Sometimes it Snows in April

We work in an Industry that is constantly in flux, and the role of what we might call a traditional designer requires now much more. In fact, the role and definition of what a “Designer” is and does seems to change with each passing season.

So, what kind of Designers do we need to be?

Beyond the inherent creative ability of a designer, what other skills or talents should we take on to improve ourselves. To be the best Designers, we must also possess soft skills such as time management, communication, conflict resolution, empathy, and critical thinking. These abilities are as integral to our role as pushing pixels, a paintbrush, or pencil.

It is important to listen to our teams and to learn from them. Communication and getting feedback from both our team and our customers are imperative. The key to building better teams is to encourage feedback, both positive and negative, and to create an environment in which feedback is welcomed and embraced.

To be effective facilitators of good design, our job is to ensure that team members have a clear understanding of how their decisions affect their users, and to provide the information they need to do so.

We are in an exciting time as facilitators, defendants, and educators of design. In order to better ourselves as designers, we must strengthen our skills and make use of the expertise of those we work with. Better design and better designers are essential because our customers, communities, and society are dependent on it.

* This newsletter is titled after the Prince song"Sometimes is Snows in April" from the Parade album from 1986.