Becoming a better designer
Jian Wei - October 4, 2024
It's already October! Wow, how time flies! I've been taking some time to reflect on my growth, especially after receiving messages from fellow designers on LinkedIn and X asking how they can improve their skills. I can’t help but think that the uncertain economy and the wave of layoffs are pushing more designers to seek out opportunities and develop their craft.
When I think about my own career, especially spending more than a decade at Zendesk, I’ve found myself asking: what kept me going? What were the key skills that helped me grow and pushed me outside of my comfort zone?
Over time, I’ve developed a framework that’s not only helped me but also resonated with others when I’ve shared it. And now, I want to pass it along to you. Designers, at our core, are problem solvers. If you don’t see yourself in that role, you might not fully connect with the three levels I’ll discuss. But if you do, I think this approach will resonate.
One of my early designs in 2010, honing my skills in Photoshop. At the time, skeuomorphic design was all the rage, influencing many designers, including myself.
I still remember when I was a young designer working in design agencies. Back then, I believed that to be the best, I had to master my craft completely. I had to know every single function of design software, Photoshop at the time, and be able to code (Macromedia Director was huge then). And at that point, I was on top of my game. I could design things fast, really fast! But over the years, I’ve learned that there’s so much more to being a designer than speed and technical skills.
“As designers, we are problem solvers.”
Level 1: The problem and solution are well defined.
At this stage, your role as a designer is straightforward: execute and deliver. The problem has already been identified, and your job is to bring the solution to life through your craft.
Level 2: The problem is defined, but the solution is not.
Here, your role expands. You need to deeply understand the problem, explore potential solutions, and then validate which one works best in the given context. It’s about critical thinking, creativity, and iteration.
Level 3: The problem and the solutions are both unknown.
This is where things get interesting. Your role as a designer is to dive into the unknown and figure out exactly what problem needs to be solved. It’s about uncovering insights, framing the problem, and then coming up with solutions from scratch. You’re not just executing—you’re defining the challenge itself.
This framework pushes you to think beyond the surface level of design and focus on solving the right problems in the right ways.
Looking back on my early design career, I realize that I was often handed the problem statement by a product manager. My job was to figure out the design, to stay within the lines, so to speak. I thought that mastering my craft was all it took to become a better designer. But as time went on, I learned that being a great designer is about so much more than just creating beautiful or functional designs.
It became clear that how I presented my design was just as important as the design itself. How I collaborated with others—especially people who had never worked with designers before—was critical. I had to learn how to educate others about the design process, bringing them along on the journey, and making them feel like true partners in the outcome.
But perhaps the most important lesson was learning to embrace ambiguity. I learned not to shy away from the unknown but to step into it, ask questions, and learn from others.
My design habit of using Post-it notes and markers to map out interaction flows visually, helping to facilitate discussions and alignment with my product partner.
Led a collaborative workshop, uniting Product Managers, Engineers, Designers, and Marketing teams to ideate and solve problems collaboratively.
“Growth came not just from sharpening my design skills but from becoming a better communicator, collaborator, and problem solver.”
When you look at the three levels, you’ll notice that the skill set required grows significantly with each step.
At Level 1, it’s all about mastering your design craft. You need to be technically strong and efficient in executing a clearly defined solution.
By Level 2, the expectations increase. Now, it’s not just about crafting a design; you also need to validate which design is the most effective. This means weighing trade-offs, presenting your ideas, and collaborating with others to ensure you’re solving the right problem in the best possible way.
At Level 3, your role expands even further. Here, design isn’t just a deliverable—it becomes a tool for sparking conversations and facilitating discussions. You need to be great at facilitating, guiding teams through ambiguity, and using visual storytelling to bring ideas to life and drive collaboration. It’s about leading people to the solution, not just delivering one.
“Early 2019, I had a pivotal moment in my career.”
I’ll never forget the day I approached my VP of Design and said, “It’s time for me to step up. Give me a project full of ambiguity—throw me into the deep sea—and I’ll show you what I can do.” Not long after, I was moved from working on the core Support product to Zendesk’s Sunshine platform, a space where no one really knew what it was supposed to be or how it would benefit our customers. The path ahead was completely unclear, but that’s exactly what I wanted.
The project threw me into a whole new environment. I was working with a Product Manager who had never partnered with a designer before—someone with more of a Sales background than Product. The engineering team was in a similar position, with several new hires who hadn’t worked with designers either. It was unfamiliar territory for all of us, and to be honest, it was more challenging than I anticipated.
I initially gave myself 4 months to deliver results, but it ended up taking more than 6 months before things started to click. the Product Manager began to recognize the value I was bringing to the team. I wasn’t just there to make things look good—I was there to help us all see what the product could be. I started getting invited to every conversation, even leadership meetings, because I could visualize complex technical issues through UI prototypes and communicate our product vision in a way that made sense to everyone. I had to learn quickly how to tell the right story to the right audience, tailoring my presentations for both the team and leadership.
Over time, what started as a chaotic, undefined project turned into something real—a low-code data platform within Zendesk where admins could create and manage custom data with just a few clicks. Looking back, that journey was one of the proudest moments of my career. It taught me how powerful design can be when it’s used to bring clarity to ambiguity and guide a team through the unknown.
“Stepping into that unknown is exactly what helped me grow. I learned that design isn’t just about creating something beautiful—it’s about leading, collaborating, and bringing clarity to complexity.”
I hope this short story will inspire you to think about your career growth no matter what role you play.