Cody Scott

For many designers, the step into leadership can feel like a big shift. You move from focusing on pixels and deliverables to something bigger - people, vision, and impact. Here are a few habits that help make the transition smoother: 🧑‍🏫 Focus on coaching, not correcting Great design leaders guide and develop others rather than jumping in to fix everything themselves. 🧭 Set vision and context Your role becomes helping the team understand why the work matters, not just what needs to be done. 💬 Communicate design to non-designers Stakeholders, engineers, and leadership all need to understand the thinking behind design decisions. ✏️ Stay hands-on enough to keep credibility You may not design every screen anymore, but staying close to the craft keeps you grounded. Leadership in design isn’t about stepping away from creativity, it’s about amplifying it through your team. #DesignLeadership #ProductDesign #DesignCareers #UXLeadership #TogetherWeTech

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Design careers are changing fast. AI is automating what used to be high-value skills, UI design is becoming a commodity, and titles, tools, and even whole disciplines can shift overnight. If you want your design career to thrive in this new reality, you need more than a resume or portfolio, you need an operating system. I put together Crafting a Resilient Design Career — a free career OS guide with 12 career-planning exercises — to help you: - Define your Career Vision Narrative: your ideal workday, stripped of titles and corporate noise. - Shift from craftsperson to conductor so you stay relevant, influential, and in demand. - Explore alternative career models that give you more freedom and stability. - Map your skills, networks, and opportunities so you can make better career decisions. Your career is your most important design project. This guide is your blueprint. Get the free PDF when you subscribe to Systems & Signals: https://lnkd.in/g5pbveG9

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Today’s designers don’t just own how a product looks—they shape how it works, performs, and delivers value. In modern triads, design leaders are translating real user insight into confident decisions across desirability, feasibility, and viability. This blog breaks down how continuous feedback is helping designers: ✅ Mediate across product, engineering, and business 💬 Replace opinion battles with user evidence 📈 Tie experience improvements to real business outcomes Read the full blog here. https://lnkd.in/eyNNAgGh

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Designing for thumbs isn’t just smart it’s essential👍 Most users navigate their phones with just one thumb. -67% use their right thumb -33% use their left thumb -And 90% switch to both thumbs for tasks like texting or filling forms. If your key actions aren’t within easy thumb reach, you’re making users work too hard. Great mobile UX = comfort, speed, and effortless navigation. Design for the way people actually use their phones. #DesignX #ThumbFriendlyUX #MobileDesignMatters

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Hot take for designers experimenting with AI + legacy systems: You don’t have to pick one AI tool and hope it integrates perfectly with your design archive. If you can get to the code, you can make it work. I’ve been testing different AI platforms for strategy and prototyping. What I realized: You can use any AI tool you’re comfortable with to think, prototype, and generate UI — as long as it outputs code. Then: 1. Copy the generated code 2. Paste it into Figma Make 3. Let Figma rebuild it using your UI/style library 4. Edit, refine, and share inside your real system That means: • Strategy can live anywhere • Prototyping can move fast • Your design system still governs the final output AI becomes a thinking partner. Figma stays the system of record. For teams sitting on years of legacy designs and wondering how to bridge that with AI experimentation — this is a practical path. #DesignSystems #AIforDesign #Figma #ProductDesign #DesignOps

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It’s time for SEASON 2️⃣ Your UX Career Breakthrough Starts Here 🤩 - Learn by doing real client projects - Get personalized mentorship - Graduate with confidence and a portfolio that lands a job 🗓️ Program starts October 27, 2025. Don’t miss your chance for only $799, one-time. 👉 Apply now - https://lnkd.in/geMkggE6 . . . . . #uxapprenticeship #designeducation #uxlearning #uxcourses #uxdesignmastery #uxuidesign #uxinspiration #uxtrends #uxprocess #uxdesigners #designapprenticeship #uxtips

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A new episode of UX Spotlight is live 🎙 This conversation was sparked by a viral industry post that challenges conventional design thinking. UX Designer and Product Thinker James Eccleston asserted: "Stop designing for ‘users.’ Start designing for tired, distracted humans." Curious, we connected with James to delve into this idea. He shared why designing for real-world behavior and *not* ideal personas leads to better digital experiences. Drawing from his work with major brands like Virgin, he explains how UX teams drifted away from reality… and what it takes to course-correct. If you work in UX, product design, research, or digital strategy, this conversation will challenge how you think about usability in the real world. 👉 Listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/ezamERjA

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For mid-career designers and product professionals, the path isn't always a straight ladder. Many will find themselves in a hybrid space, blending deep craft with strategic leadership, without a clear title to match. This unique role requires its own set of strategies for growth and impact. If you're navigating this complex terrain—whether as a manager or a freelancer carving your own path. You can use the tips in the slide below, and make sure to follow Brave Achievers for more actionable insights on building a fulfilling and successful career. #DesignCareer #ProductManagement #MidCareer #CareerGrowth #FreelanceDesigner #ProductDesign #ICvsManager #DesignLeadership #CreativeFreelancer

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With Outset unlocking new research methodologies comes understanding new UX terminology. Hear Aaron Cannon explain what “tokens” are and how they relate to evaluating generative UX.

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