Designers! Have you ever felt like your work was undervalued or even dismissed entirely? Does your design sometimes be viewed as a secondary concern, something to be added in at the last minute at your work? Do you have a say in your work or even your team?

If you feel the same frustration, then consider advocating more for design and for your work!

Here are some reasons why designers should advocate for their work:

1. To communicate the value of design

Design is often misunderstood or undervalued in organizations. Many stakeholders may not understand the importance of design or how it can impact the success of a project. By advocating for your design, you can communicate the value of design and how it can improve user experiences, increase customer satisfaction, and generate business value.

2. To ensure user-centered design

Designers should advocate for their work to ensure that the design is user-centered. User-centered design means designing products or services that meet the needs and preferences of the users. By advocating for user-centered design, you can ensure that the design is based on user research, feedback, and testing.

3. To justify design decisions

Designers make many decisions during the design process, from typography to color palettes to layout. Advocating for your work means justifying your design decisions to stakeholders. By explaining your design choices and how they relate to the project goals and user needs, you can build trust and credibility with stakeholders.

4. To promote collaboration

Designers should advocate for their work to promote collaboration and teamwork. Design is a collaborative process that involves many stakeholders, including designers, developers, product managers, and stakeholders. By advocating for your design, you can engage other stakeholders, invite feedback, and foster a culture of collaboration.

Tips on how to advocate your design

1. Share design-related resources with stakeholders

Education is a crucial component of advocating for your work. Many people may not fully understand what design entails and how it can benefit a product or service. By educating your colleagues and clients, you can help them see the value of design and the impact it can have on the user experience. You can share case studies, articles, and examples of companies that have successfully integrated design into their products or services.

2. Show the value of design by example

Don’t say how important design is. Show it.

For example, we have a CRO audit service at my company and normally we will describe what can be improved by text. But I decided to re-design the areas that can be improved and show the difference in a visual way. During the workshop, clients can clearly see how the human-centered design improves the experience, and they are very happy about it.

So next time if you want to advocate for design, don’t just say it, do it instead.

3. Involvement

Getting people involved in the project is key to advocating for your work. Don’t just work by yourself. Try to talk about it during your daily small talk, show your work to others, ask for their opinions, show appreciation for your teammates…

4. Be vocal

Communication is critical when advocating for your work. You need to be able to articulate the value of design to others and make sure that your voice is heard. This means being confident in your abilities as a designer and being able to clearly communicate the benefits of good design. You may need to provide examples or data to back up your arguments and help others see the value of what you’re proposing.

You can also write case studies of your design so that more stakeholders can have a deeper understanding of what you did and why you did them.

To read more, you can find me on Instagram or Linkedin.

I am Dana, thank you so much for reading. I will see you next time.