I love the concluding paths. So much of design is managing change, which is difficult. Standing up change means pointing out that something or worse someone is wrong and you are pointing a better way. Careers may have been made on the status quo. Great ideas introduced too soon are often met with derision. Too late and you lose credibility.
I once had a design manager describe that past a certain point, it's all just sales. Similarly, for myself, I've noticed that as I've become a more senior designer, it's been less about what I'm producing and much more about the context (or, really, the relationships) in which I'm creating.
Thanks for sharing this. I agree. I think it's true for any expert: since we spend so much time talking to people without our expertise, if can't sell or explain our ideas we will be ignored. No one wants to hear this of course, most people don't like selling, but from a wide lens it makes a lot of sense.
In the book we talk more about relationships than selling - we think it's probably a better framing to to use? What do you think?
Selling for many people has the connotation of manipulation or arm-twisting, but if we can build good, trusting relationships, we won't have to sell or persuade as much since we're already trusted.
I think of "sales" as relationships :joy: Or at least, as seeking to understand the potential client, which is a very relational activity in my experience. Which, I recognize that most peoples experience of sales is more likely to have been being sold to, and quite likely happened when they weren't interested in the product on offer, so I can see why sales wouldn't be a very approachable framing.
But from the perspective of understanding client needs, and connecting needs to solutions? I think most designers very well might have the seeds of those skills already, just under a different name. I wonder if calling out that existing overlap, in seeking to understand the client/user pain points, might make the idea of "selling" one's ideas more approachable? Though it sounds like you might already be doing that in the book.
Anyway. Just my immediate thoughts. Hope this is helpful.
Well said. Definitely useful - thanks for the comments.
I agree with you about designers having some of these skills. I mean, isn't user/ customer research about trying to figure out what people really need? It's easier to "sell" someone if we are offering something they want :)
I love the concluding paths. So much of design is managing change, which is difficult. Standing up change means pointing out that something or worse someone is wrong and you are pointing a better way. Careers may have been made on the status quo. Great ideas introduced too soon are often met with derision. Too late and you lose credibility.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/who-wants-change--621496817327348437/
I once had a design manager describe that past a certain point, it's all just sales. Similarly, for myself, I've noticed that as I've become a more senior designer, it's been less about what I'm producing and much more about the context (or, really, the relationships) in which I'm creating.
Thanks for sharing this. I agree. I think it's true for any expert: since we spend so much time talking to people without our expertise, if can't sell or explain our ideas we will be ignored. No one wants to hear this of course, most people don't like selling, but from a wide lens it makes a lot of sense.
In the book we talk more about relationships than selling - we think it's probably a better framing to to use? What do you think?
Selling for many people has the connotation of manipulation or arm-twisting, but if we can build good, trusting relationships, we won't have to sell or persuade as much since we're already trusted.
I think of "sales" as relationships :joy: Or at least, as seeking to understand the potential client, which is a very relational activity in my experience. Which, I recognize that most peoples experience of sales is more likely to have been being sold to, and quite likely happened when they weren't interested in the product on offer, so I can see why sales wouldn't be a very approachable framing.
But from the perspective of understanding client needs, and connecting needs to solutions? I think most designers very well might have the seeds of those skills already, just under a different name. I wonder if calling out that existing overlap, in seeking to understand the client/user pain points, might make the idea of "selling" one's ideas more approachable? Though it sounds like you might already be doing that in the book.
Anyway. Just my immediate thoughts. Hope this is helpful.
Well said. Definitely useful - thanks for the comments.
I agree with you about designers having some of these skills. I mean, isn't user/ customer research about trying to figure out what people really need? It's easier to "sell" someone if we are offering something they want :)