Retain & DevelopKick-Ass Designers — Introduction

A 10-part Series for Design Managers and Directors

The most important thing you can do as a design manager is to retain and develop great designers. Everything else follows. Period.

You want to create value for your customers? You want ROI for your projects? You want design to have a bigger seat at the strategy table? You want more time to spend on innovating and less on putting out fires? If you want these things, you need great designers and you need them to thrive.

Of course, every designer is different — each is an individual with unique likes, dislikes, and preferences. To do it right, you’re gonna personalize your approach for each one of them. That doesn’t mean there aren’t commonalities, guidelines, and truisms across all design teams. The good news is that there are specific, actionable things you can focus on as a design manager or director.

These are lessons learned in the trenches of my career and that of my design director (and they’re borne out in research, too). They’re the result of working with scores of design managers and directors over the years. They’re from clients, conference attendees, workshop participants, and collaborators.

There are ten fundamentals that every designer wants. Each one will get its own article. We’ll keep evolving. For now, put these into place. You’ll be glad you did.

10 Things That Every Designer Wants

1. Ownership and Autonomy
   Designers need to exercise judgement. They want to have the authority to make decisions and own outcomes. There are lots of opportunities to practice this, at many levels.
2. Mastery
   Designers want to get better at what they do. They want to learn. They want to grow. In different ways. Constantly. What ways can you help your designers learn, grow, and get better at what they do?
3. Environment and Culture
   The culture of your group creates a foundation for how everything else is realized. Are you deliberate in establishing, facilitating, and maintaining the right culture and environment for your group?
4. Variety and Fit of the Work
   Some designers crave lots of variety. Others—not so much. How well do you really know which kinds of projects and activities your designers love?
5. Purpose
   Purpose exists at multiple levels — organizational, group, and individual — and there are things you can do regularly to support it across the group. What makes your designers want to come to work each day?
6. Success of the Project(s)
   In order for their work to mean something, it has to be successful. Not everything is within your control — market realities change, internal priorities shift, and so on—so, what do you do when some projects don’t go as well as others?
7. Shielding and Protection
   There are so many things that can get in the way of creativity: distractions, politics, budgetary tensions, housekeeping. How do you protect your designers from the distractions while providing them with information and enabling autonomy?
8. Compensation
   In general, when compensating great people, pay more than you’re comfortable with. What aspects of compensation packages can you offer besides just salary?
9. Tools and Toolkits
   Tools are more than computers, whiteboards, and mouses. Does your team have design artifacts, templates, and exemplars? Do your designers have whatever they need to be creative, collaborative, and focused?
10. Energy Level and Health
    A well-rested designer is a better designer. Are your designers able to be healthy, well rested, and fully experiencing their lives, both inside and outside of work?

Using these ten as a guide, you can deliberately step back and assess how your design team is doing. Some of these will be squarely within your control, while others will be more elusive. You don’t have to get them all perfect. Some will be stronger than others and they’ll ebb and flow over time. Let’s dive in to Part One: Ownership and Autonomy.