences. They map not just journeys, but also systems, contingencies, and human roles behind them. ➡️ The future of design is human-centered, empathetic, and focused on real-world impact. It’s not about growth for growth’s sake – it’s about helping people thrive, connect, and endure.
show more
Responsible AI for Research (50): ➡️ AI acts as a helper for narrow tasks – but requires human oversight. It’s great for transcription, quote extraction, and sparking analysis – but needs researchers to guide, refine, and validate its output. ➡️ AI has clear limits – it hallucinates, lacks nuance, and skims the surface. It can’t grasp strategy, emotion, or intent. It’s a tool for support, not a substitute for thinking. ➡️ The researcher’s role is to connect the dots, bring context, and build empathy. The true value comes from sensemaking, pattern-spotting, and involving others – not just speed. ➡️ New researchers should master fundamentals – not chase the hype. Their mission is to ask sharper questions, use AI wisely, and frame research as a strategic backbone – not a vending machine for answers.
Design Leadership (49): ➡️ UX is an outcome – not a department. User experience is shaped by the whole team – not just designers. Engineering, product, and business decisions like pricing or launch timing deeply influence it. Design is a function, but UX is everyone’s responsibility. ➡️ Scaling design teams requires structure. As design orgs grow, they need clear roles, titles, and career paths. Without a framework, hiring becomes inconsistent and growth chaotic. Scaling should be intentional, not reactive. ➡️ Talent alone isn’t enough – environment matters. A strong team can underperform in a broken system. Just like in sports, culture, leadership, and structure can elevate or hinder performance. Good designers need good conditions to thrive. ➡️ Common pitfalls: vague roles, no quality benchmark, missing design ops. Without defined expectations, quality standards vary. Without design ops, managers spend time on logistics instead of people and craft. These gaps lead to burnout and misalignment. ➡️ Agile models like Spotify squads often fail design. These models focus on delivery – assuming you already know what to build. But design thrives in exploration. Dual-track agile (discovery + delivery) creates space for research, prototyping, and better decisions. ➡️ The #1 leadership principle – be intentional and explicit. Don’t leave things unsaid. Define what “good” looks like. Write it down. Clarify how growth works. This builds alignment, empowers people, and helps design scale sustainably.
Designing the Future of Cursor (Ryo Lu): ➡️ Designers are shifting from pixel-perfect UI to abstract systems. The focus is now on containers and logic that adapt dynamically – aiming for interfaces that feel personalized to each user. ➡️ Tools like Cursor collapse the idea-to-product timeline. Designers can prototype complex tools in days. This blurs the line between design and engineering – one designer can contribute like a “10x engineer.” ➡️ Universal concepts like “to-do lists” remain foundational. Even advanced AI agents rely on familiar mental models – just executed by software instead of humans. ➡️ The designer’s role expands to systems thinking and code. They clarify complexity, contribute to production code, and move beyond visual polish. Versatility now matters more than narrow specialization. ➡️ Human-computer interaction is becoming more intuitive – and internal. Interfaces will reflect how we think and feel. AI removes technical limits, enabling fast, fluid, and deeply personal digital experiences.
show more
Playbook for Vibe Coding (Ridd) ➡️ Learn to solve problems through code – using tools that turn plain English into real functionality. You don’t need to master syntax – just know how to describe what you want and refine with AI. ➡️ Focus on real human problems, not just aesthetics. Build things that help people, and let your portfolio reflect meaningful impact, not just polished visuals. ➡️ Try “vibe coding” – explore challenges you care about with AI as your copilot. Curiosity is your engine. Let the process teach you what tools can’t. ➡️ Choose problems that truly matter to you. If it makes you learn code to solve it (like sending a form to a database) – that’s a sign you’re on the right path. ➡️ Use AI to understand code, not just generate it. Ask why it suggests certain things. Explore alternate solutions with pros and cons. ➡️ Use a separate AI as your virtual CTO: → Give it context about what you’re building. → Let it ask clarifying questions. → Have it break the project into phases and generate prompts. → After each phase, review outputs and send updates back for critique. → Use the loop to catch issues early and improve architecture. ➡️ This method turns AI into a team – helping you move from idea to working product with clarity, momentum, and learning.
Designing the Future of Cursor (Ryo Lu): ➡️ Designers are shifting from pixel-perfect UI to abstract systems. The focus is now on containers and logic that adapt dynamically – aiming for interfaces that feel personalized to each user. ➡️ Tools like Cursor collapse the idea-to-product timeline. Designers can prototype complex tools in days. This blurs the line between design and engineering – one designer can contribute like a “10x engineer.” ➡️ Universal concepts like “to-do lists” remain foundational. Even advanced AI agents rely on familiar mental models – just executed by software instead of humans. ➡️ The designer’s role expands to systems thinking and code. They clarify complexity, contribute to production code, and move beyond visual polish. Versatility now matters more than narrow specialization. ➡️ Human-computer interaction is becoming more intuitive – and internal. Interfaces will reflect how we think and feel. AI removes technical limits, enabling fast, fluid, and deeply personal digital experiences.
show more
Playbook for Vibe Coding (Ridd) ➡️ Learn to solve problems through code – using tools that turn plain English into real functionality. You don’t need to master syntax – just know how to describe what you want and refine with AI. ➡️ Focus on real human problems, not just aesthetics. Build things that help people, and let your portfolio reflect meaningful impact, not just polished visuals. ➡️ Try “vibe coding” – explore challenges you care about with AI as your copilot. Curiosity is your engine. Let the process teach you what tools can’t. ➡️ Choose problems that truly matter to you. If it makes you learn code to solve it (like sending a form to a database) – that’s a sign you’re on the right path. ➡️ Use AI to understand code, not just generate it. Ask why it suggests certain things. Explore alternate solutions with pros and cons. ➡️ Use a separate AI as your virtual CTO: → Give it context about what you’re building. → Let it ask clarifying questions. → Have it break the project into phases and generate prompts. → After each phase, review outputs and send updates back for critique. → Use the loop to catch issues early and improve architecture. ➡️ This method turns AI into a team – helping you move from idea to working product with clarity, momentum, and learning.
Designing the Future of Cursor (Ryo Lu): ➡️ Designers are shifting from pixel-perfect UI to abstract systems. The focus is now on containers and logic that adapt dynamically – aiming for interfaces that feel personalized to each user. ➡️ Tools like Cursor collapse the idea-to-product timeline. Designers can prototype complex tools in days. This blurs the line between design and engineering – one designer can contribute like a “10x engineer.” ➡️ Universal concepts like “to-do lists” remain foundational. Even advanced AI agents rely on familiar mental models – just executed by software instead of humans. ➡️ The designer’s role expands to systems thinking and code. They clarify complexity, contribute to production code, and move beyond visual polish. Versatility now matters more than narrow specialization. ➡️ Human-computer interaction is becoming more intuitive – and internal. Interfaces will reflect how we think and feel. AI removes technical limits, enabling fast, fluid, and deeply personal digital experiences.
show more
Playbook for Vibe Coding (Ridd) ➡️ Learn to solve problems through code – using tools that turn plain English into real functionality. You don’t need to master syntax – just know how to describe what you want and refine with AI. ➡️ Focus on real human problems, not just aesthetics. Build things that help people, and let your portfolio reflect meaningful impact, not just polished visuals. ➡️ Try “vibe coding” – explore challenges you care about with AI as your copilot. Curiosity is your engine. Let the process teach you what tools can’t. ➡️ Choose problems that truly matter to you. If it makes you learn code to solve it (like sending a form to a database) – that’s a sign you’re on the right path. ➡️ Use AI to understand code, not just generate it. Ask why it suggests certain things. Explore alternate solutions with pros and cons. ➡️ Use a separate AI as your virtual CTO: → Give it context about what you’re building. → Let it ask clarifying questions. → Have it break the project into phases and generate prompts. → After each phase, review outputs and send updates back for critique. → Use the loop to catch issues early and improve architecture. ➡️ This method turns AI into a team – helping you move from idea to working product with clarity, momentum, and learning.
Creating Cohesion from Chaos (122): ➡️ The real value of a system lies in the spaces between – not in perfect parts. Great components don’t mean great products unless they connect well. The job of a systems thinker is to ensure smooth interaction, coherence, and knowledge sharing across teams – like turning a set of parts into a functioning car. ➡️ The challenge today isn’t building shiny new tools – it’s cultural transformation. Design systems succeed when companies are ready to change. Adoption depends more on mindset than on code usage. Without cultural buy-in, even the best system won’t stick. ➡️ To stay flexible, systems need a bit of controlled chaos. This “quenched disorder” lets teams explore and adapt. 100% coverage isn’t always the goal – some unpredictability creates space for innovation, like scout ants discovering food in random directions.
show more
From Designer to Design System Leader (120): ➡️ Design systems are strongest when branding, content, and engineering are unified. Bringing together all functions responsible for brand expression helps eliminate silos and ensures consistent, integrated experiences across products. ➡️ Transitioning from product work to systems design often stems from a need to scale. Designers shift toward systems when individual solutions no longer suffice. Building for reuse and adaptability becomes the new goal – enabling teams to move faster with shared foundations. ➡️ Leading a system means designing the organization itself. Effective leadership in design systems requires seeing teams, processes, and culture as design materials. It’s about revealing organizational friction, advocating for change, and empowering others – not just managing components.
Humans are essential to the future of Generative UI (117): ➡️ Human oversight remains critical – especially in high-stakes contexts. AI is prone to hallucinations, inconsistency, and context-blind decisions. Designers still play a vital role in ensuring brand alignment, meaning, and quality – even when using AI-enhanced tools like Figma. ➡️ GenUI enables hyper-personalized, adaptive interfaces – but raises concerns. Dynamic interfaces tailored in real time offer huge potential, especially for accessibility. But they require massive data and compute power – forcing trade-offs between convenience and privacy. Users may eventually accept deeper data collection in exchange for better experiences. ➡️ Design systems act as AI’s control tower. With AI generating endless variations, design systems provide structure, context, and guardrails – ensuring output stays on brand, accessible, and consistent. They enable safe automation of tedious work while reducing risk and maintaining coherence. ➡️ AI’s value depends on solving real problems – not magic. AI isn’t a feature to sprinkle in – it must serve clear user needs. The best applications are purposeful and context-aware, not just novel. Integrations that tap into existing systems and data (like Figma or Dovetail) succeed because they’re grounded in real work.
Creating Cohesion from Chaos (122): ➡️ The real value of a system lies in the spaces between – not in perfect parts. Great components don’t mean great products unless they connect well. The job of a systems thinker is to ensure smooth interaction, coherence, and knowledge sharing across teams – like turning a set of parts into a functioning car. ➡️ The challenge today isn’t building shiny new tools – it’s cultural transformation. Design systems succeed when companies are ready to change. Adoption depends more on mindset than on code usage. Without cultural buy-in, even the best system won’t stick. ➡️ To stay flexible, systems need a bit of controlled chaos. This “quenched disorder” lets teams explore and adapt. 100% coverage isn’t always the goal – some unpredictability creates space for innovation, like scout ants discovering food in random directions.
show more
From Designer to Design System Leader (120): ➡️ Design systems are strongest when branding, content, and engineering are unified. Bringing together all functions responsible for brand expression helps eliminate silos and ensures consistent, integrated experiences across products. ➡️ Transitioning from product work to systems design often stems from a need to scale. Designers shift toward systems when individual solutions no longer suffice. Building for reuse and adaptability becomes the new goal – enabling teams to move faster with shared foundations. ➡️ Leading a system means designing the organization itself. Effective leadership in design systems requires seeing teams, processes, and culture as design materials. It’s about revealing organizational friction, advocating for change, and empowering others – not just managing components.
Humans are essential to the future of Generative UI (117): ➡️ Human oversight remains critical – especially in high-stakes contexts. AI is prone to hallucinations, inconsistency, and context-blind decisions. Designers still play a vital role in ensuring brand alignment, meaning, and quality – even when using AI-enhanced tools like Figma. ➡️ GenUI enables hyper-personalized, adaptive interfaces – but raises concerns. Dynamic interfaces tailored in real time offer huge potential, especially for accessibility. But they require massive data and compute power – forcing trade-offs between convenience and privacy. Users may eventually accept deeper data collection in exchange for better experiences. ➡️ Design systems act as AI’s control tower. With AI generating endless variations, design systems provide structure, context, and guardrails – ensuring output stays on brand, accessible, and consistent. They enable safe automation of tedious work while reducing risk and maintaining coherence. ➡️ AI’s value depends on solving real problems – not magic. AI isn’t a feature to sprinkle in – it must serve clear user needs. The best applications are purposeful and context-aware, not just novel. Integrations that tap into existing systems and data (like Figma or Dovetail) succeed because they’re grounded in real work.
Creating Cohesion from Chaos (122): ➡️ The real value of a system lies in the spaces between – not in perfect parts. Great components don’t mean great products unless they connect well. The job of a systems thinker is to ensure smooth interaction, coherence, and knowledge sharing across teams – like turning a set of parts into a functioning car. ➡️ The challenge today isn’t building shiny new tools – it’s cultural transformation. Design systems succeed when companies are ready to change. Adoption depends more on mindset than on code usage. Without cultural buy-in, even the best system won’t stick. ➡️ To stay flexible, systems need a bit of controlled chaos. This “quenched disorder” lets teams explore and adapt. 100% coverage isn’t always the goal – some unpredictability creates space for innovation, like scout ants discovering food in random directions.
show more
From Designer to Design System Leader (120): ➡️ Design systems are strongest when branding, content, and engineering are unified. Bringing together all functions responsible for brand expression helps eliminate silos and ensures consistent, integrated experiences across products. ➡️ Transitioning from product work to systems design often stems from a need to scale. Designers shift toward systems when individual solutions no longer suffice. Building for reuse and adaptability becomes the new goal – enabling teams to move faster with shared foundations. ➡️ Leading a system means designing the organization itself. Effective leadership in design systems requires seeing teams, processes, and culture as design materials. It’s about revealing organizational friction, advocating for change, and empowering others – not just managing components.
Humans are essential to the future of Generative UI (117): ➡️ Human oversight remains critical – especially in high-stakes contexts. AI is prone to hallucinations, inconsistency, and context-blind decisions. Designers still play a vital role in ensuring brand alignment, meaning, and quality – even when using AI-enhanced tools like Figma. ➡️ GenUI enables hyper-personalized, adaptive interfaces – but raises concerns. Dynamic interfaces tailored in real time offer huge potential, especially for accessibility. But they require massive data and compute power – forcing trade-offs between convenience and privacy. Users may eventually accept deeper data collection in exchange for better experiences. ➡️ Design systems act as AI’s control tower. With AI generating endless variations, design systems provide structure, context, and guardrails – ensuring output stays on brand, accessible, and consistent. They enable safe automation of tedious work while reducing risk and maintaining coherence. ➡️ AI’s value depends on solving real problems – not magic. AI isn’t a feature to sprinkle in – it must serve clear user needs. The best applications are purposeful and context-aware, not just novel. Integrations that tap into existing systems and data (like Figma or Dovetail) succeed because they’re grounded in real work.
04 Reading and reflexing
'Thinking, fast and slow' by Kahneman
Please read the full review of this psychology book from the perspective of product design.
✏️ Design should align with System 1 – the fast, intuitive mind. Users don’t want to think – they want to flow. When a UI requires analysis or memory, it shifts users into System 2, increasing friction and fatigue. Great design supports seamless, instinctive interaction.
show more
✏️ Cognitive ease builds trust. If something feels easy to understand, it feels true. Clean layout, familiar patterns, and clear language aren’t just aesthetic choices – they reduce cognitive load and make your product feel more credible.
✏️ Peak-end rule: users remember emotion, not every step. The best products leave users with strong positive peaks and satisfying endings. Onboarding, confirmations, and even micro-moments can shape how an entire experience is remembered.
✏️ Loss aversion is real – and powerful. People fear loss more than they value gain. “Don’t lose your work” is more compelling than “Save your progress.” This framing affects everything from messaging to feature removal.
✏️ Anchoring and mental accounting shape decisions. The first price a user sees becomes a reference point. Monthly payments feel easier than one-time costs. Even switching from “dollars” to “credits” can change perception. Smart framing drives behavior.
✏️ Design should align with System 1 – the fast, intuitive mind. Users don’t want to think – they want to flow. When a UI requires analysis or memory, it shifts users into System 2, increasing friction and fatigue. Great design supports seamless, instinctive interaction.
show more
✏️ Cognitive ease builds trust. If something feels easy to understand, it feels true. Clean layout, familiar patterns, and clear language aren’t just aesthetic choices – they reduce cognitive load and make your product feel more credible.
✏️ Peak-end rule: users remember emotion, not every step. The best products leave users with strong positive peaks and satisfying endings. Onboarding, confirmations, and even micro-moments can shape how an entire experience is remembered.
✏️ Loss aversion is real – and powerful. People fear loss more than they value gain. “Don’t lose your work” is more compelling than “Save your progress.” This framing affects everything from messaging to feature removal.
✏️ Anchoring and mental accounting shape decisions. The first price a user sees becomes a reference point. Monthly payments feel easier than one-time costs. Even switching from “dollars” to “credits” can change perception. Smart framing drives behavior.
✏️ Design should align with System 1 – the fast, intuitive mind. Users don’t want to think – they want to flow. When a UI requires analysis or memory, it shifts users into System 2, increasing friction and fatigue. Great design supports seamless, instinctive interaction.
show more
✏️ Cognitive ease builds trust. If something feels easy to understand, it feels true. Clean layout, familiar patterns, and clear language aren’t just aesthetic choices – they reduce cognitive load and make your product feel more credible.
✏️ Peak-end rule: users remember emotion, not every step. The best products leave users with strong positive peaks and satisfying endings. Onboarding, confirmations, and even micro-moments can shape how an entire experience is remembered.
✏️ Loss aversion is real – and powerful. People fear loss more than they value gain. “Don’t lose your work” is more compelling than “Save your progress.” This framing affects everything from messaging to feature removal.
✏️ Anchoring and mental accounting shape decisions. The first price a user sees becomes a reference point. Monthly payments feel easier than one-time costs. Even switching from “dollars” to “credits” can change perception. Smart framing drives behavior.
'The path to Senior Product Designer' by Artiom Dashinsky
I was privileged to get early access to this book from the author. Artiom defines such areas to grow your competence, and all the difference between levels happens here: Craft, Communication, Collaboration, Ownership, Strategy, Mentorship, Leadership, Community.
✏️ Base your design decisions on evidence – not assumptions. Next time you’re making a design call, replace “I think…” with “We know…,” “Data shows…,” or “Research indicates…” This mindset not only earns trust but often leads to better, more defensible solutions.
show more
✏️ Designers leave when growth stalls – not just for more money. Career stagnation is the top reason for designer turnover, more than compensation. When designers are boxed into visual work while PMs handle strategy, they lose influence and opportunity. To grow, designers must go beyond aesthetics and build skills in strategy, communication, and ownership.
✏️ Seniority is about impact – not just craft. Great visual skills aren’t enough. What sets senior designers apart is their ability to lead work with broad scope, drive outcomes independently, and influence the product and business. Soft skills – like feedback, presentation, and mentoring – are just as vital as execution.
✏️ Strategy + storytelling = influence. Strategic thinking ties design to business goals. Strong communication helps ideas land, win buy-in, and get shipped. Replace “I believe…” with “Data shows…” and tailor your message to the audience – whether it’s devs, execs, or users.
✏️ Treat your career like a product. Invest in growth like a startup: read smart, seek feedback, learn fast. Small consistent gains (1% per week) compound into major progress. Podcasts, mentors, and curated resources offer high-ROI learning. Don’t wait – design your own path forward.
✏️ Process design is a superpower. Fixing broken workflows or messy collaboration earns long-term trust. Map processes, spot inefficiencies, and improve them. Strong designers don’t just work within systems – they improve them. Clear roles, fewer meetings, and shared context create smoother, faster teams.
✏️ Base your design decisions on evidence – not assumptions. Next time you’re making a design call, replace “I think…” with “We know…,” “Data shows…,” or “Research indicates…” This mindset not only earns trust but often leads to better, more defensible solutions.
show more
✏️ Designers leave when growth stalls – not just for more money. Career stagnation is the top reason for designer turnover, more than compensation. When designers are boxed into visual work while PMs handle strategy, they lose influence and opportunity. To grow, designers must go beyond aesthetics and build skills in strategy, communication, and ownership.
✏️ Seniority is about impact – not just craft. Great visual skills aren’t enough. What sets senior designers apart is their ability to lead work with broad scope, drive outcomes independently, and influence the product and business. Soft skills – like feedback, presentation, and mentoring – are just as vital as execution.
✏️ Strategy + storytelling = influence. Strategic thinking ties design to business goals. Strong communication helps ideas land, win buy-in, and get shipped. Replace “I believe…” with “Data shows…” and tailor your message to the audience – whether it’s devs, execs, or users.
✏️ Treat your career like a product. Invest in growth like a startup: read smart, seek feedback, learn fast. Small consistent gains (1% per week) compound into major progress. Podcasts, mentors, and curated resources offer high-ROI learning. Don’t wait – design your own path forward.
✏️ Process design is a superpower. Fixing broken workflows or messy collaboration earns long-term trust. Map processes, spot inefficiencies, and improve them. Strong designers don’t just work within systems – they improve them. Clear roles, fewer meetings, and shared context create smoother, faster teams.
✏️ Base your design decisions on evidence – not assumptions. Next time you’re making a design call, replace “I think…” with “We know…,” “Data shows…,” or “Research indicates…” This mindset not only earns trust but often leads to better, more defensible solutions.
show more
✏️ Designers leave when growth stalls – not just for more money. Career stagnation is the top reason for designer turnover, more than compensation. When designers are boxed into visual work while PMs handle strategy, they lose influence and opportunity. To grow, designers must go beyond aesthetics and build skills in strategy, communication, and ownership.
✏️ Seniority is about impact – not just craft. Great visual skills aren’t enough. What sets senior designers apart is their ability to lead work with broad scope, drive outcomes independently, and influence the product and business. Soft skills – like feedback, presentation, and mentoring – are just as vital as execution.
✏️ Strategy + storytelling = influence. Strategic thinking ties design to business goals. Strong communication helps ideas land, win buy-in, and get shipped. Replace “I believe…” with “Data shows…” and tailor your message to the audience – whether it’s devs, execs, or users.
✏️ Treat your career like a product. Invest in growth like a startup: read smart, seek feedback, learn fast. Small consistent gains (1% per week) compound into major progress. Podcasts, mentors, and curated resources offer high-ROI learning. Don’t wait – design your own path forward.
✏️ Process design is a superpower. Fixing broken workflows or messy collaboration earns long-term trust. Map processes, spot inefficiencies, and improve them. Strong designers don’t just work within systems – they improve them. Clear roles, fewer meetings, and shared context create smoother, faster teams.
'Build by' Tony Fadell
✏️ Great products start with pain, not ideas. If it’s just “cool,” people forget it. If it solves pain, they rely on it. Don’t start with what or how – get clear on why first.
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✏️ The product story isn’t a wrapper – it’s the foundation. It’s not fluff. It shapes the product from the inside out – driving features, flows, and team alignment. A clear story creates emotion and clarity.
✏️ The first launch should be bold. V1 should break through noise, not play it safe. Surprise people. Polish can come later – but weak execution kills even strong ideas.
✏️ No data? Use intuition – but stress-test it. Early on, you don’t have metrics. Use analogies, behavior patterns, and instincts – but question them. The best builders spot signals before charts confirm them.
✏️ A great PM is connective tissue, not just a scheduler. They translate user needs, link design to tech, and hold the “why” in the room. It’s not about managing tasks – it’s about keeping purpose sharp.
✏️ Great products start with pain, not ideas. If it’s just “cool,” people forget it. If it solves pain, they rely on it. Don’t start with what or how – get clear on why first.
show more
✏️ The product story isn’t a wrapper – it’s the foundation. It’s not fluff. It shapes the product from the inside out – driving features, flows, and team alignment. A clear story creates emotion and clarity.
✏️ The first launch should be bold. V1 should break through noise, not play it safe. Surprise people. Polish can come later – but weak execution kills even strong ideas.
✏️ No data? Use intuition – but stress-test it. Early on, you don’t have metrics. Use analogies, behavior patterns, and instincts – but question them. The best builders spot signals before charts confirm them.
✏️ A great PM is connective tissue, not just a scheduler. They translate user needs, link design to tech, and hold the “why” in the room. It’s not about managing tasks – it’s about keeping purpose sharp.
✏️ Great products start with pain, not ideas. If it’s just “cool,” people forget it. If it solves pain, they rely on it. Don’t start with what or how – get clear on why first.
show more
✏️ The product story isn’t a wrapper – it’s the foundation. It’s not fluff. It shapes the product from the inside out – driving features, flows, and team alignment. A clear story creates emotion and clarity.
✏️ The first launch should be bold. V1 should break through noise, not play it safe. Surprise people. Polish can come later – but weak execution kills even strong ideas.
✏️ No data? Use intuition – but stress-test it. Early on, you don’t have metrics. Use analogies, behavior patterns, and instincts – but question them. The best builders spot signals before charts confirm them.
✏️ A great PM is connective tissue, not just a scheduler. They translate user needs, link design to tech, and hold the “why” in the room. It’s not about managing tasks – it’s about keeping purpose sharp.
'Articulating Design Decisions' by Tom Greever
✏️ Adopt a “Yes” mindset – but define the “Yes.” Instead of shutting down feedback, lean in with curiosity. Saying “Yes” doesn’t mean you blindly accept every suggestion – it means you’re open to understanding the concern behind it and working together on the best solution. This mindset builds trust and moves conversations forward.
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✏️ Design decisions are only as good as your ability to explain them. Great work can be rejected if it’s poorly presented. Your job isn’t just to design – it’s to bridge the gap between design thinking and stakeholder understanding.
✏️ The goal isn’t to win – it’s to align. Don’t try to “convince” or “defend.” Focus on helping others see the reasoning behind your decisions. Empathy, clarity, and curiosity go further than logic alone.
✏️ Stakeholders speak in business, not pixels. Translate your rationale into language they care about – outcomes, metrics, risk. Show how design supports goals, not just aesthetics.
✏️ Feedback isn’t a threat – it’s part of the job. Expect objections. Prepare for them. Respond with openness and structure. Repeat back what you hear, then calmly reframe it through design reasoning.
✏️ Communication is a design skill. Practice like you practice wireframing. Structure your thoughts, use simple language, and stay calm. Clear articulation can turn critics into champions.
✏️ Adopt a “Yes” mindset – but define the “Yes.” Instead of shutting down feedback, lean in with curiosity. Saying “Yes” doesn’t mean you blindly accept every suggestion – it means you’re open to understanding the concern behind it and working together on the best solution. This mindset builds trust and moves conversations forward.
show more
✏️ Design decisions are only as good as your ability to explain them. Great work can be rejected if it’s poorly presented. Your job isn’t just to design – it’s to bridge the gap between design thinking and stakeholder understanding.
✏️ The goal isn’t to win – it’s to align. Don’t try to “convince” or “defend.” Focus on helping others see the reasoning behind your decisions. Empathy, clarity, and curiosity go further than logic alone.
✏️ Stakeholders speak in business, not pixels. Translate your rationale into language they care about – outcomes, metrics, risk. Show how design supports goals, not just aesthetics.
✏️ Feedback isn’t a threat – it’s part of the job. Expect objections. Prepare for them. Respond with openness and structure. Repeat back what you hear, then calmly reframe it through design reasoning.
✏️ Communication is a design skill. Practice like you practice wireframing. Structure your thoughts, use simple language, and stay calm. Clear articulation can turn critics into champions.
✏️ Adopt a “Yes” mindset – but define the “Yes.” Instead of shutting down feedback, lean in with curiosity. Saying “Yes” doesn’t mean you blindly accept every suggestion – it means you’re open to understanding the concern behind it and working together on the best solution. This mindset builds trust and moves conversations forward.
show more
✏️ Design decisions are only as good as your ability to explain them. Great work can be rejected if it’s poorly presented. Your job isn’t just to design – it’s to bridge the gap between design thinking and stakeholder understanding.
✏️ The goal isn’t to win – it’s to align. Don’t try to “convince” or “defend.” Focus on helping others see the reasoning behind your decisions. Empathy, clarity, and curiosity go further than logic alone.
✏️ Stakeholders speak in business, not pixels. Translate your rationale into language they care about – outcomes, metrics, risk. Show how design supports goals, not just aesthetics.
✏️ Feedback isn’t a threat – it’s part of the job. Expect objections. Prepare for them. Respond with openness and structure. Repeat back what you hear, then calmly reframe it through design reasoning.
✏️ Communication is a design skill. Practice like you practice wireframing. Structure your thoughts, use simple language, and stay calm. Clear articulation can turn critics into champions.