Interviewing as pixel pusher vs strategist
Hi, I started to interviewing but I feel like recruiters are looking for someone to only do pretty wireframes and animations worth posting on dribbble. I can see that they don't like when I talk that I like to design strategy, that I have created companies and new products from zero but others develop or finish the product. I would like to innovate and launch new things inside of the company. Of course I can make pretty wireframes but as designer, everyone that can follow tutorials canndonit in 3 months, so I feel like I can add more value working on concept and strategy. And I don't even want to mention those that ask me if I have worked doing marketing or social media 🤢 What's in demand right now? Brainless pixel pushers that follow orders or bullshitters that define the big picture and direction of projects??
This is still shockingly common. I’ve heard the Facebook people say designers have to do “product strategy,” but based on my up-close with them that’s not necessarily the case. Some companies still put a major premium on cute Principle or Framer microinteractions and like that Dribbble slick. It’s verrry much a thing. Amazon however doesn’t give a shit in most orgs. Some of the devices groups do, and FireTV seems to. My experience in AWS is that there’s a strong desire for design thinking, but a frequent failure to understand what that really means in practice. But I don’t fuck around with pixel pushing. If you’re game for Amazon, message me. It’s by far the smartest place I’ve been, and fulfilling as a designer—though not without petty frustrations. If not, consider some of the consultancies out there if you haven’t already. That’s where I came from, and I’d consider going back some day. Loved the people and really loved the work.
Join Google, ton of design strategy in practice.
Not a manager = pixel pusher. Fuck SDEs are the same way. Fucking shit out code for no reason until you are a manager or architect so that’s not the only thing you do.
Pretty wireframes shouldn’t be a thing. If you think they are, you are probably too junior to be taken seriously.
Colloquialism. You’re making an ignorant snap judgment on someone without knowing anything about them. Typical insecure asshole designer behavior.
Damn. You are angry.
Not mutually exclusive and also dependent on company/teams. Data point: Airbnb designers are expected to do both strategy and polish.
I worked at a place where people didn’t care about design and it was weighing on me since I couldn’t connect or find similar minds. But I got to do a lot of stuff and was empowered to do my own thing. Now I’m at a design-led place and all I see and hear are designers talking about design and I’m already sick of this daily Medium-article-style conversation about inclusion and design systems.
Where are you presently? I always heard that Facebook had great designers but I’ve been woefully unimpressed with everyone I’ve met there. “Design led” can be a major pain in the ass. That’s been my experience as well.
In some ways, I think talking too much about design can stall the actual design process. Thoroughly discussing design decisions can put pressure on designers to stop experimenting and sharing their work because “how can I put out an unfinished piece of work if we spent so much time talking how we can make it perfect?”. When I worked at a traditional ad agency, which are usually writer-led since their main product are :30 second stories (tv ads), I’ve never seen them discuss the theory of writing as much as designers discuss the theory of design.
Also, don’t shit on marketing if you don’t understand that it’s also design. Educate yourself, watch Art & Copy.
Yes. Agreed with both of your points. Bringing products and services to market is extraordinarily difficult, just as hard as “product” design.
You can be a product strategist who defines the “big picture”, but you also have to prove you’re able to execute your ideas. Most tech companies expect you to take a product from end to end, and bad craft and execution doesn’t get you anywhere. For what it’s worth, I don’t give a shit about making pretty animations, and I don’t know anyone who looks for “pretty wireframes” or whatever that means.
Yes