Chandni Kabra Loiwal

Want to grow in your Super IC career? I just published The Ultimate Design Career Guide: https://lnkd.in/g6TuYiER I’ve found that the more senior I get in my design career the less clear the expectations and growth paths are. And I believe this is unique to the Super IC career track—management career growth and expectations are much better defined. This is my attempt to start fixing that. This free Notion template includes: 7️⃣ 7 core skillsets 9️⃣ 9 levels up to Distinguished Designer 🌱 Expectations at each level and a way to track your progress 🧢 Senior designer archetypes (coming soon) This is very MVP but I’ve put a lot of time into it to try to create a valuable resource for other Super ICs who have found themselves in the same situation lacking clear guidance. I'd love your feedback.

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You often hear “fall in love with the problem not the solution” but I don’t think it takes it far enough. I would say “fall in love with the people you are designing for.” As I tell my team at Intuit - “empathy just isn’t enough - you have to deeply understand the customer.” Great designers want to deeply understand the people they are designing for so they can deliver thoroughly thoughtful solutions. They want to dig deep into the motivations, the fears, the desires, and the intent of these individuals. They are curious of how the people they serve see the world and how they give it order. And if they meet a person who doesn’t seem interesting? Well, great designers will find that very fact interesting - and love it. Why? Because they know there is more to uncover. After all, if you are not continually curious about the people you are in a relationship with, what good will come of that relationship? How will you provide what they need? Or even things they didn’t even know they needed? Understanding the problem - it just isn’t enough. Go deeper.

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Here's my advice as a design leader who actually "has a seat at the table." I recently watched a Natalie Dawson video on how to carry yourself like a CEO, and wanted to give my take on it for design. If you want to be seen as powerful, confident, and respected, the harsh truth is that your words and your behavior have to match your desired outcome. 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱. This one was a hard one for me, as a chronic people pleaser, I always wanted everyone in the room, on my team, and even my managers to like me. Sometimes the thing that needs to be said is the one that goes against popular opinion. Truths hurt, but they need to be said. There is value in preserving harmony but if it's doing your business or your team's project a disservice, reset and speak the truth. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 — "𝗜'𝗺 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿" This is literally the same as "faking it until you make it." One of the key things I learned through all of my thousands of hours and dollars of training, is that LEADERSHIP IS NOT TITLE. IT IS NOT RANK. IT IS NOT AUTHORITY. It is just about recognizing, and doing the right thing. The mindset shift you need to make is, this is what needs to be done, and god dammit - i'm going to get it done. 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄. Let me remind you right now again, YOU ARE A DESIGNER. YOU WERE HIRED FOR YOUR DESIGN OPINION. I've seen so many designers end up in a room just to sit quietly and observe the silence. Design leaders have an opinion on everything. It's based in in their experience, their taste, their curation, their likes. Whatever it is, they have an opinion, and you should too. Even if you're not confident in sharing it yet, start with knowing what yours is. When you're ready, share it. In Natalie's words: Remember that your point of view is important, and you are in the room for a reason. 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 Stop qualifying your statements. STOP SAYING "I think." or "I feel." Skip these phrases entirely, and just say what you're thinking and feeling. “I feel like we could explore this direction.” → “This is the direction that aligns best with our goals.” “I think this design is more intuitive.” → “This design improves clarity and reduces user friction.” “I just wanted to share my thoughts on this.” → “Here’s what needs to change to make this work.” So what's up? You still trying to get trust and respect in your role? Check my email influence challenge. Link is in the comments.

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We often think of design principles as rigid guidelines, etched in stone, dictating pixel placement and user flows. But I want to tell you a story that shattered that perception. This isn't a tale of perfect execution, but of messy, human collaboration—a reminder that design principles are as much about people as they are about pixels. Principles are how we make decisions, how we agree among ourselves, how we tell other people about our agreements because often the speed and transparency of decisions affects the success of the project as a whole. Check out the full story at the link https://lnkd.in/guZGsRpp #UX #ProductDesign #DecisionMaking #DesignPrinciples #FinTech #UserExperience

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