We never stop being designers, we just stop having the title. We are more than a title.
On Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 2:15 PM, Jim Leftwich <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 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 > > > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > Posted from the new ixda.org > http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=33964 > > > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
