The Number One Skill Designers Have

And it’s probably not what you think it is.

The Ability to Think Innovatively

A designer’s number one skill is being able to think innovatively because it allows us to differentiate ourselves from the competition. And the foundation for that innovation is thinking deeper and harder than anyone else, iterating on as many possible solutions for a given problem. In the world, most people/companies come to solutions after just a bit of iteration, and a lot of copying. Consider all the knock-offs that exist. It seems as though just a few trailblazers make a large splash, resulting in an overwhelming majority trying to grab a piece of that market share.

That mentality is one of scarcity. You don’t eat unless someone kills the game for you. Those are the people who make small incremental changes or copy altogether.

But designers don’t need to succumb to that mentality. You don’t need to wait around for someone to create opportunity, because an innovative mindset allows you to create opportunity.

The header image for this post is exactly what I’m talking about. This is a picture of some of the ideation I and two other guys came up with for an interactive project, and we were trying to incorporate sensory deprivation, board games, and stranger to stranger interaction. Weird, right? But it’s these strange places that get those creative juices flowing, putting concepts together that don’t feel associated. Only then you do get those concepts like “Lepers”, and Twister Consequences.

But ultimately, this skill is another reason why I advocate for designers to not work corporate (and why I started Orbit). You have a skill set that gives you the flexibility to build things people love, and make a living doing it. Life isn’t just getting a job from someone else; again, that’s a mentality of scarcity.

You’re a designer. Create your own opportunity.