5 designer personas every design team has to have
How Jason recruited his team — The Argonauts.
Once upon a time in ancient Greece lived a young, ambitious design director named Jason.
Jason’s company, Colchis, was a promising business navigating a digital transformation. Jason had committed to building a design system — which he would call “Argo” — to guide that evolution.
However, it was not a task he could go at alone. The Argonauts, Jason thought, would be the team of designers he recruited to accompany him on his mission. Jason knew to succeed they would have to be a pretty colorful bunch with diverse skills.
To get a better sense of how and where to find his Argonauts, he paid a visit to an old friend: the celebrated HR executive and leadership coach, Chiron.
Chiron was known for his shabby chic outfits, signature ponytail, and unmatched wisdom.
“People paint designers in broad brushstrokes. That’s a mistake. Take creativity, for example. If you look just for creativity, your team will be limited.” — Chiron started while fiddling with his ponytail — “You need to identify diverse designer personas which will complement each other and form a shared mindset, the paramount of any team. Humans are social animals.
The design field is not an exception.”
“…And be sure to include Tamada.”
“Tamada?” — Jason was puzzled. What the heck was Tamada?!
“Yes, Tamada. It’s not a Greek word. I think it comes from the Caucasus. Literally, it means toastmaster. But how I see it, it’s a person with a unique ability to boost the mood of your entire team. Tamada is precious, trust me!”.
To ensure that he was looking for the right people, Jason outlined each designer persona in his pocket notebook made out of the finest Egyptian parchment:
1. The Lead
Leads are designers with managing skills. However, Leads are not managers per se. That’s a common misbelief. A manager role implies distance which is hardly compatible with the team camaraderie. Leads are in the trenches like any other foot soldier. Managers are not, they count losses and fill out reports. Manager is a rank assigned by the organization, top to bottom. Lead is a recognition granted by teammates, bottom to top. The real merit of a seasoned Lead is that they can guide your team confidently, anticipating all the strategy pitfalls and tactic ambushes on their way.
Likes: Substance.
To build any kind of value you need a solid ground, a real thing, a substance. The Lead is on a holy quest of finding it. Like inspirited pilgrims they look for and explore things that matter to a consumer, a product, and a design team.
Dislikes: Superficiality.
The Lead sees superficiality as a lack of commitment. It is an unforgivable sin in their eyes. It erodes design process, affects the desired outcome and has a lethal impact on the team spirit. Time or budget restraints are just bad excuses for a lack of commitment.
Signature trait: Confidence
2. The Design Heroine
Design Heroine sounds pompous. Who are they, and what’s their value exactly? The Design Heroine is an outstanding talent who is not shy of showing it off to the world. They are non-linear thinkers. They see hidden patterns invisible to most people. Their talent allows them to solve problems almost effortlessly. Aside from that, they have tremendous impact on your team. Talent is inspirational. Talent is contagious. Talent is charismatic. And cocky, sometimes. Yes, it lacks patience for ordinary or it’s a bit self-centered. But that’s a part of the bargain.
Likes: Creating
Creating is a divine act. Who would turn down that privilege? The Design Heroine is all about creating. Their inner child is alive and kicking, and its imagination is intact and unshackled.
Dislikes: Maintaining
The design process is a long tag game between creating and maintaining. The Design Heroine is not keen on maintenance. That’s the job of mortals. Almost any type of optimization is perceived as tedious work, not worthy of their time and talent.
Signature trait: Charisma
3. The Artisan
Design could be characterized as a craft of tempering imagination to fit utilitarian reality. The Artisan is a designer profoundly devoted to the core of that craft. They don’t object the utilitarian part, imagination has to be tamed to serve a practical purpose. Otherwise, it’s art. Art is a blue-sky venture. Design is a planned activity with specific goals. Apart from their design mastery, Artisans bring to your team a subtle grasp of that blurry boundary between art and craft. Unlike the Design Heroine, the Artisan doesn’t crave exposure, the outcome of their mastery is a source of gratification and fulfillment.
Likes: Mastery
Mastery is defined as a comprehensive skill in a certain subject. It is the Artisan’s Nirvana, a state of absolute bliss with release from all forms of suffering. Accomplished mastery and the road to mastery are equally important to them.
Dislikes: Incompetence
Incompetence kills the joy of making. It is an insuperable obstacle on the road to mastery. Tasks shaped and led in an incompetent way quickly drain the Artisan’s energy and make them sad and empty.
Signature trait: Modesty
4. The Scholar
The Scholar is a design data cruncher. They record and document everything. When other designers bad-mouth documentation as a boring and redundant paperwork, Scholars embrace it as an essential piece for the success of a design team. For them, documentation marks the border between an amateur and a professional. Amateurs design for fun and don’t need to keep records. Professionals design to solve problems and have to keep records, otherwise they can’t learn and grow. Without a Scholar in your team, you’ll be one step from the amateur realm where only gut feelings and personal biases drive design decisions.
Likes: Order
Order carries a stigma of being a barrier to creative freedom. The Scholar could not disagree more. Order boosts creativity. Messy workplaces require more time to get into the subject matter and provide creative solutions. Order wipes out clutter and flattens that learning curve.
Dislikes: Improvisation
Improvisation refers to an act done without planning. How can you rise to the challenges ahead if you don’t plan and strategize? Improvisation is a risky tactic with vague results. It’s the Scholar’s primal fear.
Signature trait: Accuracy
5. The Tamada
Humans are not machines. Teams thrive on emotions. The Tamada is a designer with a unique quality to sense a team pulse and read its emotions. They are emotional amplifiers. Their empathic aura shields teammates through inevitable personality, project or process turbulences. When people are discouraged, burnt out or even scared, the Tamada steps up. They have healing powers. A right word or two, a joke, an emoji, or just a smile and a dark mood is flipped. The Tamada is the spirit of your team.
Likes: Camaraderie.
One for all, all for one. The Tamada deeply believes in it. For them, camaraderie is the reason to go to work every day. There is nothing more rewarding than being around people you enjoy. A sincere chat, a lot of laughter, and occasionally tears and confessions are their schtick.
Dislikes: Politics.
Ok, nobody likes politics at the workplace, but the Tamada is extra sensitive. Workplace politics are an antonym of empathy. Power games based on subordination, concealed hierarchies, or clan rivalries drain a Tamada’s social resilience and impose a self-censorship on their sense of humour.
Signature trait: Sense of humour.
Jason intentionally used the feminine form for the Design Heroine. The ancient Greek world was full of biases and prejudices. Hundreds of years of patriarchy formed an opinion that only males can do the job. Dangerous nonsense. Diversity should be a staple of every workplace. Jason was on a path to make that so.
The day was almost out, and time was a resource as precious as they come. With a vision set for the Argonauts, he was one step closer to achieving his goals.
