The best-designed products and services do more than just solve problems.

Designers are being misled. One of the most essential skills for getting hired is frequently overlooked. An influential founder/designer claimed last week that design has nothing to do with making products look good.

Reality check: as a junior or mid-level designer, you may not be hired to “solve problems” or “help others”; you will most likely be hired to execute a plan, with “making products look good” playing a significant role.

You may believe that as a designer, you are well-positioned to solve problems, which is correct; however, do you know who else thinks they are well-positioned to solve problems?

The product managers, the lead designer, the design director, the product VP, the CTO… The list goes on and on.

Do you know what skill has been taught to leaders from all departments by countless strategy books and courses? Problem-solving.

Do you know what those leaders don’t feel equipped to do, whether due to a lack of technical expertise or time?
Make the product appealing.

Some members of the design community believe that business leaders don’t understand design and believe it is only about making things pretty.

In reality, they’re a few steps ahead; they understand that their product must be useful, usable, and desirable. They rely on designers for “desirable,” and they hope that design can contribute to “useful” and “usable,” but they recognize that other members of the team can also contribute to those.

Designers frequently do not understand their unique selling point, rather than business leaders. It’s not about solving problems; it’s about emotion, desire, and delight. It’s all about connecting with your audience via your craft.

“The best-designed products and services don’t simply solve problems—they connect deeply with people.” Org Design for Design Orgs by Peter Merholz & Kristin Skinner