Navigating the Design Process: The Responsibilities of a Lead UX Designer

With the rapid evolution of the digital landscape, and the number of Senior Product Designers growing, a select few will go further into the role of Lead Product Designer, combining individual contributor and managerial skills. A product designer in this position is responsible for making sure the product they create is user-centered, easy to use, and provides a positive experience for the consumer. It is common for them to work closely with other designers, engineers, and product managers to ensure that the design aligns with the project goals. Leading the design team and making sure the team works efficiently and effectively will be their managerial responsibility. Here I’ll take a look at what a Lead UX Designer entails, and how they drive product development and design excellence.

Basics

• Product designers regardless of their level will mostly be working in an agile environment. All designers including the leads will be responsible for making sure the product is easy to use and provides a positive experience for users. They will work closely with other designers, engineers, and product managers to keep adding new features to improve the product experience.
• As expected, the person in the Lead Product Designer position will also be involved in planning and strategizing for the project, as well as managing the design team’s resources and timelines. Some of the IC3 or IC2 product designers will be actively mentored and guided by them. The leads should also provide technical guidance to senior/junior designers, meaning they are capable to help them with their work and answer any technical questions they may have.
• The leads need to have an overall direction and goals for the product, as well as the team’s practices and processes. If they are transitioning from an IC3 role, then they will need to quickly get the ground running by setting up frequent 1:1 calls with fellow team members like product managers, designers, engineers, and business teams. 1:1 calls are also a good way to understand the team’s rituals, which are the regular meetings and practices that the team uses to stay organized and on track.
• To get an overall direction of the product, the leads will need to have knowledge of the product’s roadmap and vision, which lays out the overall plan for the product’s development and where it is headed in the future.
• Depending upon the scale of the company, the leads might have to dip their fingers into the design systems, which are the guidelines and standards used to ensure a consistent and cohesive look and feel across the product, and the processes the team uses to develop the system.
• As expected from someone moving to a hybrid IC role, the Lead Product Designer should be able to handle research and design work, which includes conducting user research, creating wireframes, prototypes, and visual design.

Visualizing 90 Days

• Hitting the 90 days mark will mean that the lead will be fully immersed in all aspects of the design work and have a good understanding of the future, current, and past tasks related to the product.
• The leads will be seen actively participating in the design process, including research, prototyping, and visual design. During this time, they would have established a comprehensive understanding of the product’s direction and plans as well as have a good overview of the current sprint/quarter and backlog items.
• It is at this point that a newly appointed project lead should be well-versed in communication and close contact with other project leads, discussing and coordinating work to maintain the continuity of the project-level design strategy and the highest level of design quality. Their ideal plan will revolve around maintaining a high level of quality throughout the entire project and being able to communicate it to the team effectively.
• Leads would have learned ample about their reporting designers and taken into consideration their well-being and personal development. They are expected to lend support and help them grow in their skills and careers. Leads will need to be always looking for ways to make the team’s work more efficient and effective.

Wrapping Up

• Leads will need to actively collaborate with fellow product designers to ensure the product being developed is user-centric and provide a positive user experience. As a squad leader, the fundamentals of user-centricity must be clear as it is the key to success and meeting the needs and goals of users.
• It is no longer sufficient to track OKRs, leads will have to come up with strategies to make things better, meet delivery milestones, and plan yearly OKRs to drive business success.
• Whenever possible, leads will also have an opportunity to interact with various product stakeholders to obtain buy-in on design initiatives. These meetings will be crucial for the product's success as well as for putting the IC designers in the driver’s seat.
• Communication will go a long way in the design decision process and managing the trade-offs with product stakeholders at all levels. Product designers should be given full visibility to drive their own presentation meetings and explain the reasoning behind design choices, but leads should be present during the meetings to cheer and support them along the way. One person communicating and one person supporting will always drive higher success.
• Junior Product Designers are often weak in the areas of user research and interaction design. These will be active areas of mentorship for them. Leads will be expected to help them with driving the process of translating user research into design recommendations and findings. These will further inform the team’s decisions about design.
• An often unspoken part of the job would be to collaborate with others and communicate to resolve problems and disagreements with teammates and stakeholders. These hard conversations will highlight your passion for design, and stakeholder management, and willingness to contribute and learn with your teammates.

That’s the end of this short yet hopefully insightful read. Thanks for making it to the end. I hope you gained something from it.

👨🏻‍💻 Join my content verse or slide into my DMs on LinkedIn, Twitter,Figma, Dribbble, and Substack. 💭 Comment your thoughts and feedback, or start a conversation!