From Designer to Design Lead.

Moving from a designer who designs things, to a designer who oversees someone who designs things takes a different set of skills.

The craft you once obsessed over becomes something you now oversee from a distance. For me, it felt very disorienting at first.

When I first moved into a lead role I remember catching myself. I wanted to fix others work myself. But, leading others means learning when not to touch the work, even when you can see exactly what you’d do differently.

The goal shifts: it’s no longer about what you can make it's really about how you can help others excel.

Why letting go feels hard

Designers take pride in their skills and design precision. So when you step into a lead role part of that identity takes a hit.

You’re now judged by your ability to guide, influence, and multiply good thinking through others.

The shift:

Individual Contributor: Fixes the design
Design Lead: Fixes the process that led to the bad design

Your job is now having to build systems and processes that act as guardrails. If the guardrails are strong, the team stays on the road. That's it.

This takes a lot of trust from your team and yourself. Trust that your guidance will land, that others will make good design decisions, and that mistakes are part of growth.

You will start to realize that leadership is about creating the conditions where great work can happen across a team.

Making space for what really matters

Once you stop sweating every little design detail, you create room to see the bigger picture. That’s when leadership becomes very interesting.

You start thinking about design systems, how your team partners with product, how they work together, and how to sustain a healthy creative culture. You become a bridge between design, strategic impact and business goals.

Over time, the details that you were so focused on start taking care of themselves. The rhythms and instincts you’ve built into your team begin to show up in their work. You start seeing signs of your early influence in decisions you no longer make.

It’s truly one of the most satisfying parts of the journey. It's what made me love being a lead more than anything.

A few lessons

Delegate outcomes, not specific tasks. Give clear context and trust people to solve the “how.” They will figure it out.
Stay active and curious in critiques. Ask, don’t tell!
Celebrate when others make great calls without you.
Always stay connected to the craft. Have a side project, workshop, or visual exploration that you're always working on.

Lead without losing the design

Growing into a design lead doesn’t mean leaving your design skills behind.

You move from shifting pixels to shaping people, process, and direction. The challenge is learning to let go with trust, knowing your impact shows up in the growth of others.

The leadership audit

Ask yourself these three questions this week to see if you’re actually leading:

Am I providing a specific solution, or am I providing a perspective?
Did I spend more time designing or in 1:1 conversations?
Is my team waiting on me for small approvals, or are they moving forward without me?

Closing thoughts

Letting go of the details feels like losing control, but it’s actually how you gain influence. It feels counterintuitive, but it's not.

I’ve spent over 25 years in this industry, from the early days of illustration to leading design teams at places like AOL and multiple startups. If there is one thing I’ve learned it’s that your portfolio of work will eventually be eclipsed.

The screens I designed a decade ago are long gone, replaced by newer versions and updated tech. But the designers I mentored? They are now Design Directors, VPs, and Founders.

That is the work that actually lasts.

When you let go of having to touch every pixel you aren't losing your craft. You’re just applying it to a bigger canvas.

This week, try to find one moment where you can step back so someone else can step up. It’ll feel uncomfortable at first. Do it anyway.

Talk soon, Anthony

Final Note: No one is born a natural leader

Transitioning from IC to Design Lead is a completely different skill set and I struggled with it just like everyone else.

What changed the game for me was a combination of two things:

Management classes: I took classes to learn the frameworks of human behavior, conflict resolution, and strategic planning.
Personal mentoring: Having a veteran leader in my corner. Someone who had already navigated the landmines and helped me see the big picture. This was the single most valuable investment in my career.

If you’re feeling a little impostor syndrome as a lead, don't just wait for it to pass. Seek out the training and the mentors who can help you build your new toolkit.

P.S. If you're serious about leveling up your design career, here are three ways to work with me... all focused on getting you hired or promoted faster.

Portfolio Review (Video Audit) – If your portfolio isn’t converting into interviews, I’ll record a direct 20-minute video audit showing exactly what to fix.
$95 — “My callback rate doubled after Anthony’s audit”
Book your portfolio review

1:1 Career Strategy Session – Stuck on a project, interview, or promotion? Bring me the real problem. You’ll leave our 50-minute intensive knowing exactly what to fix, what to remove, and what to focus on next.
$175 — “The most clarity I’ve had in my career in years”
Book your strategy session

If you’re curious how I work with designers 1:1, you can explore more here.