We’ve all been in situations where we need to present our designs to stakeholders. Often, our designer brain wants to highlight the aesthetic details or recent user research, but stakeholders are more interested in the impact. They prioritize ROI—Risk, Revenue, and Reputation. To build influence, you should speak like a business partner, focusing on progress, impact, and confidence. Instead of technical jargon, communicate in terms of outcomes and business value. Keep a note of business wins to make updates easier and demonstrate your understanding of their priorities.

As designers, it’s common to feel out of place in meetings dominated by business talk. Instead of hiding your creativity, embrace it. Use your ability to think systemically and focus on the user to add value. Asking simple questions about user needs can shift discussions from financial metrics to user experience. Visualising ideas on a whiteboard or digital board can clarify complex conversations and identify gaps. Facilitating quick, low-fidelity visual workshops helps validate ideas early. Remember, your unique perspective is a powerful asset. Own it: challenge assumptions, keep the user at the centre, and bring a fresh perspective to the table.

This passage highlights the trend of designers rushing through tasks, often prioritizing speed over creativity and innovation. It criticizes the reliance on default solutions like tables in B2B design and advocates for returning to basics through sketching and role-playing to foster problem-solving and creativity. The author emphasizes the importance of leaders creating protected space for experimentation, away from stakeholders' pressure, to encourage true innovation. Practical advice includes challenging obvious solutions, using whiteboards before high-fidelity tools, and balancing stakeholder demands with creative freedom. Overall, it calls for moving from mere template filling to genuine design thinking that benefits users and teams alike.

People often believe that building influence happens overnight, but it actually results from a series of cumulative moments. To do this strategically, one must be intentional in approach, starting with identifying key stakeholders and understanding their impact on design decisions and their familiarity with design. A stakeholder map can help categorize them based on design friendliness and influence, with different tactics for each quadrant. Focus on building relationships with those who understand design and have worked with you before, using case studies to influence others. For less familiar stakeholders, prioritize education about design and how you can support their challenges. When engaging stakeholders, understand their challenges and communication preferences to develop tailored strategies. Communicating broadly through channels like Slack, Teams, newsletters, and workshops can also amplify influence. Keep track of moments when your work makes a difference, both for team reflection and reporting to leadership, aligning your efforts with company goals.

A common challenge for emerging leaders is losing their sense of identity and feeling the need to conform to a certain image of leadership. Authenticity is crucial in leadership because it helps build trust and confidence. Transitioning from doing to leading can be difficult for designers, as leadership involves influence rather than tangible output. Knowing your values and strengths allows you to be honest, delegate effectively, and foster relationships.

Discover how design leaders can develop an authentic personal brand that reflects their unique leadership style and values while creating meaningful contributions to the broader design community. Learn strategic approaches to crafting your design leadership story, creating resonant content, and building quality professional relationships that elevate both your career trajectory and the design industry as a whole.

Learn to identify when persistent workplace struggles signal it's time to seek an environment that truly values your contributions, especially for professionals from underrepresented groups.

A competency matrix provides design leaders with a visual map of team skills that strategically informs hiring decisions, facilitates targeted professional development, and enables skill-based work allocation. This comprehensive guide explains how to create and maintain an effective skills matrix for UX teams, covering both technical and soft skills assessment using a simple 1-5 rating system, while avoiding common pitfalls to build more balanced, capable design teams.

Discover how identifying and leveraging your core values can provide stability and confidence when navigating the complexities of leadership roles and help maintain your authentic identity during challenging periods.

Don't overthink it. Just do the thing. I've spent so much of my life overthinking and sitting on ideas. I've found that I do best when I just go for it and trust that I will figure it out.

Your professional reputation is your most valuable career asset, built through consistency, reliability and effective communication with stakeholders.

Collaborate with other designers and developers to build your experience

Discover how to identify influential colleagues, foster mutually beneficial connections, and transform workplace acquaintances into allies who can advocate for you and your team across the organisation, creating a powerful internal network that enhances your career prospects.

Learn how to build an effective professional network that opens doors to new opportunities. Discover why networking isn't just a necessary evil but an intentional relationship-building process that creates valuable connections.

Finding like-minded design communities provides essential support in a challenging industry, with small local groups offering the most relatable connections. These communities create meaningful relationships that help you feel seen and become a better, happier designer throughout your career.

A well-maintained LinkedIn profile with professional photos, clear headlines, and recommendations acts as your digital first impression and complements your CV and portfolio.

In reflecting on the past year, the author shares key lessons learned from 2024, marked by achievements and setbacks. The importance of slowing down to prioritise tasks, trusting one's instincts in decision-making, and embracing uncertainty within a professional environment are valuable insights. Ultimately, the author views the year positively, recognising the growth and knowledge gained despite challenges.