How to lead designers — 18 practical tips

Managing a team of creative folk is one of the toughest, and most rewarding, roles a person can have.

Ryan Ford
UX Collective

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Speaking personally, as a young designer I didn’t ever think I’d haphazardly work my way into a management role despite actually wanting it right from the beginning. Early on, I assumed being “the boss” was a seat of power where I got to make all the important decisions. But over time I came to realize that being a creative leader is actually a subservient role, where I exist to support and enrich my team members so they can do their best work possible. I believe this is true for all creative leadership roles, nay all leadership roles of any kind. Though, truthfully, creative employees require a slightly different management mindset in some ways than traditional, non-creative employees. This may stem from the inherently empathetic and more emotionally-driven nature of creatives, whose role is to translate the world around them into visual, tangible, inspiring output. Such is not the role of, say, an accountant or a nurse or a police officer.

With these realizations, over time I began to formulate a methodology that I’ve employed with every team I’ve built and led. Many of these realizations were felt, and not necessarily written, until now, while others existed as notes I jotted down when I came upon situations that warranted it. If you, as a creative leader, find this guide helpful then please by all means employ these methods within your own…

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