Beyond Hierarchies: Understanding the Real Power of Designers

In the constantly evolving landscape of product and service design, there exists an ongoing debate about the role and power of designers. There's a common misconception that designers, despite their significant influence on the user experience and the product's ultimate success, lack power.

This misconception, however, fails to recognize the breadth and depth of designers' abilities. Designers, contrary to what some may argue, wield a significant degree of power; their abilities extend far beyond mere aesthetics and into the realms of problem-solving, shaping perceptions, and even influencing culture. However, their sphere of influence is often misunderstood and can be undervalued, primarily due to their perceived lack of political acumen.

So, let's delve deeper and demystify the notion of 'designer's power,' explore the reasons behind potential resistance or 'boycotts' they may face, and discuss the dynamics that play out in the tech versus design power struggle.

Why designers have more power than they can imagine?

When the term "power" arises in conversation, it's common for individuals to associate it directly with hierarchical status, such as occupying a C-suite role. However, power isn't solely the prerogative of the upper echelons. It can indeed be wielded effectively from positions lower in the organizational structure, including senior roles, demonstrating that influence and impact are not restricted by titles.

What gives power to designers?

Designers wield a distinctive kind of power, encompassing several domains:

1. Influence Over Perception: Designers have the power to shape how users perceive and interact with a product, service, or brand. Through thoughtful design, they can create experiences that are enjoyable, memorable, or even transformative.
2. Problem-Solving Capability: Designers often operate as problem solvers, using their creativity and skills to find innovative solutions to complex challenges. This ability is a potent form of power, as it can significantly affect the functionality and success of a product or service.
3. Cultural Impact: Designers have the potential to create work that reflects and influences societal values and trends. Their decisions can shape cultural norms, aesthetics, and behaviors on a broad scale.
4. Advancing Sustainability: Through thoughtful, sustainable design, designers have the power to reduce the environmental impact of products and promote more sustainable consumption patterns.
5. User Behavior and Psychology: Designers can influence how users behave and interact with a product or service. They can encourage specific actions, habits, or decisions, often without the user's conscious awareness.
6. Accessibility and Inclusivity: Designers have the power to make products, services, and environments more accessible and inclusive, breaking down barriers and creating more equitable experiences.
7. Visual Communication: Designers use visual elements to communicate complex ideas, making information more understandable, engaging, and memorable.

If designers have power, they may face boycott. Why?

It is possible and even reasonable to expect some level of resistance or opposition to a designer's power. This can occur for several reasons:

Misunderstanding of Design - Design, especially in the digital realm, is still a relatively young discipline. Some people in an organization might not fully understand what designers do, the value they bring, or the scope of their role. This misunderstanding can sometimes lead to resistance or dismissiveness towards designers and their work.

Conflict of Interests - Designers often work with a variety of stakeholders, each with their own goals and priorities. There can be situations where these interests conflict. For instance, a marketing team might want a design that prioritizes promotional content, while designers might argue for user-centric design principles. Such conflicts can lead to challenges to the designer's power and decision-making.

Perceived Threat - In some instances, individuals or teams might feel threatened by the influence or power that designers hold, particularly if the role of design is growing within the organization. People might feel their own influence is being diminished or that their domain is being encroached upon.

Ethical Concerns - Design has a significant impact on users and society at large. If a designer, design team, or organization is seen to be using their power irresponsibly - for instance, by creating designs that are manipulative, exclusionary, or harmful in some way - there could be backlash against this misuse of power. This could take the form of internal pushback within the organization, or external boycotts or protests by users or the broader public.

How people boycott designers?

Opposition to a designer's influence or ideas may not always be explicit or confrontational. It can often come in the form of seemingly benign comments or feedback that effectively stalls or derails the design process. Here are a few such expressions:

1. "We don't have the budget for this right now."

2. "This isn't a priority at the moment."

3. "Can't we just do it the way we've always done it?"

4. "I'm not sure our users will understand this new approach."

5. "I know you're the expert, but I just don't like this design."

6. "We don't have time to do user research."

7. "Let's keep it simple and stick to the basics."

8. "It's too risky to try something new right now."

9. "We need to focus on what's urgent, not what's important."

10. "Let's just use a template or a competitor's design as a reference."

All these statements may serve to undermine the designer's power or resist their ideas without an overt confrontation. A skilled designer will need to understand how to navigate these situations, advocating for design principles while also being pragmatic and responsive to valid constraints or concerns.

What is the hidden agenda of those that boycott designers?

While the motivation behind opposition or resistance to designers' power can vary greatly based on the individuals and context involved, here are a few potential hidden agendas:

1. Protecting Turf: Resistance may be a defensive reaction from those who feel their area of expertise or authority is being encroached upon by designers.
2. Maintaining Status Quo: Some individuals may be resistant to change or innovation, preferring to stick with familiar processes or solutions. They may use various means to undermine new ideas from designers that could disrupt the status quo.
3. Budgetary or Resource Concerns: If an organization is facing financial or resource constraints, there may be an underlying agenda to minimize spending or resource allocation to certain areas, including design initiatives.
4. Control over Decision Making: Some people may resist designers' influence to maintain control over decision-making processes. By challenging or undermining designers' authority, they maintain their own power.
5. Avoiding Risk: If a design idea is perceived as risky, untested, or potentially unsuccessful, resistance may be a tactic to avoid this risk.
6. Differing Priorities: The resister may have different priorities. They might believe that focusing on other aspects (like sales or marketing) should take precedence over design.
7. Personal Preferences or Biases: Sometimes, resistance can be driven by personal preferences, tastes, or biases rather than a genuine consideration of what's best for the project or users.

Why Technology may fight against designers for power?

Tech-focused individuals or teams, including Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) and their departments, may sometimes be resistant to designers or design processes for a variety of reasons:

1. Different Priorities: Tech teams may prioritize functionality, efficiency, or the capabilities of a product over its usability or aesthetics. They might resist efforts by designers to prioritize user needs, experience, or design aesthetics if they perceive these to interfere with functionality or efficiency.
2. Misunderstanding of Design: Tech individuals may not fully understand the role and value of design, seeing it as merely "making things look good" rather than a critical process for ensuring usability and user satisfaction. This misunderstanding can lead to undervaluing designers' work and contribution.
3. Communication Gap: Designers and tech teams often speak different "languages," grounded in their respective disciplines. This can lead to misunderstandings or disagreements if there isn't effective communication or mutual understanding.
4. Territoriality: Tech teams may feel that designers are encroaching on their territory, especially as the role of design expands to include more technical aspects like UX design and user interface (UI) design.
5. Timeline and Resource Constraints: Tech teams often face significant pressures to deliver functional products on tight timelines. They might resist design processes they see as slowing down development or consuming resources.
6. Different Approaches to Problem Solving: Tech teams often approach problems from a logical, analytical perspective, while designers might use more creative, empathetic, or user-focused approaches. These different approaches can sometimes lead to conflict or resistance.
7. Resistance to Change: If a company or team has a deeply ingrained tech-first culture, there might be resistance to shifting towards a more balanced or design-focused approach.

Effective collaboration between tech and design teams is crucial for creating products that are both functional and user-friendly. Building mutual understanding, respect, and effective communication between these teams can help overcome resistance and foster more productive, collaborative relationships.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it's clear that designers wield a significant amount of power, often in ways that are not immediately visible or appreciated. Their influence extends far beyond aesthetic choices, shaping user experiences, solving complex problems, and even molding societal trends. However, this power is not always acknowledged or understood, leading to potential resistance or 'boycotts.'

Designers might lack traditional 'political skills,' but their work has far-reaching effects, making their influence an undeniable force within any organization. However, this power dynamic can lead to friction, particularly with tech-focused individuals or teams, who may have different priorities or misunderstand the value that design brings.

Navigating this complex landscape requires designers to continue demonstrating the value of their work, fostering understanding and respect across departments, and collaborating effectively with all stakeholders. It's also crucial for organizations to recognize the power of design and incorporate it thoughtfully into their strategy and operations. Only then can we truly leverage the transformative potential of design, creating products, services, and experiences that deliver value to both users and businesses.

It's clear that designers have more power than they might initially believe. The challenge lies in effectively utilizing this power, overcoming resistance, and ensuring their work contributes positively to the broader objectives of their organizations and society at large.