Jami P. Odell, MSHCDE, UXMC, CPACC’s Post

Most in-demand role right now? = Senior Product Designer. Let's look at 6 points why: From speaking to leaders and + Head's of Product Design, + HR, One thing is clear: Senior Product Designer is the go-to choice. 1. Until 2020, the mid-weight/ senior level was the most popular role. Why? Got nearly all the experience of a senior without the high £. 2. Since 2020, and the digital boom, companies need seniors. Why? To hit the ground running with all the experience. 3. In 2024. Companies prefer full-stack product designers, 4-7 years exp., product awareness, beautiful visuals, who work solo, + lead small teams. 4. Junior Product Designers: After 10 years of recruiting, about 9 roles for that level have come in. Since 2020, the roles for juniors are vastly limited. 5. Why? Companies are reluctant to invest in training: With economic uncertainty, this takes time + £. Spending this £ on solid expeirence. 6. Heads of/ Director level: Again limited need. Why? Minimal hands-on work, companies need a mixture of design + strategy output, not just leadership + planning. Seems the Pantone colour of the year is Senior Product Designer. ________ If you are a hiring manager + see this same trend. Drop me a DM, would love to hear your views. ________

I have a question for the designers in my network. I hear that many designers have strong opinions/fears about reporting into Product, rather than Design. As a product leader hiring a designer, I'd like to better understand these concerns. Folks who prefer to report into Design: what are the drawbacks of reporting into Product? Designers who have chosen to report into Product: what helped you make that decision? Happy to talk outside of this comment thread too.

🎨 Hiring Designers by Archetypes: A New Approach to Building Creative Teams 🎨 Finding the right designer isn’t just about skills—it’s about matching archetypes that align with your team’s vision and needs. In my latest blog post, I explore how hiring by designer archetypes can bring balance, innovation, and cohesion to any creative team. Curious about which archetype your team might be missing? Dive in here! 🚀 https://buff.ly/3YMaNS3 #Hiring #DesignTeams #CreativeHiring #UXDesign #TeamBuilding #DesignerArchetypes

12 thoughts on what makes a high-performing design team: 1. The design leader is a master at design integration. 2. They have strong internal sponsors. 3. They value design away from pure pixel-perfect UI. They recognise products, services and customer experience are all interconnected. 4. Multiple design disciplines. Because they recognise CX, Service, Product is interconnected they understand the need for specialist designers. 5. Strong inter-discipline relationships with brand, marketing, product and engineering. 6. They work with equally world-class engineers. 7. Hire designers from agency and in-house. They value diversity of experience. 8. They invest in the hiring process with time and money. 9. They work on their internal and external brand. 10. Their products make a tangible difference to people’s lives, and is not harmful to people or the planet. 11. They hire top notch visual design talent. 12. They hire designers with product designers with strong product sense. What would you add?

Following article as a continuation of my thoughts regarding hiring (https://lnkd.in/dRgQxQhW)

Some companies can’t attract top designers because they’re not offering anything special: What a lot of posts on LinkedIn say: - We’re hiring! - Click here to see our jobs. - Just reached unicorn status. - Join the rocket ship. - We need a Designer to do everything. - "We need someone to come and do the UX" Instead, tell designers: - How design leadership supports and mentors teams. - How you’re building an inclusive design culture. - Who is the most senior sponsor for design in the org. - What the actual salary and package is. - Where design reports to in the organisation. Just to name a few points. Spend time creating your narrative as to why the best designers should join you. This is what people actually want to see, not generic JDs.

I don't know who needs to hear this but please stop describing yourself as 'Aspiring, Budding, Upcoming' etc. You are setting yourself up to be underpaid. You are a product designer and not an aspiring product designer! Let the recruiter/client/hiring manager assess you and determine your skill level, so they can offer compensation that is commensurate with your skills. When you describe yourself with those adjectives, you automatically create a bias in their minds and YOU WILL BE UNDERPAID. #FranklySpeakingWithFranklyne

Ryan Scott should have all of us thinking. I've been there and I've even done this myself reviewing thousands of portfolios. We often hear about the glamorous side of design: working on exciting projects and creating groundbreaking solutions. But the reality is, many designers are stuck in a system that limits their creativity and potential. This creates an "expectation" of what to expect in a portfolio. We all are looking for that shiny, pixel-perfect example that depicts the "craft" of design. That may not be what happens in the real world. Some very talented designers are simply stuck working with what they have. We're often hampered by constraints, limited resources, and unrealistic expectations. Here's the reality: - We don't get the final say. - Technical debt hinders progress. - Critical user stories are overlooked. - Stakeholders undervalue user research. - Good solutions are undermined by poorly run A/B tests. - Sometimes it's just about the feature, feature, feature. - Tight deadlines force us to compromise on quality. - We're often stuck with a stinky design system. - UX/UI technical debt is simply deprioritized. When designers share their experiences with fellow designers, they're often met with unrealistic expectations. They're judged on their "craft," their process, and their titles, rather than the challenges they've overcome. Even when they overcome these challenges, they may not be recognized or rewarded for their efforts. It's time for a change. When hiring, let's acknowledge the realities of modern product development and assess candidates based on their skills, potential, and resilience. We can't only judge a book by its cover. #design #ux #productdesign #industrychange #designersupport

🤔 definitely some truth here but several of the issues listed can become opportunities to evangelize and increase transparency and productivity throughout the product / research / design / dev process.

Let’s rethink how we evaluate Product Design talent during hiring 🎨🔍 As a passionate Product Designer and Design Leader, I’ve had the opportunity to work on diverse projects that focus on solving real problems and delivering genuine value to users. However, now I am on the other side of the hiring process, I’ve noticed a troubling trend in the hiring of Product Designers of all levels (During my search for my next adventure): the requirement to complete assignments, furthermore some without even having a preliminary video or in-person meeting. These assignments, often submitted without any direct interaction, fail to showcase a Product Designer's true experience or ability period. Good UX Design is not about quick fixes or isolated tasks; it’s about understanding the business context, user needs, and creating solutions that drive real outcomes. In the real world, we approach projects through collaboration, comprehensive research, and iterative testing – not through hypothetical, time-constrained made-up assignments. When we design key features, we ensure they promote business value and are fully informed by user feedback and data. This process cannot be replicated in a contrived assignment designed to test skills superficially. Real value and problem-solving come from immersive, context-rich environments, not from a few hours spent on a fabricated task. Let’s rethink our approach to evaluating Product Design talent. If assignments really are necessary, they should come at the end of the recruitment process. In my experience, a more effective method involves engaging in discussions about past projects, using activities like collaborative white-boarding sessions to understand a candidate's design thinking and problem solving skills (basically how they think), and seeking insights from previous employers to gauge their expertise based on demonstrated experience. It’s high time we move past assignments that compromise the essence of good UX design and exploit designers' time and empathy. Instead, let’s promote methods that authentically reflect a Product Designer's abilities and potential impact. #ProductDesign #UX #HiringPractices #DesignProcess #RealValue