Design Leadership: a glimpse into my workflow
Design leadership is no easy feat. In my 6+ years of leading teams, my experiences have taught me that design — being an amalgamation of creative and analytical skills — attracts individuals of varied backgrounds, strengths and temperaments.
From designers who have a very specific and rigid personal design process to those that require an organizational process to operate, it is almost a spectrum. With constant collaborative differences between stakeholders and designers who have different perspectives, agendas and needs, it's my job as a design leader to always be ready to step in and smooth out these differences when needed. It's been a delicate balancing act over the years, and while I enjoy many aspects of it, I've also created a broad approach for whenever I build or manage new teams.
As a design leader — through my roles at Haptik and Microsoft — my key responsibility has been to head and oversee dynamic teams. I've led both product and conversation designers, and so cultivating a healthy team culture is not just a goal — it's a mission. Nurturing a positive and collaborative environment is key to unlocking the full potential of any design team.
My job involves focusing not only on product strategy, execution and operations, but also on establishing a solid team culture — especially with creative folks. Establishing something as intangible as team culture, which also ties into the broader organizational culture, is no easy job. My approach is as follows.
Foster innovation and growth
I have an unwavering commitment to fostering a culture of continuous exploration and creative thinking. Designers are encouraged to push boundaries and think beyond conventional solutions, especially in the AI and enterprise space. Designers are far more inclined to step out of their comfort zones and experiment with new ideas when there's a supportive environment and mindset.
Set clear expectations
As a leader, it's my job to ensure the team understands the larger company goals and strategy, as well as the strategy I've set for how design teams operate. This happens not only as a team exercise but also one-on-one, helping each person understand how their day-to-day ties into the quarterly strategy and the broader company strategy for the year.
Facilitating effective time organization
This is especially paramount where designers are working on multiple projects. Time management and estimation are critical skills for any designer. I help designers juggle multiple projects — from context switching to consistently meeting deadlines and avoiding over-allocation. Setting timely project inventories and ensuring there are enough designers on the team helps. If hiring isn't an option, designers are encouraged to prioritize and, on occasion, give a hard "no" when their plate is full.
Execution
As their manager, I always emphasize the need to set clear priorities and achieve alignment with various stakeholders. Every designer is encouraged to adopt a rapid decision-making process to identify and address challenges or roadblocks. An open-communication policy that encourages designers to huddle, brainstorm and seek each other's viewpoints lets us capitalize on opportunities and varied solutions. This has resulted in better design quality and impactful results, while staying agile.
Adaptive decision-making
I always encourage designers to make their own decisions — but once they have, they should have solid reasoning to back it up. A key thing to remember: opinions are different from decisions. When working with stakeholders, designers receive a lot of opinions. They should develop a keen sense of decision-making based on context and the opinions that make sense, but also hone their sales skills — selling a design and convincing stakeholders. It's fine if a decision is mutually reached after discussion, but everyone needs to commit to it. My teams are always encouraged to make decisions, and I also make it clear that I'll step in when needed.
Open communication
The policy of the design teams I lead is open communication. I encourage my teams to disagree with me, provided they can back it up with reasoning, data and evidence. I like to challenge designers and ideas in a healthy manner — it helps them hone their skills in selling design decisions to other stakeholders. There are a few key rules: feedback is always open and transparent, and criticism is always focused on the designs or decisions themselves, never the designer. As a manager, I'm utmost cognizant that feedback is never a personal attack — and this is followed without exception, at every level.
Designers are also encouraged to give feedback on me, including to my manager. I strive to create a safe space where they know they can speak freely without worrying it will affect their appraisals.
Career development
My strategic approach to career development involves actively guiding the progress of each member of my team. I have one-on-one conversations at regular intervals, recognizing and aligning with each designer's interests and growth areas, and tailoring career paths that resonate with their aspirations and strengths. This also involves fostering a deep understanding of customer needs and business processes, instilling a holistic perspective in their design work.
Effective career-growth management hinges on prompt, constructive feedback that creates an environment for continuous improvement. I establish customized training programs that amplify individual development and address specific skill gaps. I also believe in one-on-one mentoring sessions that foster a supportive, personalized connection — nurturing not just professional growth but overall career success for each designer.
I hope this gives a clearer picture of my workflow and processes as a design leader.