🧂Three jaw-dropping facts about design

Hey there! Happy Saturday! Today, I’m excited to share some insights on finding the right designer for your business.

Working closely with founders, I’ve frequently heard these frustrations:

• “Why won’t my designer create the illustrations I want?”

• “Why can’t the designer I hired handle marketing campaigns?”

• “Why can’t my designer just adjust the angle of that 3D object?”

Many founders assume designers are magicians capable of tackling anything "design" related. However, here’s the brutal truth: not all designers are the same, and not all can perform every task that falls under “design.”

Fact 1: Different Design Specialties Require Distinct Mindsets and Skill Sets

In the world of design, specialization matters. A common misconception is that a “designer” can do anything visual. However, design encompasses many fields, each requiring unique expertise and approaches.

For instance, consider product design versus illustration. Product designers focus on user experience, researching user behaviors, and aligning their work with business goals. Their skills lie in wireframing, user flows, and optimizing user journeys. Illustrators, by contrast, specialize in visual storytelling, character development, and artistic interpretation.

This distinction is critical when hiring for startups. If a founder is building an app and expects a product designer to handle complex 3D graphics or animation, they’re bound for disappointment. Creating a detailed 3D model, for example, involves more than design—it requires skills in 3D modeling, animation, and lighting, typically handled by professionals like 3D artists or motion graphic designers.

In short, hiring the right designer means understanding their core competencies. Expecting a designer to cover areas outside their expertise—like asking a graphic designer to manage complex UX flows or a web designer to create a marketing video—will lead to frustration and wasted time. It’s like hiring a copywriter to build a website; it’s related, but it’s not the same skill set. Founders should carefully assess the type of design work needed and ensure they hire designers with the appropriate skills.

Fact 2: Design Skills Require Regular Practice to Stay Sharp

Like any craft, design skills need continuous practice to remain sharp. A designer who focuses on one discipline for an extended period will naturally lose proficiency in others. This is why founders should be cautious when hiring “generalist” designers, as they may not excel in every area.

I once mentored a product designer who had transitioned from illustration. After years working solely on digital interfaces, her illustration skills had diminished. While she could still illustrate, tasks took significantly longer compared to professional illustrators who practiced daily. What might take them 10 minutes could take her an hour or more due to lack of practice.

This is a fundamental truth about design: a UI/UX designer who works daily on app interfaces becomes highly skilled in that area. But if they need to create custom animations or develop a logo, they may struggle. Likewise, a motion graphic designer might have little to no experience designing intuitive user flows for software.

Consistent practice hones a designer’s skills in a particular discipline while narrowing their expertise. For founders, this means that if they want exceptional results in branding, UX, or visual art, they should hire designers specializing in that area.

Fact 3: Great Design Requires Collaboration, Not Isolation

A common misconception among founders is that designers can work in isolation and produce exceptional results. The reality is that design is a team effort. Whether it’s collaborating with developers, marketers, or other designers, the best work comes from open communication and feedback.

For instance, if a founder hires a UI/UX designer but doesn’t provide clear product goals or involve them in discussions with developers, the designer will lack crucial context for creating a user-friendly experience. Designers are problem solvers, not just visual creators. To do their best work, they need to understand the bigger picture, including business goals and user needs.

This collaboration extends beyond the design team; founders themselves play a crucial role. Expecting a designer to “just make it pretty” is shortsighted. Involving them in conversations about user pain points, marketing strategies, and long-term business vision ensures that the design is not only visually appealing but functional and aligned with the company’s goals.

Conclusion

Understanding these three key facts—different design disciplines require unique skills, regular practice is essential for excellence, and successful design relies on collaboration—can save founders from unrealistic expectations and enable more productive, creative outcomes when working with designers. Design isn’t magic, but with the right approach, it can turn ideas into reality.

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