"This article won't start out well, because I'm sort of at rock bottom in my career and it seems that I'm projecting my frustrations of the industry out in the open. But I promise you, my rants are merely neutral observations and opinions. I love talking to people, and over the last 2 months of unemployment (I am now employed), I called upon designer friends all in Asia and Europe to get their opinion on the current state of Design leadership and how it has impacted our careers. Spoiler alert: It ain't great. Hence the article."
"We seem to have found ourselves in an era where clout matters more than productivity, and when Design's productivity and impact is questioned, we somehow re-direct that discomfort and blame our Engineering and Product counterparts (or other happenings in the industry) for not enabling us to be more productive. "We're not the ones touching the code or deciding the business, so it's not our fault." or "AI is replacing designers!" or [Insert office politics statement here]. If you have no idea what I'm on about, this article is either not for you, or you're part of the problem."
Career instability and personal frustration coincided with conversations among designers across Asia and Europe about how current design leadership affects careers. The professional climate privileges visibility and clout above measurable productivity, causing defensive narratives that externalize responsibility when design impact is questioned. Frequent reframes include blaming engineering, product decisions, AI, or office politics for reduced effectiveness. These patterns point to systemic leadership and cultural issues that undermine accountability, lower morale, and obstruct designers' ability to demonstrate real contribution and progress in their careers.
Read at Medium
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