Why you shouldn’t be too eager to share your work

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the importance of restraint and thoughtfulness in the design process, especially for senior designers. It highlights how showcasing too much work too quickly can be perceived negatively, and how designers should strategically use their visual design skills as a "bargaining chip" to get the necessary resources to fully understand user needs and create effective solutions.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Importance of Restraint

1. Why is restraint important for senior designers?

• Showing too much work too quickly can make a designer seem less senior, as it indicates a lack of thoughtfulness and restraint
• Designers should exercise restraint in showcasing visuals to have the most significant impact and create "good + fast" work rather than "fast + cheap" designs
• Restraint allows designers to take the time to fully understand user needs and create effective solutions, rather than rushing to deliver visuals quickly

2. How can restraint help designers get the necessary resources?

• Designers' visual skills are a valuable "bargaining chip" to get the resources they need to do their job well
• By refraining from showcasing visuals too early, designers can leverage this bargaining chip to obtain access to the information, research, and other resources required to create effective designs

3. What are some strategies for communicating restraint to team members?

• Clearly explain the process and why certain steps are necessary to create quality designs, rather than just focusing on the visuals
• Break down work into smaller, more manageable steps to avoid long wait times for visuals
• Ensure that "works in progress" and "complete" designs are visually differentiated

[02] Challenges of Restraint

1. Why can it be challenging for designers to exercise restraint?

• Saying "no" to managers or executives who want visuals quickly can be intimidating, especially if they control the designer's paycheck
• Designers' visual skills are often seen as their most valuable contribution, so refraining from showcasing them can be difficult

2. How can junior designers' eagerness be both helpful and harmful?

• Junior designers often dive deeply into problems and work late nights to provide quick solutions, which can be admirable
• However, this approach is not sustainable in the long run and can lead to larger problems if not balanced with restraint and thoughtfulness

3. Why is it important for designers to push back on non-designers creating visuals?

• If non-designers (e.g., product managers, engineers) create visuals, there is a risk that these ideas will be treated as the final design, even if they are not optimal
• Designers need to ensure that their own well-researched and thoughtful designs are used, rather than hastily created visuals from other team members