Developing influence as a designer
I’ve recently started volunteering some of my time through ADPList to mentor early-career designers. After just a few conversations, one pattern I’ve noticed is that early-career designers have a hunger for understanding how to influence their organizations.
As a mid-career designer with about 7 years under my wing, I can’t yet say that I’ve mastered this discipline but I’d like to think that there is a little bit I’ve figured out over the years.
First, if you are interested in having more influence in your role I think that’s a great thing. That shows ambition and a desire for growth. It’s no secret that developing a knack for it can be a challenge though.
Especially in a remote-first world, finding the right opportunities to contribute strategically can feel a bit like being a kid at a fancy adult soiree. Maybe you have some really good ideas, but you feel like no one is listening. Or maybe you don’t even know how to approach the conversation in the first place. It can feel like there are a lot of unwritten rules that are hard to figure out.
Developing your craft
One mistake I made earlier in my career was trying to have a strategic voice before I had developed trust in my assigned role. If you’re early in your design career this might mean dedicating a lot of time towards learning and developing your craft.
I think people routinely underestimate the power of working on fundamentals. Even when you’re working with basic components like buttons or forms, try making it a point to learn everything you can about those patterns. Nailing best practices and applying them to your work takes time and is always a great way to level up your work quickly, which in turn builds trust.
As you’re developing your craft, you should also make it a point to share what you’re learning. Learning to articulate yourself well for others is a craft that takes many reps to improve on its own.
Identify and fix gaps
Creating high-quality, reliable work is a great foundation for developing influence but it’s just a start. Another great method is to start identifying gaps on your team and then doing the work to fill them.
Maybe your team has no one dedicated to working on their design system? Or maybe you have noticed that there is a lot to be desired in how your team organizes their projects? No matter how mature your design team is I’ve found that there are always areas that the team needs to improve. We work in a quickly evolving industry and there are always new methodologies, tools, and ways of working to explore.
Try dedicating a few hours a week to something that you notice the team needs. Once you’ve done some basic groundwork share your progress with your team and see what they think. Chances are that they will appreciate it and give you feedback with which to keep exploring.
Design your ideas
My favorite method for developing influence is to simply do the work you want to see happen. I’m a huge fan of concept prototypes that explore a new direction or features for your product. Or if your idea is simple enough, there's nothing wrong with skipping the concepts and jumping into production-level design work.
As designers, I firmly believe that our currency will always be the pixels that we create. Creating is arguably the most powerful superpower that we have. If there’s an idea that you are obsessing over, take a few hours to design a version of it and share it with your team. Seeing ideas come to life helps other people get excited in a way that words just cannot. As long as you’re still meeting your primary responsibilities, this can be a really fun way to push yourself in your design chops too.
Conclusion
The shared thread here for influencing is simple: do the work. Doing this will force you to learn a lot about yourself, explore new skills, and improve your communication with your stakeholders.
The last thing I'll say is that you have to feel comfortable with failure. It's okay if you do all of this work and your idea doesn't get sponsored. You should expect that most of the time. Going through all these steps will be both challenging and educational. Learning should be your benchmark for success. Just remember to trust the process. If you stick with it for long enough and through enough cycles, you'll eventually know how to hit all the right notes to see your ideas come fully to life.