{"id":8685,"date":"2023-07-19T10:49:26","date_gmt":"2023-07-19T10:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/?p=8685"},"modified":"2024-07-30T09:23:24","modified_gmt":"2024-07-30T09:23:24","slug":"how-to-lead-a-design-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/how-to-lead-a-design-team\/","title":{"rendered":"How to lead a design team: 8 dos and don\u2019ts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leading a design team can be extremely challenging. You\u2019re navigating the transition from hands-on practitioner to strategic leader, and you\u2019re suddenly responsible for an entire team of people. Daunting!<\/span><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s also incredibly rewarding. You\u2019ve landed the role because you\u2019re an expert in your field <\/span>and <\/span><\/i>have the ability to inspire, align, and lead others towards greatness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Are you ready to ace your new role as a design lead? Then take note of these 8 dos and don\u2019ts:<\/b><\/p>\n

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  1. DO communicate clearly and transparently<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  2. DO give feedback\u2014and welcome it in return<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  3. DO foster growth and progression<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  4. DO set clear goals and priorities<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  5. DO have effective frameworks and processes in place<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  6. DON\u2019T micromanage<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  7. DON\u2019T strive for perfection<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  8. DON\u2019T stop learning<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Before we jump into the dos and don\u2019ts in more detail, let\u2019s first consider <\/span>what does it actually mean to be a design leader?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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    [GET CERTIFIED IN UX]<\/p>\n Take our Professional Diploma in UX Design course<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

    What does it mean to be a design leader?<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Design leadership isn\u2019t just about managing people. It\u2019s about inspiring and empowering a team of designers to work towards a common goal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    It\u2019s about optimising and streamlining design team processes; advocating for the value and importance of the design team\u2019s work; and ultimately moving the team (and the organisation) towards <\/span>UX maturity<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Design leaders optimise teamwork and keep everybody aligned. <\/b>They work collaboratively with their design team to develop and implement frameworks, processes, and best practices that keep everybody moving in the right direction.<\/span>
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    They also play a strategic role<\/b>, tying the design team\u2019s work to the overarching business strategy and objectives.<\/span>
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    Design leaders act as coaches and mentors. <\/b>They evolve into the role because of their own experience and expertise. They help their team members to learn, grow, and advance. They empower them not only with tools and resources, but also with the trust and freedom to make decisions, take risks, and learn from their mistakes.<\/span>
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    And, last but not least, <\/span>they are the biggest advocates for design within the organisation. <\/b>Design leaders build relationships with other departments and are ready to fight their team\u2019s corner when necessary. With a strong design leader at the helm, the design team can focus on making user-centred decisions and doing their best work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    That\u2019s design leadership in a nutshell. Now let\u2019s explore the 8 most important dos and don\u2019ts of leading a design team.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/a>1. DO communicate clearly and transparently<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Communication is one of the most important leadership skills\u2014if not <\/span>the <\/span><\/i>most important.<\/span><\/p>\n

    According to Grammarly\u2019s <\/span>2023 State of Business Communication report<\/span><\/a>, effective communication increases productivity (according to 72% of leaders), noticeably boosts employee confidence (according to 60% of leaders), and decreases leaders\u2019 own stress (according to 41% of leaders).<\/span><\/p>\n

    Poor communication from leadership not only impacts productivity. It also erodes trust, creates a culture of uncertainty, and impacts team morale.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Communicate clearly, transparently, and regularly about the team\u2019s goals, what\u2019s expected of each individual member, the status of different projects, and what\u2019s happening within the wider organisation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/a>2. DO give feedback\u2014and welcome it in return<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    You\u2019re a seasoned designer and a respected leader\u2014which means your team likely values your opinion. Make an effort to provide specific and actionable feedback on a regular basis, both on team performance in general and on individual design work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Positive feedback shows your team that you appreciate them. Constructive feedback allows them to learn and grow. It\u2019s a win-win for everybody!<\/span><\/p>\n

    And, at the same time, welcome and encourage feedback from your team in return. If you\u2019re a first-time design lead, this feedback will prove invaluable in helping you to hone your leadership skills and bring the team together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/a>3. DO foster growth and progression\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    As a design lead, you want to keep your team motivated and engaged. It\u2019s therefore crucial to invest in their personal growth and career progression.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Take the time to chat with each team member and learn about their career goals and aspirations\u2014both within the organisation and beyond. Then, work together to devise a pathway for how they can grow within the team and\/or the company.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Perhaps you have a junior UX designer who really wants to specialise in <\/span>UX research<\/span><\/a>. Part of their development pathway could be leading some research projects. Maybe your <\/span>UI designer<\/span><\/a> is really keen to learn animation, in which case you might encourage them to take an upskilling course.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you can create space for your team to learn and progress, you\u2019ll not only benefit from high morale. You\u2019ll also benefit from an ever-expanding and highly diverse skill set within the team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/a>4. DO set clear goals and priorities<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Leading a design team is a strategic role. You need to directly connect the work your team is doing to strategic objectives and business impact.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Set clear goals and priorities\u2014and make sure your design team understands the reasons behind them. What broader strategic goal are they serving? Why is the design team working towards X, Y, Z? What\u2019s the impact on the business at large?<\/span><\/p>\n

    This will provide structure and clarity for your team while enabling you to advocate for\u2014and prove\u2014the value of your team\u2019s work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/a>5. DO have effective frameworks in place<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    You want to empower your team to do their best work. This means streamlining team processes and having effective frameworks in place.<\/span><\/p>\n

    A design framework is, quite simply, a set of tools, techniques, and steps designers can refer to whenever they start a new project or tackle a new challenge. It provides a systematic, tried-and-tested structure while still leaving plenty of room for adaptation. Design frameworks are a bit like recipes!<\/span><\/p>\n

    Work collaboratively with your team to introduce design frameworks or create your own. You can adapt these frameworks to suit your team\u2019s specific goals and requirements, and replace them if they become redundant or outdated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    You\u2019ll find <\/span>a guide to some of the most popular UX design frameworks here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    [GET CERTIFIED IN UI DESIGN]<\/p>\n Take our Professional Certificate in UI Design course<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

    <\/a>6. DON\u2019T micromanage<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Being a design lead requires you to trust your design team to do their jobs. You can guide them, provide feedback, and offer help and support\u2014but do not micromanage.<\/span><\/p>\n

    So how do you know if you\u2019re crossing the line from \u201chelpful leader\u201d to \u201cmicromanager\u201d? Some key signs of micromanagement include excessive supervision, closely monitoring your team at all times, making decisions without considering their opinions, checking in too often, and controlling every tiny detail of a project.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    It leaves no room for freedom or autonomy, kills creativity, erodes trust, and diminishes people\u2019s confidence. That\u2019s not conducive to fostering a creative, innovative design team!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re new to leadership, bear this in mind and strive to lead in a way that\u2019s supportive but not overbearing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/a>7. DON\u2019T strive for perfection<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Leadership isn\u2019t about perfection or being the best at everything. You may be the most senior member of the design team, but you don\u2019t need to be the resident expert in every single topic or technique. Your role is to coordinate and harness the collective knowledge and expertise of your team.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The best design leaders can recognise how skills and expertise are distributed across the team and bring them together to form a powerful unit. They also know where their own strengths and weaknesses lie\u2014and they\u2019re not afraid to make mistakes or admit when they\u2019re wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Don\u2019t strive for perfection. Instead, focus on building and empowering a strong team made up of individual strengths and talents. And don\u2019t be afraid to fail. This makes it ok for your team to fail, too\u2014creating a <\/span>culture of psychological safety<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/a>8. DON\u2019T stop learning\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    The design industry is constantly evolving. From <\/span>the rise of AI<\/span><\/a> to shifting customer expectations, the emergence of new <\/span>design roles and job titles<\/span><\/a>, the release of new technologies and tools, and the rise of data-driven design\u2014there\u2019s lots to keep up with.<\/span><\/p>\n

    In your role as design leader, it\u2019s important to keep your finger on the pulse. You want to keep your design team at the cutting-edge and make sure you\u2019re evolving in line with the industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    At the same time, you want to ensure that you\u2019re personally equipped to navigate new and complex challenges as they arise\u2014and that you\u2019re setting a good example for your team.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The key is to never stop learning. Stay curious, be adaptable, and empower your team to follow suit.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Leading a design team: the takeaway\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    The best design leaders cultivate trust, transparency, and creative freedom while offering their support through goal-setting, constructive feedback, and empathy. They are respectful and honest communicators, and they know how to harness the strengths of individual players to build a powerful team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    With these 9 dos and don\u2019ts, you can hone your leadership skills and create an environment in which your team will learn, grow, and thrive.\u00a0<\/span>For more design leadership insights, check out the first edition of the <\/span>Journal of UX Leadership<\/b><\/a>, a brand new publication from the UX Design Institute for ambitious UX professionals who want to learn from leaders in the field and grow their careers. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The best design leaders cultivate trust, transparency, and creative freedom while offering their support through goal-setting, constructive feedback, and empathy. They are respectful and honest communicators, and they know how to harness the strengths of individual players to build a powerful team.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":10637,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[265,267],"tags":[338],"class_list":["post-8685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career","category-ux-career-advice","tag-ux-career"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8685"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8685\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9709,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8685\/revisions\/9709"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}