How to grow as a designer: Aligning design with business goals

There’s this idea that speed in design equals impact. The faster the team moves, the better the team must be doing. That kind of speed looks like momentum, but more often, it hides what needs attention. Speed can disguise a lot. It can make uncertain thinking look confident. It can make collaboration seem smooth when everyone’s just trying to keep up. It can even make teams believe they’re making progress when they’re only covering ground, not gaining clarity. I’ve seen projects that looked unstoppable in week one completely stall in week six because no one stopped to ask the hard questions. There’s a difference between momentum and motion. One builds on something real. The other just burns energy. The work that lasts usually comes from slowing down. From reflection, testing, and giving yourself and your partners enough space to catch what speed tries to hide. Speed has its place. It can energize a team or help close a loop that’s dragged on too long. When it becomes the only measure of progress, it turns into noise. Some of the best design weeks I’ve had felt slow, quiet, and a little uncertain. Those were the ones where the product actually moved forward. --- 🖖 I’m Ryan Klein, a Senior Product Designer who shares insights on design dynamics within teams and businesses. I’m interested in product design opportunities at B2B and Enterprise companies where I can make a positive impact by helping users make sense of complex data. If you're in design or a tech-related role and want to be featured in my Forward Friday series, send me a DM. I’d love to highlight your story.

A lot of designers dream of working at a design-led company. The kind of place where research matters, design is strategic, and you actually get to do the work you were hired to do. But the reality? Very few companies are actually like that. And the designers who get to experience those environments aren’t always the “best” — they were simply in the right place at the right time. I came from Microsoft. I learned a ton there. I also probably left a little burned out and a little too confident. Then I found myself in a company where design wasn’t understood or valued in the same way. Suddenly my job wasn’t designing or researching — it was selling the value of design every day. Not designing. Not researching. Selling. Convincing. Translating. Proving. It was exhausting. And I wasn’t great at it at first. But those years forced me to build muscles I didn’t know I needed: - influencing without authority - speaking the language of business - proving ROI instead of assuming it’s obvious - building a design practice from scratch This work is hard. And it matters. So if you’re at a truly design-led org — appreciate it. If you’re trying to build one — you are doing incredibly important work. And if you’re somewhere in between — I see you. If you’re building or leading design in environments that still see design as an order taker, I’d love to connect. I’m here for the conversations that make the work better — and make the work possible. #uxleadership #designops #productdesign #designmatters

😂 I saw this meme and couldn’t stop laughing… because it’s painfully accurate. But behind the humor is a real lesson about product design. So here’s a quick story 👇 A while ago, during a client presentation, everyone in the room was excited. We had beautiful screens, smooth flows, and a pitch that made the whole solution look magical. But then — reality. The developer pulled me aside and said: “This looks great… but it’s not technically possible yet.” That moment taught me one of the most important lessons in design: ✨ Great products aren’t created by designers alone. ✨ They’re built through collaboration — early and often. Here’s what this meme really reminds us: ✅ Designers should involve developers early, not at the end. ✅ Clients should understand feasibility, not just visuals. ✅ Developers should communicate constraints clearly, not silently suffer like this dog. 😅 When everyone is aligned — design becomes real, development becomes smoother, and clients get what actually works. Because at the end of the day, design isn’t just about what looks good… It’s about what can be built, scaled, and sustained. #UIDesign #UXDesign #ProductDesign #DesignThinking #Collaboration #DeveloperExperience #ClientCommunication #DesignProcess #TeamWork #TechDesign #RealWorldUX

Not only in Product Design 🖥️, but Design in its entirety ✍ . I've seen this throughout the years; this is painfully accurate. As much as I love the entire design process, there are certain aspects, such as design viability ☑️ , timing ⏳ , customer feedback 🗣️ , and back-end piles 👝 , that make it clear: design cannot be done alone. The need for essential50-70 % discount sales further underscores this fact 🙃 . Collaboration is not just important —it's necessary 🤝. Each of us plays a crucial role in the design process, and our collective efforts are what make our designs truly exceptional 💯 . #FashionEntrepreneur #FashionDesign #FashionIndustry #DesignThinking #Collaboration #ClientCommunication #DesignProcess #Teamwork

So true... During the Ideating stage of design, a lot of designers don't take it into consideration that some of their ideas and design solutions are almost technically impossible. This poses a big problem for very many developers in the end.

Catchy vs. Possible (Startups Edition) This meme is funny… and a little too real. 😅 In fast-moving teams, “make it catchy” can outrun “can we build it?” While working in startups, you learn to adapt to changes that occur daily. Change is not a stress factor, but rather the day-to-day. As a Product Designer, I try to be the mediator (Between teams, company goals, and client needs), not the “yes to everything” person or the “that’s impossible” person. How I handle these moments: • 🎯 Reframe the ask: “What user moment are we trying to improve?” • 🧱 Name constraints early (people, time, tech) without killing the energy. • ✂️ Offer a smaller slice that keeps the promise and fits the runway. • 🔁 Write the follow-up version so ambition doesn’t die; it just lands later. Product Design is one gear in the machine, alongside CX, engineering, ops, and finance. When those gears align, the idea becomes something we can build, scale, and support. #ProductDesign #UXDesign #ProductStrategy #StartupLife #WorkCulture #MVP

Recently, I came across an article called “How do you design when your company isn’t sure what the roadmap looks like?” And honestly — it perfectly describes what many designers live every day. Sometimes the roadmap isn’t a roadmap… it’s a fog. Priorities shift, plans change, and you’re expected to “just design” without knowing where the product is actually heading. But here’s the insight that stuck with me: When the path is unclear, designers shouldn’t wait — we lead. What that looks like: • Anchor in the “why.” When features are unclear, focus on user problems and business goals. • Make small bets. Quick prototypes → quick learnings → smarter decisions. • Visualize possibilities. Use your design skills to create options, not just screens. • Be proactive, not reactive. In uncertainty, designers become the ones who bring clarity. Designing without a clear roadmap is messy — but it’s also where design becomes strategic, not just aesthetic.

There’s one line a former boss said that I can’t forget. Everything we do in design is communication. That one sentence changed how I saw my work. It made design about how ideas traveled between people, not just visuals, layouts, or interactions. Every design decision becomes a sentence in a larger conversation. Color, hierarchy, spacing, and motion all speak. They tell a story about what matters, what’s possible, and what’s next. Regardless of the medium, product, or service, our work isn’t of any merit if it can’t be effectively communicated to the people experiencing it. The intent of use behind a product is just as important as how it’s expressed. The work isn’t just making something look right. It’s making sure it says the right thing. --- 🖖 I’m Ryan Klein, a Senior Product Designer who shares insights on design dynamics within teams and businesses. I’m interested in product design opportunities at B2B and Enterprise companies where I can make a positive impact by helping users make sense of complex data. If you're in design or a tech-related role and want to be featured in my Forward Friday series, send me a DM. I’d love to highlight your story.

Seeing Every Project as Big… Until It Becomes Small As a designer, I’ve learned to treat every new project like it’s a big mountain. Not because it scares me, but because I know what it truly takes to create something meaningful. When a brief lands on my table, my mind immediately goes into research mode. I start digging, reading, studying patterns, understanding the users, and asking the right questions. I want to be sure I’m seeing the full picture, not just the surface. And something interesting always happens. The more I study, the more the project starts to shrink. What felt big in the beginning slowly becomes clear, simple, and familiar. By the time I’m fully equipped with the right context, the “big” project becomes a piece of cake — not because it was easy, but because I did the work to understand it. This process keeps reminding me that design is less about talent and more about preparation. When you prepare well, nothing feels too big. When you rush, even the small things feel overwhelming. That’s the real magic of the design process: It turns complexity into clarity. Do you also experience that moment when a scary project suddenly becomes simple once you understand it? #ProductDesign #UXDesign #DesignProcess

Started off discussing design systems yesterday,wr actually not done with it😋😄. Most times,when you design or product feels inconsistent, you don’t need more designers,what you need is a proper well built design system. Nah why be this : Consistency Without Copy-Paste: Design systems make your product feel unified, same language, same energy, same experience no matter who designs the screen. Faster Design: When patterns and components are defined, you stop rebuilding buttons, modals, and spacing from scratch. Less repetition → more time for solving real problems. Better Collaboration: All your designers finally speak the same language. Tokens, components, naming conventions now all align to reduce the “this doesn’t look like the design” conversations. 😅 Scalability: As your product grows, your system grows too.Like I said yesterday,your product is like a living thing that evolves each day. A solid design system helps everyone linked to the product (from new designers, developers and even project managers) onboard quickly and build with confidence. A design system isn’t a luxury for your team,it’s the foundation for the product.