Jim,
I think your intention here is solid... but the reality of the work
is you have an exceptional situation. Design is NOT a highly regarded
role in most corporate environments. All well and good to encourage
designers to follow you very wise and optimistic words, but someone
disingenuine to suggest that this is anywhere close to the norm.
I do not think it is prudent to put 'all things design' away when
entering management. I have been managing designers for over 15 years
and I still think of myself and act like a designer. I design every
single day regardless of what my title or activity may be on that day.
What is important for young designers to know is that with design
comes a unique set of tools, methods and insights that can serve well
when navigating the waters of the corporate world, start-up, or the
business world in general.
To that point... this is exactly what the design thinking is really
about... applying these design tools and methodologies in other
operating environments.
Mark
On Oct 7, 2008, at 2:15 PM, Jim Leftwich wrote:
I think it's a mistake, and a large one, to make the
assumption/assertion that the only way to move up or occupy a
leadership role in a corporation or organization is to leave the
designer track for a management track. This may well be the case
with how some (to date) have made the upward transition, but this is
also a bit like looking in the rearview mirror in order to drive.
I believe in beginning with an idea of where we as individuals (and
in turn others) in the field *would like to be positioned* and
work/struggle/persevere toward that in order to make things different
than they might seem today.
The idea of designers stopping being designers/the design leaders as
they advance has always struck me as alarming, as the complexity of
skills and judgement necessary to design interactive systems and
shape whole product and service experiences is something that greatly
benefits from the judgment of people with many years experience.
These people need to both have a large say in the design of
experience and interaction as well as the power to direct and
influence how this balanced within their organization.
During my two decades as a consultant, I found that aligning my
contracts at the executive level (and coordinating my design efforts
at the project level) enabled a great deal of influence and direction
that was necessary in order for the product and user experience to
emerge as designed and the resulting goals realized.
Now at a relatively small search engine startup, I'm dividing my
time between executive strategy, directing (limited) inside and
outside resources. I have great control, but limited time and a
nearly unlimited number of challenges on all sides. It's a very
different set of challenges. But I still design, and would continue
to do so and be involved in other design iniatives at their core no
matter how large and resourced our organization may become.
In other words, I could not possibly conceive of taking off my design
hat. At least in those areas where my core expertise lies.
I would even argue that it's much easier to find help in basic
management tasks, than it is to find the most skilled and broadly
experienced designers, and so I delegate some business work while
concentrating on what I find are much more valuable integration tasks
- integrating design values into the company's core.
I would not suggest that Christina and Scott are wrong, but more that
they are missing the "what could be"-ness in this crucial issue
facing our field.
Do we really want our oldest and most experienced designers taking
off their design/architecture hats and joining the ranks of
management? Or might we *also* envision an alternative path - one
that sees the co-equal role of design, architecture, and integration
as a key need of all product and service-based companies, and one
that cannot simply be *managed* from a management class that exists
above a worker/designer level somewhere further down.
I don't see this as an argument. I see this as a challenge for
perception and vision. I believe there are no *inherent* limitations
to designers and that we will see much evolution in this, one career
at a time, as we move forward.
- Jim
James Leftwich, IDSA
Chief Experience Officer
SeeqPod, Inc.
Emeryville, CA
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Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=33964
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