Thankfully, the old myth of the "superstar designer" is fading. As digital teams expand and projects get more complicated, communication and team enablement—rather than just individual tasks—are what designers are appreciated for.
Two to tango
Designers employed by smaller businesses frequently apply for UX-team-of-one positions, a courageous endeavour to advance the entire design process alone while also fostering a design culture within the company. A rewarding, albeit frequently isolated, position to hold.
On the other end of the scale, designers at larger organisations are frequently lured to them by the prospect of working with a more organised team, only to discover that many of the difficulties that smaller companies face still exist. There are few instances of actual collaboration among designers as they work alone in their own product teams, which frequently come from various budget centres. Can I offer suggestions for the product strategy as a designer? How should the hand-off of developers proceed? domestic politics
Instead of a set of roles, real cooperation needs a set of rules.
The myths surrounding "10x designers" and "design unicorns" make the problem much worse. Many designers continue to advocate for a one-person show in an effort to uphold that reputation. Without input from other team members, the result frequently shows the prejudice of a compartmentalised, insular worldview.
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-on-a-business-meeting-discussing-and-writing-on-clear-board-4623506/
Let's make design an enabler
You should serve as a facilitator and reframe the design process if your team frequently requests for clarification on projects or if your workflow feels like you're pushing things through a production line.
For instance, Increased interest among the team in finding out more about the users and the product area could be interpreted as a driving force behind the call for greater user research.
Working with developers to refine an interface or animation could be justified as an effort to provide high-quality experiences.
Feedback may take more forms than simply adding comments to a document and may be given in both structured and unstructured methods.
The discipline of design is horizontal. It can also be advantageous for us as designers within our organisations because we naturally understand other people's motivations and can empathise with them. Being an enabler in our organisation entails bringing the team together around a common objective, leaving your ego at the door, and establishing a safe environment for cooperation across departments and positions.
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