Product design is an ever-evolving role, yet one consistent skill requirement is usually referred to as “craft.” For some designers, craft is a source of delight. But for others, myself included, it can be an immense source of frustration.

Craft is a nebulous term. Every company (and every leader) has a different definition. If you have not already done so, you should definitely ask your senior leadership team what they think craft means. You might be surprised!

Craft may be equivalent to taste in the mind of one Head of Design. To a VP of Design at another company, craft could relate to experience quality, encompassing information architecture and content design. A Director elsewhere might consider craft to be the delightful design details that add extra polish to an experience. Three unique definitions!

While there are core tenets of visual design, I have witnessed many leaders use phrases like “you know it when you see it” to describe craft. This version of craft is subjective. Whether intentional or not, leaders can continuously move the needle when the bar is invisible.

Vibe-driven craft is hard to measure. It’s challenging for designers to meet or exceed an expectation that cannot be clearly expressed. Leaders in this kind of environment often get frustrated with their reports’ inability to mind-read. In response, they begin to do what I now call “craft negging.”

Craft negging is the act of attempting to improve the visual quality of a product by criticizing the output of the team. Leaders assume designers will be inspired to improve after receiving this kind of feedback. Instead, because craft negging equates to negative reinforcement, it usually causes designers to feel like they are bad at their job. Sad face

Design is inherently a creative role. Creativity is sparked by inspiration and engagement. While there are real ways designers can improve their visual design skills, it is very important to communicate expectations in affirming ways so their will to create stays intact. I have witnessed countless individuals burn out due to unending craft negging. There is a better way.

Technique 1: Lean into strengths

Individual designers have different strengths. Visual design is easier to see (it’s literally visual) and therefore makes the dopamine hit heavy for leaders. Some designers are stronger at other skills such as systems thinking. Systems thinking requires more effort to recognize. As leaders are often context switching, they often don’t have the time to process and recognize the value a systems designer provides.

Systems thinkers are often already aware that they need to improve their visual design skills. Many unfortunately believe that taste is something you can only be born with, not something you can nurture. Criticizing their visual design skills both invalidates their value and pushes them even further away from engaging with craft in a thoughtful manner.

The reality is that only some designers inherently receive energy from visual design work. Others don’t. When communicating with systems thinkers, it’s often more effective to communicate ways in which visual design can also be systemic. This will likely reward them with a similar amount of energy and excitement they get from systems design while pushing them toward the visual design direction you want.

Technique 2: Pay for what you want

A product’s user experience directly reflects the amount of energy leadership invests in maintaining design talent. When you hire a designer, they start with a certain level of skill. Over time, if they are not given the time and resources to improve, their abilities will stagnate or even atrophy. Leaders who want better craft must give designers the support, space, and time to experiment, learn, and improve on the job.

A leader must not demand that their designers have good taste unless they are willing to invest in continuous visual design education for the team. Good design is not cheap, and designers should not be forced to maintain their skills outside of working hours. If you want good design, you need to pay for it.

There are plenty of options for visual design education! Here are a few to consider:

Concerned about pricing? Many courses offer discounts for bulk orders. I have witnessed the improvement of craft at both Dropbox and Asana after the team was given access to Shift Nudge. Designers at both companies demonstrated a better understanding of typography, hierarchy, and layout thanks to the course — along with more excitement about visual design in general. Investing in your team pays dividends.

Technique 3: Fix your incentives

The final issue at hand usually boils down to organizational politics. Design leaders can harp on about taste, but craft isn’t just something Design owns in a vacuum. We are affected by our working relationships with product and engineering, the level of influence we have, and how much the organization values design.

Designers can push pixels to perfection. But a PM or eng can decide to cut corners in order to reach a deadline. Companies often pressure teams to deliver new functionality at a breakneck pace. If speed to launch is rewarded more than customer experience, why would designers focus on craft?

Rather than pointing the finger at the symptom (their reports’ output), design leaders need to go to the root of the issue. They need to sit at the table and negotiate with their partners in product and engineering. I’ve watched big improvements come from leaders collaborating across roles to prioritize the implementation of craft since it often results in long-term positive effects.

Hey, managers!

Leaders must facilitate environments in which their reports can thrive. Craft quality can seem like an individual challenge, but it often reflects a systemic issue. You are an orchestrator, and the team’s output mirrors your level of investment in them.

Design managers: think bigger. Consider ways to grow and positively reinforce your team. Carve out budget for continuing design education. Advocate for the addition of experience quality to your company’s incentives for Product and Engineering teams. That is how you’ll see the change you want.

This is hard work, but it’s what you signed up for as a people leader! Rather than looking down on your team, show them that they are valued by changing the system to support them more. You’ll build trust faster, and your vision will resonate more when you’re all on the same side.

Hey, designers!

If you’re an individual contributor who reports to a leader who is guilty of craft negging, you’re not powerless. Leaders that heavily focus on craft want to be heard and tend to reward reports who are willing to work to improve. Suggest they budget for one of the courses I listed above. Ask them for examples of good design. Point out how organizational incentives make craft challenging to prioritize. Take back your agency and give your manager the information necessary to recognize the systemic issues at play.

If you found this helpful, I wrote a book about design leadership as an individual contributor! I included a large section about elevating the bar for craft while maintaining your humanity. You can order The Staff Designer: Grow, Lead, and Influence as an Individual Contributor directly from Rosenfeld Media.

I also teach a course on the same topic. Each week, participants have ample time to connect directly with me and their cohort mates to discuss real-world IC leadership challenges. It’s always a good time, so sign up for the course on Maven if that sounds like your jam.

I hope this brain dump gave you something you can bring back to your team! We might be in an industry-wide crunch, but that doesn’t mean we have to be hurtful to each other. Let’s create work we are proud of and be our best selves at the same time. ✨

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